The Virginia Department of Elections increased mail-in ballot accessibility, and Arlington residents seem to be relying on them more now than before.听

As of Nov. 7, about half of the 14,000 mail-in ballots requested have been returned. The is expecting a voter turnout of 56,000 in total.

Among these accessibility changes, Arlington voters who are voting by mail this year will no longer have to get a witness signature on the envelope or have a witness present while filling in their ballot. Now, only a birthdate and the last four numbers of a social security number are required.听

Tania Griffin, Arlington County鈥檚 Office of Elections communications and outreach coordinator, said only 9% of voters submitted absentee ballots or mail-in ballots in the 2019 Arlington election prior to the pandemic. In last year鈥檚 election, 14% of Arlington voters who voted submitted a mail-in ballot. 听

This jump came after the Virginia Department of Elections eliminated in 2021 a requirement that voters submit a 鈥渧alid reason鈥� for requesting a mail-in absentee ballot. These reasons included having a disability, being out of town, or observing a religious holiday.听

Griffin said mail-in ballot requests surged during 2020 because of COVID-19. 最新蜜桃影像 80% of Arlington voters voted by mail or voted early in 2020.听

This year鈥檚 elimination of the witness signature requirement comes only two years after the Virginia Department of Elections reinstated the requirement following the pandemic. Griffin said that since people were quarantining during the pandemic, the need for a witness was temporarily waived.听听

Griffin said some residents may be confused about the changes and wants to clear up any confusion.

鈥淲e try to make it as clear as possible with our instructions,鈥� Griffin said. 鈥淭he only change is having the last four of your social.鈥�听

Griffin said these changes make voting more accessible.听听

鈥淏ased on the percentage of people who vote by mail now, it鈥檚 obviously more accessible, because you don鈥檛 have to provide an excuse,鈥� Griffin said.听听

Stephen Baker, a representative from the Arlington County Democratic Committee, said the elimination of a valid excuse requirement and the witness signature are not the only reasons mail-in ballots are more accessible.听

鈥淚 go around and knock on doors and talk to voters,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淨uite often, when you meet with maybe an older person or a person with a disability, it鈥檚 really their best and only opportunity to vote, so it鈥檚 good that we have that option.鈥澨�听

Baker said he has met voters who use mobility devices, wheelchairs, scooters or have vision problems, and they all take advantage of mail-in ballots.听

鈥淭hey can fill out their ballot at home with the help of whatever tools they have at home, versus having to take someone into the polls with them,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淚t really helps a wide range of people.鈥澨�听

Baker said getting rid of the witness signature was a 鈥渟tep in the right direction.鈥澨�听

鈥淲e鈥檙e happy to see when laws make it easier,鈥� Baker said.听

Jessica Siles is the deputy press secretary for Voters of Tomorrow, an organization that engages younger generations politically.听Siles said young voters also benefit from the mail-in ballot option.听

鈥淵oung people have certain barriers to voting,鈥� Siles said. 鈥淵oung people report transportation as an obstacle to voting. Anytime we can alleviate an obstacle, or make it easier for young people to vote, they鈥檙e more likely to vote.鈥�听

Arlington鈥檚 household survey report published in 2021 indicated that 12% of Arlington households were car-less in 2017 to 2018.听听

Siles also said eliminating barriers, like requiring a witness signature and a reason for requesting a mail-in ballot, encourages college students to vote as well.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for college students to vote where they call home without having to drive a long way or take a plane,鈥� Siles said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for them to be involved civically in their community.鈥�听

Don Gurney, voter service chair and a member of the board of directors for the League of Women Voters, said despite claims of inaccuracies and errors in the mail-in ballot voting system, the system is just as secure as voting in-person.听

鈥淭here are claims that people return multiple ballots, that ballots are printed from China, and are just dumped into the system,鈥� said Gurney. 鈥淓ven if that really happened, the system would catch it.鈥�听

Gurney said Arlington County鈥檚 Office of Elections tracks a mail-in ballot鈥檚 every move.听

鈥淭here鈥檚 no way for somebody to come up with a truckload of ballots and dump them in and have them counted, because they know where the ballots went and they know whether they came back or not,鈥� said Gurney. 鈥淭hey track them all the way.鈥�听

Gurney lives in a senior living facility. As a voter, he said voting by mail has increased his own accessibility to vote. He also said several of听his neighbors vote by mail too.听

One Arlington voter, James Scarborough, said he believes voting by mail is not as secure as voting in person.听

鈥淚 think it makes fraud a little easier,鈥� Scarborough said.听听

Scarborough said he will be taking to the polls Tuesday.听

鈥淲e have a lot of people who are poll watchers,鈥� Scarborough said. 鈥淭hey catch things.鈥澨�听

