Along the Pike

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Mixed Martial Arts Studio coming to Edgewood St

Based on a recently approved change of use permit and freshly minted Facebook page, it appears a Mixed Martial Studio is coming to the Pike. The studio will take over the old Kayak Station space on South Edgewood next to the Rite Aid.

posted @ Thursday, May 10, 2012 9:58 AM | Feedback (3)

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Columbia Pike / Washington Blvd Bridge Update

There wasn't a ton of new information at the March 20, 2012 meeting on the Columbia Pike / Washington Blvd Bridge, but there were a couple of items of interest. See my previous post on the subject if you need an overview of the project.

Right-of-way acquisition and construction are both expected to start this Spring. They can happen concurrently because most of the project takes place within existing right-of-way. Construction is expected to wrap-up in Summer of 2015.

The contractor confirmed that when the project is complete you will no longer be able to enter Quinn St from Columbia Pike, only enter.

As a pedestrian on the South side of the Pike, you will have two separate crosswalks, one to cross over Queen St, another to cross over the ramp from Columbia Pike toward Washington Blvd. These crosswalks will be tied to separate phases of the stoplight, but VDOT pointed out that on the 2nd phase (when crossing the ramp) you can now also cross Columbia Pike during this same phase of the light - a movement that is practically impossible given the lack of a stoplight or crosswalk there now.

As far as construction impacts are concerned, they said there will be single lane closures which will be confined to 9am-3:30pm so as to avoid impacting rush hour. Construction will take place between 7am and 5pm. There will be some night work and some weekend work when necessary, and there will be a couple portions of construction (such as when demolishing the existing bridge) where they will need to close Columbia PIke under the bridge completely. When this happens, the work will be done on a weekend and Columbia Pike traffic will be detoured up a temporary ramp to meet up with a temporary traffic signal on Washington Blvd, then back down the existing ramp to the other side of Columbia Pike. Hopefully VDOT will post their powerpoint slides from the meeting so I can update this post with a visual to make it more clear.

posted @ Wednesday, March 21, 2012 4:25 PM | Feedback (0)

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

The Washington Blvd / Columbia Pike Bridge Project

On Tuesday March 20th, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will host a "Pardon Our Dust" Community Meeting regarding the new Washington Blvd bridge over Columbia Pike. The meeting will be at the Carver Community Center at 1415 South Queen Street from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. The agenda includes an overview of the status of the project, the upcoming construction and the plan to maintain traffic flow during construction. For those who can't make the meeting or would like an overview beforehand, here is what we know so far about the project:

The existing bridge that carries Washington Blvd over Columbia Pike was built in the 1940s as part of the Pentagon Roadway Network. It is a thick, solid structure that suffers from deteriorating concrete, corrosion, and heavy chloride contamination. The bridge was rated as "poor" in recent structural inspections, meaning that the superficial concrete is in poor condition, but is still sufficiently capable of carrying traffic without further restriction or risk to the public. In addition to this, the interchange around the bridge does not provide adequate operations for cars, cyclists or pedestrians.

Below is a modified version of VDOT's interchange overview drawing. I have tried to remove a lot of the distracting information from it so it is easier to focus on what is new. You can click on the image below for a larger version.

Changes to Washington Blvd

Washington Blvd going over the bridge will receive several improvements:

An added acceleration/deceleration lane in the westbound/northbound direction easing the entrance of vehicles from eastbound Columbia Pike (Ramp C) and easing the exit of vehicles onto westbound Columbia Pike (Ramp B)
Shoulders on each side of Washington Blvd which should help maintain traffic flow in the event of vehicular collisions or breakdowns.

Changes to Columbia Pike

Columbia Pike in the area around the interchange will experience several positive changes:

A 10' Shared Use path on the north side of the Pike.
A 7' Sidewalk on the south side of the Pike
A dedicated left turn lane for those attempting to turn onto South Queen Street from westbound Columbia Pike
Increased vertical clearance to accommodate the Columbia Pike Streetcar
Increased natural light under the bridge due to a physical separation between the westbound and eastbound lanes of Washington Blvd

Aesthetic Improvements

VDOT worked with a citizen group to develop aesthetic treatments for the bridge. They are as follows:

Pylons in each corner of the bridge to establish a greater presence and differentiate this signature bridge in Arlington.
Haunched Steel fascia girders with a two-tone paint scheme to mimic the arch of the existing structure.
A relief pattern incorporated into the vertical outer surfaces of the bridge parapet to create shadows and visual interest.
A concrete block pattern applied to the retaining and abutment walls similar to that of Pentagon architecture.
Recessed, arched panels on the abutment walls, larger than but similar in shape to medallions on the pylons.
Medallions will display images reflecting the historical significance of the Freedmen's Village, for which the bridge will be named (The Freedmen's Village Bridge)
Color and anti-graffiti application to concrete surfaces

Interchange Modifications

The biggest changes from the bridge project relate to the interchange and how cars will navigate the intersection:

