Libby Garvey on Cancellation of Streetcar: Pleased Board 'Listened to Voters'

Editor’s note: Arlington County Board Member Libby Garvey has opposed the Columbia Pike streetcar for some time and weighed in Wednesday with her reaction to Board Chair Jay Fisette’s announcement Tuesday to put the brakes on the project.

Libby Garvey Statement on Cancellation of Arlington Streetcar:

“I did not have time to prepare remarks, but I want to thank Chairman Fisette and my colleagues for this action which I know is not easy for you.

I am very pleased that this Board has listened to the voters, whom we serve. This is a victory for Democracy.

I look forward to working together with my colleagues, our staff, our counterparts around the region and the business community to develop a robust regional BRT system. We have the start right here in Crystal City with our transitway. If we work together, we could have a regional BRT that runs out Route 7 to Leesburg, across the river to Montgomery County and down Route 1 to Fort Belvoir. And we could do it pretty quickly. I firmly believe a BRT system will do everything we want transit to do, and we can build it much faster and much less expensively than a streetcar, and with a lot less disruption. I have been very worried about what would happen to all the small businesses along the Pike if we were to embark on all the disruption constructing a streetcar would cause.

I look forward to being able to work for something now. It is a much more comfortable position for me than working against something. I’m very excited about what we can now do for transit in Arlington and in the region with a BRT network that will have Arlington at is heart. I think it could do a lot to help our traffic congestion and be a game changer for the region.”

PHOTO: Arlington County Board Member Libby Garvey; photo courtesy of Arlington County