Arlington residents Nick and Cory Giacobbe lived overseas for 30 years working for the foreign service. They used mail-in ballots to stay active in Arlington politics while they were gone.听听

鈥淲e鈥檝e used them pretty much exclusively for the past decade, and we just came back last year,鈥� Nick Giacobbe said. 鈥淎rlington does a really good job of getting the ballots out in time to get them back.鈥�听

The Giacobbes said Arlington has also made mail-in ballots more accessible by making mail-in ballots available early over email.听

鈥淵ou get the ballot by email, and then you print it out and follow the instructions,鈥� Cory Giacobbe said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like doing origami.鈥�听

Cory Giacobbe said eliminating the witness signature might听affect voter identity security, but she听said the likelihood of someone 鈥渟ending in a bunch of ballots for people they know鈥� is low. Overall, the couple said they think doing away with the requirement makes voting more accessible.听

鈥淚t eliminates the need to have a co-conspirator,鈥� Nick Giacobbe said.听

Another Arlington resident, Henry McFarland, said a witness signature is not required in other states, so it should not be required in Virginia.听

鈥淭he few times I鈥檝e used a mail-in ballot, not in the state of Virginia, I wasn鈥檛 required to do that, and I think it would have been burdensome if I had to,鈥� McFarland said. 听

All mail-in ballots must be postmarked by election day, Nov. 7, and Arlington County鈥檚 Office of Elections needs to receive it in their office by Nov. 13 at noon.听The Arlington County Republican Committee did not return calls seeking comment.听

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The post Arlington residents embrace mail-in ballots first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The Arlington County Board updated its this summer to conform with Virginia鈥檚 state traffic code. Now, drivers in Arlington County could face $100 to $500 fines if they do not completely stop for pedestrians within a crosswalk on roads with a speed limit under 35 miles per hour.听

Virginia lawmakers changed the state鈥檚 traffic code in early March. The former code required drivers to yield to pedestrians, meaning that a rolling stop for pedestrians in crosswalks was allowed.听听听

鈥淔or a moment鈥檚 time, technically there was an inconsistency between our law and the state law. Just to get in conformity we changed it,鈥� said David Barrera, communications and policy manager for the Arlington County Board.听

According to Ashley Savage, the Arlington County Police Department communications director, the code requires drivers to stop, even if they have a green light. Traffic Attorney Alex Taylor confirmed this interpretation.听

The code also states that a driver approaching from an adjacent lane or from behind a car stopped for a pedestrian cannot go past the stopped car.听

Barerra said the law requires people to fully stop. 听

鈥淲hen we say yield, anybody can just roll and then go,鈥� Barerra said. 鈥淏ut if a police officer sees you, obviously you鈥檙e eligible for a fine.鈥�听

Applies on roads with a 35-mph limit

This part of the code–requiring drivers to stop instead of yielding to pedestrians–only applies on roads that have less than a 35-mph speed limit, which includes of Arlington鈥檚 roads.听听

Traffic Attorney Alex Taylor said there is a legal reason behind this.听

鈥淭he speed limit is that low so that you can have the ability to stop,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 say that, but that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 that way.鈥�听

Taylor said even a five-mile-per-hour difference in a driver鈥檚 speed can change the outcome of dangerous pedestrian crossing situations.听

鈥淚f you鈥檙e driving less than 35 miles per hour and a person is in a crosswalk, you have enough time to be able to stop,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淚f a person is going 40 miles an hour, and if a person is in the crosswalk, you aren鈥檛 going to have enough time to slow the car down enough to avoid hitting them.鈥�听

Barrera said the change aligns with Arlington鈥檚 goal of Vision Zero.听

Aligns with Vision Zero

is a strategy adopted by neighborhoods all over the world to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries. In , this looks like completing construction on streets, managing speed, improving signage and managing curb space.听

Since the Arlington County Board adopted a Vision Zero policy in 2019 and adopted a five-year Vision Zero action plan in 2021, it has targeted pedestrian safety. Barrera and Baker said this law supports Arlington鈥檚 Vision Zero goal: to completely eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.听听

Christine Baker, Arlington County Vision Zero manager, said the law aims to 鈥渂ring awareness to drivers who might not otherwise be paying attention to pedestrians or who are going really fast.鈥�听

According to data from Vision Zero, there have been 38 critical crashes in Arlington so far this year. Ten of those 38 crashes were crashes in which pedestrians were involved. Nine of those pedestrians suffered severe injuries, and one died.听听

鈥淭he code is kind of nuanced,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淏ut by stopping, drivers are making it less likely for a pedestrian to be hit.鈥�听

Dee Mots, who works in Arlington and is an Arlington resident, said she was not aware of the code change, but she thinks it is a good thing.听听

鈥淧eople here are very impatient, so I think the full stop would be more helpful than yielding,鈥� Mots said.听