As mentioned above, there will be a dedicated left turn lane for those turning onto Queen St from westbound Columbia Pike. This intersection will also be signalized and making this left followed by an immediate left onto Ramp E will be the only way to get onto eastbound/southbound Washington Blvd from westbound Columbia Pike as the old right exit ramp for that movement is being eliminated
The exit ramp from eastbound/southbound Washington Blvd (Ramp G) is being realigned to meet up with South Queen Street rather than South Quinn Street - the existing light at Quinn will instead be at Queen. The end of the ramp will be reconfigured - currently it is combined right turn/straight lane and a dedicated left turn lane. The new ramp will have a dedicated right turn lane, a straight/left turn lane and a dedicated left turn lane.
The ramp from westbound/northbound Washington Blvd to eastbound Columbia Pike will be realigned to meet up with South Orme St and will be signalized. Instead of being forced to turn right, exiting cars will be allowed to turn right, go straight or turn left onto westbound Columbia Pike. This means there will be two exits from westbound/northbound Washington Blvd that will allow you onto westbound Columbia Pike.
The main exit from westbound/northbound Washington Blvd to westbound Columbia Pike (Ramp B) will be widened to two lanes (both right-turn only) and signalized.
The eastbound lanes of Columbia Pike will continue to shift at morning rush hour (from a straight only + straight or right turn lane to a straight or right turn + right turn only lane) as they currently do, but the signage that indicates that shift will be upgraded to electronic signs.

Other Changes

Few people realize that a stream (Long Branch) actually runs UNDER this intersection through a concrete culvert. That culvert will be upgraded as part of this project to reduce downstream erosion.

A noise barrier will be erected along the west side of the project (abutting Westhampton Mews). The barrier will be 804' long and 12' to 20' high providing between 5 and 13 decibels of noise reduction.

Remaining Questions

According to the project website there will be certain "movement restrictions" on the interchange at South Quinn Street, but I haven't yet heard what those might be; based on the drawing I suspect that you will no longer be able to turn onto Columbia Pike (in either direction) from South Quinn Street.

It is unclear from the drawings exactly how the pedestrian crossing will be laid out - the movement of pedestrians around the ramp to I-395 is particularly bad right now - I don't hold out a ton of hope for improvement with the new interchange, but it is possible.

posted @ Wednesday, March 07, 2012 1:05 PM | Feedback (2)

Columbia Pike Multimodal Project Public Meeting

A public meeting has been scheduled for the Columbia Pike Multimodal Project. Come one, come all to review, evaluate and provide feedback on the County's plans for 3.5 miles of Columbia Pike from South Jefferson Street to South Joyce Street. Highlights include:

Wider sidewalks
Additional Left-hand turn lanes
Improved bus stops
Bike accommodations and facilities
Additional landscaping and greenery
Undergrounding of overhead utilities

The meeting will be held at the Walter Reed Community Center at 2909 S 16th St on Monday, March 26th 2012 from
7pm-9pm. For additional information visit the Project Website or review my previous post on the project at my other blog Engage Arlington.

posted @ Wednesday, March 07, 2012 9:34 AM | Feedback (0)

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Starbucks Coming, but not to the Pike

On the local Arlington22204 mailing list, talk of redevelopment often turns to discussion of what sorts of businesses residents would like to see come to South Arlington. One of the most frequently mentioned, and hotly debated suggestions is Starbucks. Starbucks proponents will likely be sad to see that while a new Starbucks is making its way to Arlington and it has a "south" in its address, it is not in 22204 nor along the Columbia Pike corridor.

According to a building permit application filed on November 10th, 2011 (but not yet approved), a Starbucks will be opening in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center at 2931 South Glebe Rd, the same plaza in which Cafe Caturra recently opened.

posted @ Wednesday, February 01, 2012 12:56 PM | Feedback (0)

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Improved Streetlights coming to Columbia Pike

On Monday night, County staff briefed the Transportation Commission on a streetlight upgrade project stretching along Columbia Pike from South Scott Street in the East to South Frederick Street in the West. The project would upgrade the existing streetlights to new energy efficient LED technology.

The upgrades are expected to:

Save nearly 80% annually in energy costs
Greatly improve visibility in the corridor increasing safety for pedestrians, automobiles and cyclists
Meet or exceed International Dark Sky standards (thus reducing light pollution)
Contain no mercury and no PCBs.
Have wireless capabilities that allow them to be remotely controlled by the County's Traffic Management Center, allowing the lights to be brightened or dimmed based on time, location, weather conditions, etc.

The upgraded lights will continue to use the Carlyle-style lamps that are called for in the Columbia Pike Form Based Code, but will use primarily double globes, rather than the single globe style that has been used in some places along the Pike.

The project is funded through the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Safety Improvement program. Construction is slated to begin in early 2012 and take approximately five months.

posted @ Wednesday, November 23, 2011 12:37 AM | Feedback (0)

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

ABC Liquor Store Coming to the Halstead

According to a recently issued building permit, Columbia Pike will soon be home to its first liquor store. The permit is issued for 2940 Columbia Pike, a portion of the the Halstead building at the corner of Columbia Pike and Walter Reed Drive next to the newly expanded Lost Dog Cafe location. In addition to being the first liquor store on the Pike, this is also the first liquor store in South Arlington's 22204 zip code.