Mots said some of her work clients have been struck by cars while riding their bikes, and she said she鈥檚 nearly been hit on her way to work.听听

鈥淚鈥檝e almost gotten hit before,鈥� Mots said. 鈥淚鈥檓 only focusing on the little man that says 鈥榳alk,鈥� I鈥檓 not really paying attention to cars, and I know that sounds bad.鈥�听

Another resident, Marcia Basler said she always fully stops for pedestrians, so she feels like she does not need to change her driving.听听

鈥淵ou really don鈥檛 need to have a big commotion about it,鈥� Basler said. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure people get killed because they鈥檙e doing the wrong thing.鈥�听

AAA Mid-Atlantic agrees that the new code will improve pedestrian safety.听

鈥淰irginia鈥檚 new law is consistent with AAA鈥檚 position on pedestrian safety,鈥� said Ragina Cooper Ali, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson. 鈥淩equiring drivers to stop, not yield, for pedestrians in crosswalks or on a roadway approaching a crossing pedestrian, will help ensure adequate crossing protection.鈥澨�听

Savage from the police department said the only way a citation would be issued, however, is if a police officer directly sees a driver roll through a crosswalk with an approaching pedestrian.听Even then, Savage said a driver will not necessarily face a citation. 听

鈥淭hey could,鈥� Savage said. 鈥淎n officer still has discretion, and we do use other means, we do traffic stops, through education, through warnings, but they could be subject to a traffic citation.鈥�听

Attorney Taylor said even though a citation is not guaranteed, it is still the law.听听

鈥淭he way the law is interpreted to begin with–if you have the ability to see that pedestrian prior to hitting them–then you鈥檙e supposed to stop,鈥� Taylor said.听听

Traffic cameras?

Savage said the state law does not permit enforcement via traffic cameras for this offense, but Baker said it should.听听

鈥淢oving to enforcement by red light cameras and traffic cameras is critical to Vision Zero鈥檚 mission,鈥� Baker said.听

Enforcing these laws through police officers is not a guarantee that the law will be enforced, which is why Baker said Vision Zero is trying to update the code so that enforcing these laws by video camera is allowed.听

鈥淏y using traffic cameras, we aren鈥檛 trying to be like 鈥榞otcha,鈥� you know,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淲e just want to decrease police officer and driver interaction due to recent events.鈥�听

Baker said this is because Vision Zero wants to prevent potential conflicts between drivers and police officers so the code can be enforced peacefully.听

Baker said the state has been diligent about changing the code鈥檚 enforcement rules, so for now, the code will remain unchanged.听听

听While they wait, Vision Zero is striving to change signs that say 鈥測ield to pedestrians鈥� to 鈥渟top for pedestrians.鈥�听

Arlington鈥檚 Department of Environmental Services is collaborating with the Department of Transportation to put up the signs, according to Baker. The signs will be at crosswalks, reminding drivers of the fines associated with failing to completely stop for pedestrians. 听

The post Drivers in Arlington who fail to stop for pedestrians could face $500 fines first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The Water Park, located on Crystal Drive near 18th Street, is scheduled to open 11 new restaurants and small businesses serving cuisine such as coffee, ethnic food and ice cream. JBG Smith, the contractor for the Water Park, also built a fountain for children in the center of the park.听

Caleb Nelson, general manager of The Freshman Cocktail and Coffee bar, has been living across from the restaurant in National Landing for three and a half years.听

Although he鈥檚 only been a manager of the restaurant since May, he said the construction for the 鈥淲ater Park鈥� outdoor food venue has been negatively impacting the restaurant for over a year.听

Nelson said JBG Smith closed sidewalks that previously gave customers easy access to the bar, and gave him easy access to his apartment. According to Nelson, JBG Smith closed these sidewalks for at least a year.听

Nelson said he had to dangerously 鈥渃riss-cross鈥� the road to get to work and home, until JBG Smith finally reopened the sidewalk about a week ago.

Kelly Campbell, Operating Partner for the Water Park, said three businesses opened on Monday, and others are opening their doors periodically throughout the week as a 鈥渟oft opening.鈥�

鈥淭he target was to be open by earlier September, so certainly all the tenants have been really eager to get open,鈥� Campbell said.听

Campbell could not say if there were any construction problems that resulted in the grand opening delay. JBG Smith told 最新蜜桃影像 in an email that JBG Smith would share a press release 鈥渨hen ready.鈥�

There is also construction on two buildings across from Nelson鈥檚 bar. The sidewalks and right lane of the road are closed, including street parking.

Nelson said there are several competing commercial areas to Crystal City and National Landing around the D.C. metro area.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 harder to drive business in an area where there鈥檚 construction, when there鈥檚 all these other fully developed concepts and ideas right around the corner,鈥� Nelson said.

Nelson said The Freshman opened during the pandemic, which drove people away, and the construction is driving people away even more.

鈥淎s people got out of the constraints of Covid and got back into these busy areas, they weren鈥檛 itching to go where the construction was happening,鈥� Nelson said.

The Freshman is not the only local business impacted by the construction. Freddy Reyes, Manager at 鈥淲e, The Pizza,鈥� said the same traffic patterns Nelson described made commuting harder.听

鈥淚 remember when they had this thing going on where they blocked off part of the road and that makes traffic a little hectic around here,鈥� Reyes said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 already hectic, and that just makes it a little more hectic.鈥�

Reyes said the construction, while bothersome, has actually escalated their business in shocking ways.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had more customers come in鈥ust more foot traffic in general,鈥� Reyes said. 鈥淧eople who work on the site鈥hey come in and order big orders so it helps us out a lot.鈥�

Campbell said that he thinks the eleven new restaurants opening at the Water Park will certainly spark competition. However, he said with the increasing amount of residential units, office spaces, and people relocating to National Landing due to the new Amazon headquarters opening, the new businesses are necessary to support the growth.听

Despite competition and construction chaos, both Reyes and Nelson said they are optimistic for business in the future.

鈥淥nce the water park opens, I think it will draw more attention to The Freshman,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檒l see an uptick in business if anything.鈥�

The post Crystal City businesses remain optimistic despite construction first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Nov. 15听marked the 50th anniversary for the Crystal City camera shop Metro Camera, and its owner, Jake Levonian, is hoping Amazon鈥檚 arrival will give his business the spark it very much needs.听

Started in 1972, Metro Camera once had five locations spread across the Washington, D.C. area. But, the rise of digitalization and the COVID-19 pandemic left Levonian with only one store left.听听

Both the worldwide shipment of film cameras and digital cameras are at record lows since their inventions, according to Statista a company that tracks market and consumer data.

听With the sharp decline of camera purchases worldwide, Levonian鈥檚 last surviving shop sits in the Crystal City Shopping mall attached to the Crystal City Metro Station.听听

鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 traveling back in time,鈥� Arlington resident Chris Gordon said.听Gordon was referring not to just Metro Camera, but the entire Crystal City Shopping mall.听

Gordon walks past Metro Camera on a weekly basis going to the Mt. Vernon Trail and the Amazon Fresh grocery store. But Gordon never walked inside of Metro Camera.听

鈥淚 never felt the need to go,鈥� Gordon said. 鈥淎 lot of the stores down here feel kind of odd and out of date.鈥�听

Gordon said he did buy his Halloween costume this year from Total Party right by Metro Camera and went to the Dunkin Donuts in the Crystal City Shopping mall as well.听听听

There are a total of 20 shops in this section of Crystal City Shops. Businesses ranging from a Commuter Store to a military gift store called Ship鈥檚 Hatch all exist in this area of Crystal City.听听

Metro Camera is one of the shops that sit along the direct pathway from the Metro station to the Virginia Railway Express station.听听

Levonian repeated, 鈥渋t will take time,鈥� when asked if the addition of Amazon鈥檚 second headquarters has increased his business.听

As of last year, Amazon added 3,500 new jobs to the area and will include up to 2,500 more jobs by the completion of the construction, according to a Nov. 15, 2021, Amazon infographic.听

The entrance of Metro Camera is filled with Washington, D.C. souvenirs.听听

These souvenirs range from magnets with different name options to a signed family portrait of the former First Family, the Obamas.听

Towards the back of the store are the things that make Metro Camera a camera shop.听

Levonian sells vintage cameras as well as prints passport photos, develops film, and–what he said is the most popular request–enlarges images.听听

As more commuters pass Levonian鈥檚 shop, he said he expects the number of his customers will increase as well.听听

鈥淗opefully, when Amazon moves in completely things will be completely different,鈥� Levonian said. 鈥淭hat’s what we’re all waiting for.鈥�听

Not many people shop in this mall, according to JBG SMITH security guard Jermaire, who declined to share his surname.

听鈥淎 lot of people walk through here on weekdays coming and going to the Metro and VRE stations, but there are very few that go into the stores,” Jermaire said.听听

The area around Metro Camera has already started to look different. Back in October Alamo Drafthouse opened up several feet away from the shop.听听

Before the pandemic, Levonian had a staff of two, but after reopening he could no longer afford his staff leaving him to be the one opening and closing the shop six days a week.听听

鈥淏efore I used to have two employees working here, ” Levonian said. 鈥淏ut after COVID I could not afford to keep them, so now I’m by myself here.鈥�听

As a result of Levonian working alone, he said he changed the shop hours to something more fitting to his schedule. The shop was originally open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. but is now open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.听

The National Landing Business Improvement District recognized the challenges small businesses like Levonian鈥檚 faced due to the pandemic and has provided $200,000 in direct grants to restaurants and businesses through initiatives like Love Local, according to BID President Tracy Gabriel in an email.听

“Small businesses are the backbone of the National Landing community and are an essential ingredient in building our area’s unique identity and a vibrant and equitable future,鈥� Gabriel said in an email.听

Metro Camera鈥檚 survival story wasn鈥檛 the same for some other businesses in Crystal City Shops.听

听A puppet shop called Puppet Heaven never returned after the pandemic. 听

Also, the shop right next door to Metro Camera, DC Men鈥檚 Wear is having a going out-of-business sale.听听

Signs saying things like 鈥淓VERYTHING MUST GO鈥� and听 鈥淟IQUIDATION SALE鈥� cover the entrance of the shop.听听

The owner of DC Men鈥檚 Wear declined to comment.听听

Crystal City, a neighborhood that once was filled with government contractors working at the Pentagon is now, along with Pentagon City, expects to have by 2040, according to an Arlington County webpage.听听听

Those that will be impacted most by this transition are small businesses, as more than 90% of Arlington County鈥檚 businesses are considered small businesses, according to the director of media relations for Arlington County Cara O’Donnell.听

Also, coming to Crystal City in 2028 is a 1,300-foot pedestrian bridge connecting Crystal City to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.听听

The post The last camera shop in Crystal City hopes to last first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The traffic outside of Crystal Plaza looked as if it was any other day. There were no lines outside the building that morning, and only one election volunteer was standing outside offering sample ballots to those walking in to vote.听听听

Crystal Plaza resident Christina C. said she didn鈥檛 even notice any unusual traffic while walking her dog. She asked that we do not publish her full name. 听

Crystal Plaza is the only apartment complex polling site in Crystal City and one of only three in the county.听听The other apartment-based polling sites are Bennett Park in Rosslyn and The Bartett in Pentagon City.听

It is not Crystal Plaza鈥檚 first time hosting a polling site.听

The voting site at Crystal Plaza is also unique because it is only a seven-minute walk from the Crystal Square Five polling site that sits outside the Crystal City Metro Station.听听

Crystal City resident Tieranee Stevens, when asked why she chose the Crystal Square Five polling site over the Crystal Plaza location, said it just felt more accessible with it being right by the Metro.听

Stevens said she voted immediately after exiting the Metro Station.

In addition to being further from the Metro, Crystal Plaza sits along a street loaded with construction.听听

The apartment complex is located on South Clark Street, a street with a giant hole and vehicles and supplies for the construction of a new apartment complex nearby. The construction also means the apartment complex has one entrance closed off.

Crystal City resident Junkwi Keng had issues finding his way out due to all of this construction.听

Keng, who arrived at 7:45 a.m. to vote, was left outside after voting, waiting several minutes for an Uber driver to tell him the street was shut off. Keng walked to the nearby Marriott Hotel in order to access the Uber.听听

The street was not in fact closed off, but those unfamiliar with the area could find it very confusing.听听

鈥淚 wish they could have offered voting at a nearby library instead,鈥� Keng said, not knowing about the Crystal Square Five polling site.听

As a result of all these factors during the morning, a lot more voters were present at the Crystal Square Five polling site compared to Crystal Plaza.听

Residents of Crystal Plaza saw no issue with their apartment complex being a polling site for the day.听听

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 pretty clutch,鈥� Christina C. said.听听

Christina and many other Crystal Plaza residents were able to vote at the convenience of their own building then head to work immediately following.听听

Christina said two weeks prior to election day, people were outside of Crystal Plaza advertising the election as well as registering residents to vote.听听听

Both polling sites will stay open until 6 p.m. and the latest reporting was done at 1:30 p.m.听听

Crystal Plaza management declined to comment. 听

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The post Crystal Plaza polling site a mixed blessing first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

This time, Arlington County wants the public鈥檚 help in deciding between two locations for the bridge.听听

Arlington residents can submit their opinions no later than Nov. 6 by emailing info@cc2dca.us or completing the online feedback form at .听听听听听

Once finished in 2028, the Crystal City to Ronald Reagan Airport, or CC2DCA, for short will be the first of its kind. The 1,300-foot pedestrian bridge will be the equivalent of a five-minute walk from Crystal City to the airport and will allow for the thousands of those living and working in Crystal City to get to the airport quickly and easily.听听

The first option, option 7D, would start where the new National Landing Virginia Railway Express station will be at 2011 Crystal Dr. The bridge will cross over the George Washington Memorial Parkway and end at Terminal 2鈥檚 parking garage.

The second option, option 9D, also would end up in the Terminal 2 garage. But, it would start at the future Amtrak station, which is further down Crystal Drive at 2231 Crystal Dr., making it a longer walk through the parking garage to get to the airport.听听

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The preferred option is 7D, according to Arlington County. Option 7D is the quickest to the airport and the cheapest, according to a听senior planner for Vanasse Hangen Brustlin engineering consulting company Drew Morrison.听听

The planning for the bridge is already three years in, though it鈥檚 scheduled to be completed six years from now.听听听听听

Arlington County is scheduled to be done with the planning for the bridge in mid-to-late 2023. Then, the engineering for the bridge is scheduled to be completed in 2026 to early 2027. Finally, the construction for the bridge is set to be done by 2028, according to Morrison in the virtual public meeting.听听听

鈥淥f course, I will benefit from the bridge,鈥� Crystal City resident Ekaterina Smirnova said. 鈥淏ut the reality is I probably won鈥檛 be living here still to experience it.听听听

The reason why engineering is scheduled to take so long is because of five-to-six other projects that will interfere with the bridge.听听

Projects like the new VRE station, the new Amtrak station, and the new Terminal 2 security checkpoint at the airport are all directly connected to one or two of the bridge options.听听听

The construction for all three of these projects have yet to begin.听听听

The estimated walk time now from the Crystal City VRE station to the airport is 33 minutes, according to Apple Maps. 听

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a bad walk,鈥� Crystal City resident Miguel Diaz said. 鈥淚鈥檝e done it a couple of times, it鈥檚 just when I went it was really dark at the time.鈥澨�听

Both times Diaz made the walk it was early in the morning, before the Metro opened or as the Metro was just opening.听

Planning the design of the bridge will be the county鈥檚 next step after picking its location. Lighting, a roof over the bridge, and even seats on the bridge are all in the discussion, according to the senior planner for VHB Drew Morrison in a virtual public meeting.听听听听

Arlington County values the public鈥檚 opinion on what to add to the bridge, as it decided to add a connection to the Mt. Vernon Trail for both options after it was brought up as a concern for members of the public over the summer.听听听

Some residents feel discouraged about this plan, fearing that those trying to make it to the airport will be stuck in the congestion of bikers and runners throughout their commute.听听听

During the virtual meeting last Tuesday, the team responded that this is a concern that will be handled in the design stage of the project.听听听听听

Originally, there were four other options included with options 7D & 9D. Three of those options included a tunnel.听听听

Those options were deleted after the county learned that the existing infrastructure could not handle a tunnel, according to Morrison in the virtual public meeting.听

The $38 million project funding comes from not only Arlington County. Of the $38 million, $9 million comes from federal funds, $18 million comes from Northern Virginia regional funds, and the remaining $11 million comes from Arlington County, according to Morrison in the virtual public meeting.听听

The next public meeting will be in March 2022, when residents can help plan what the design of the bridge would look like.听听听

鈥淲e at the National Landing BID are thrilled by the considerable progress made towards making CC2DCA a reality and we applaud Arlington and Virginia鈥檚 commitment to delivering this next-generation mobility project,鈥� said President of National Landing Business Improvement District Tracy Sayegh Gabriel in a press statement email.听听听

听听

听

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Set in-between the Crystal City Metro and听VRE stations, Alamo Drafthouse would be the closest movie theater Arlington residents can access by transit.听听听

But, the theater is opening less than two years after the closing of Regal Theaters in Potomac Yards, and at a time when fewer people are going to the movie theater. 最新蜜桃影像 67% of Americans 18-29 said according to the Pew Research Center.听听

During 2021, Americans saw an average of 1.4 movies in theater, compared to a 4.8 average between 2001-2007, according to a Gallup poll.听

National Landing Business Improvement District President Tracy Gabriel sees Alamo Drafthouse as an 鈥渆xciting addition鈥� to National Landing.听

“The opening of Alamo Drafthouse on Crystal Drive this fall marks an exciting addition to National Landing as we look to grow our entertainment and experiential offerings across the neighborhood,鈥� Gabriel said in an email.听 鈥淥ne of our goals at the BID is to continue bringing exciting new businesses to National Landing and Alamo Drafthouse offers the perfect blend of food, drinks and film for residents, office workers and visitors to enjoy.”听听

Just last year, Alamo Drafthouse filed for . Two months later, Alamo Drafthouse re-emerged from bankruptcy, .听听

听But, just this month, an Alamo Drafthouse in Omaha, Neb. shut its doors.听听

鈥淚t is with a heavy heart that we officially announce that today was the final day of screenings at Alamo Midtown due to the lasting impact related to the COVID-19 pandemic,鈥� Alamo Drafthouse Omaha said in a Facebook post Oct.10.听听

American University Film & Media Professor John Douglass鈥檚 theory is that small and large movie theaters will not survive. Movie theaters need to find a way to connect to their communities, according to Douglass.听听

The movie theater 鈥渘eeds to find its level in that community, whatever it is,鈥� Douglass said. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 a small town and the only way to get out for an evening is to go to a restaurant, and there鈥檚 a movie theater attached then that sounds like a good evening. Other communities are going to be different.鈥澨�听

Douglass said Alamo Drafthouse鈥檚 business model of serving food and drinks during the movie fits the D.C. area well.听听听

鈥淚t looks fun,鈥� Arlington resident Avery Austin said about Alamo Drafthouse.听听

Austin said she doesn鈥檛 go to theaters as much since COVID-19. One of the two movies she saw recently in theaters was ‘Spider-Man No Way Home’ at the end of 2021. Three days later, she got COVID for the first time.听

Austin said she will continue to go to movie theaters, just not as much.听听

鈥淚t鈥檚 really fun that a movie theater is going to open up so close,鈥� Austin said. 鈥淚 kind of miss going to the movies.鈥�听

Austin said her plans are to invite her friends to the opening night of the theater.听

听Alamo Drafthouse waiters serve customers while they are watching the movie. Then will bring the check 30 minutes before the movie ends, according to the Alamo Drafthouse site.听听

The new Crystal City location will have nine auditoriums, totaling to 915 seats all in Alamo Drafthouse鈥檚 鈥淏ig Show鈥� format.听听

鈥淭he Big Show is our attempt to create the best film-watching experience possible,鈥� Director of Presentation Mark Louis said in a quote on the company鈥檚 site.听听听

鈥淭he Big Show format鈥� uses 4k projection systems, Dolby Atmos technology, and 100% recliner seats, according to the company site.听听

Even with such luxury, Arlington residents like Matilde Jacobson still prefers to stay home to watch movies.听听

鈥淚 got out of the habit of going to the movie theater after COVID,鈥� Jacobson said.听

Jacobson said she鈥檒l check out Alamo Drafthouse at least once but watching movies at home is 鈥渏ust cheaper.鈥�听

Last year, 61% of Americans didn鈥檛 go to the movies, according to a Gallup poll.听听

The recent dual release of the movie Halloween Kills in theaters and streaming on Peacock is one of many films that are now having dual releases.听听

Even though streaming changed the movie theater industry, Douglass said movie theaters are not going anywhere any time soon.听听

鈥淲e may find movie theaters in different places than we have traditionally, ” Douglass said. 鈥淲e may find fewer theaters, we may find theaters that are tied in with combinations like bars, restaurants. But I think that group experience is something that people like.鈥�听听

Alamo Drafthouse public relations team FONS PR declined to comment in time.听听

The post After a series of closures nationwide, Alamo Drafthouse opens its next theater in Crystal City first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The free rides will be limited to Zones 1-3. The three zones include six VRE stations: Backlick Road on the Manassas Line, Franconia-Springfield on the Frederick Line, Alexandria, Crystal City, L鈥橢nfant, and Union Station.听听

After October, riders in National Landing can expect to pay upwards of $6.35 for a single ride compared to the Metro rail cost of $2.40 for a ride from Crystal City to Union Station.听听听

鈥淥nce the period ends, fares will go back to what they were in August,鈥� VRE Public Affairs Administrator Karen Clarkson said. 鈥淭he staff is not recommending any increases in passenger fares, but it will be up to our operations board to make the final decision come December.鈥�听

Arlington resident Kerry Cannella rides the VRE from Crystal City to Union Station. When asked if he would continue to ride the VRE after it鈥檚 no longer free, Cannella said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know.鈥�听听

Using the Metro, Cannella has to transfer to the Red Line to get to Union Station, and both the Blue and Yellow lines will take him there from Crystal City.听

鈥淚 don鈥檛 mind taking the Blue Line,鈥� Cannella said.听听

鈥�The only difference is that those using the Blue Line will have a slightly longer trip,鈥� Metro Media Relations Manager Sherri Ly said via email.听

Until May 2023, trains will be routed through the Rosslyn tunnel rather than the more direct connection across the Yellow Line bridge, according to Ly.听听

VRE was impacted by the pandemic, and it lost thousands of its daily riders over the past few years. .听听

Last month鈥檚 nine-month closure of the Metro Yellow Line and eight-week shutdown (the closure was extended to Nov. 5th) of Metro stops south of the airport gave VRE the opportunity to create 鈥渇ull platforms鈥� once again, according to Clarkson.听听听

鈥淭he decision to suspend fares will make VRE a more attractive and viable option for Metrorail riders,鈥� VRE said in a July press release.听听

Jimmy Mandilk, an Arlington resident, found out about the VRE through the September promotion, he said. When the Yellow line closed, Mandilk decided to start riding the VRE.听

鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 even thought about taking the VRE,鈥� Mandilk said while waiting at the Crystal City train stop. 鈥淭hen I saw an ad saying the VRE is free, and I was like, where does the VRE go? And that鈥檚 what led me to realize that I live not far from a VRE station.鈥�听听

On the flip side, VRE offering free rides encouraged D.C. resident Alex to travel to Virginia.听听

鈥淕oing down to spend money in Virginia because the VRE is giving me a free ride!鈥� DC resident Alex posted in a tweet on Sept. 8th.

The free rides are not the only thing to attract new rides to the VRE.听

VRE is great, Cannella said while standing on the Metro platform at Crystal City. 鈥淚 feel like the VRE is a lot nicer.鈥澨�听听

VRE saw its daily ridership go from 5,000-5,500 in August to around 6,000-8,000 and sometimes even more in September, according to Clarkson.听听The rail line听doesn鈥檛 know the exact number of people that get on at the Alexandria and Crystal City station since it鈥檚 not required to report those numbers to the National Transit Database, according to Clarkson.听听听

鈥淎necdotally, we have seen very full platforms at Alexandria,鈥� Clarkson said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen an increase in ridership at Crystal City, but they are not reflected in those numbers.鈥�听

Metro鈥檚 Ly did not comment on how Metro鈥檚 daily ridership in the National Landing area is impacted by the closure, but she did say those still choosing to ride Metro can expect 鈥渁 slightly longer trip.鈥�听听听

Metro also offers free shuttle rides from Crystal City and Pentagon City to the L鈥橢nfant Station in D.C. between rush hour times, which are 6:24 a.m.- 9:12 a.m. and 3:24 p.m.- 7:24 p.m.

The VRE runs during similar times in Crystal City and Alexandria, as the VRE does not run between 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. and after 8 p.m.听

The Blue Line will continue to only go out to Ronald Reagan National Airport until Nov. 5th. In the meantime, buses will continue to replace the train from Ronald Reagan-Huntington during Metro rail hours, with bus pick-up starting at the Crystal City Station.听

Last month, freight rail unions threatened to strike but reached a tentative agreement on Sept. 16th.听听

If union members don鈥檛 ratify the agreement by Oct. 15th, VRE has the potential to shut down since it runs on track owned by CSX and Norfolk Southern, according to Clarkson.听听

Will riders continue to take the VRE when the Yellow line opens back up in May?听听听

鈥淚 will probably switch back to the Yellow,鈥� Mandilk said. 鈥淭he VRE is more convenient, and it鈥檚 also more expensive.鈥�听

听听

听

The post Metro Yellow Line Closure Creates an Opportunity for Virginia Railway Express first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

鈥淚 knew the majority of my customers by their first name. They knew our store,鈥� said Rich Seetoo, a store manager during its heyday in the 1990s. 鈥淵ou know, it was kind of like Cheers.鈥澨�

Geppi鈥檚 Comic World shuttered in Crystal City by 2001, along with a slew of other local businesses housed deep in the underground shopping center. The stretch of hallways and storefronts spans just under a mile in the Arlington neighborhood, snaking beneath massive office buildings.

The Crystal City Underground was once something great, stuffed to the brim with local businesses and restaurants. Now, three community civic associations are brainstorming how to restore it to its former glory.听听

Under the name , a reference to South Arlington鈥檚 zip code, the civic associations for Crystal City, Aurora Highlands, and Arlington Ridge plan to create a better and more functional version of their community. That plan includes dreaming up a fresher version of the Crystal City Underground.

鈥淲hen you talk to people about the Underground, whoever you’re talking to starts thinking about what would really work there, what would really be cool there,鈥� said Mike Dowell, a coordinator for Livability 22202. 鈥淚t’s a real kind of blank canvas for a lot of folks.鈥澨�

Dowell, a longtime Aurora Highlands resident, spearheads the organization鈥檚 efforts to make Arlington more hospitable for new residents. He imagines livability as the thread that ties a community together, including things like essential services, and community resources.

While the Crystal City Underground has been mostly untouched since its decline decades ago, Dowell believes that the stretch of dark hallways and storefronts provides space to bring Arlington residents what they need.听

High commercial rents plague the neighborhood, boxing some small businesses out of the local rental market, particularly for street-level properties. The Underground provides space for some of the businesses unable to afford local leasing rates, according to Dowell.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 a place to host a lot of services that maybe don’t need street-front retail, but they鈥檙e the kind of essential services that every community needs,鈥� he said.听

The Underground was filled with those essential services during the late 80s and 90s, at its peak.听

Residents recall a hardware store and a slew of convenience stores down its halls. Restaurants and bars littered the corridors and served the government workers that flooded Crystal City during the days.听

Besides Geppi鈥檚 Comic World, other curious specialty stores existed in the Underground, as well. A beloved puppet store and a nautical-themed gift shop remain in the mall 鈥� two lingering remnants of what once was.听

The underground mall began fading away decades ago, starting at the turn of the century. Both financial turmoil and the advent of online shopping destabilized many of the businesses deep in the Underground.

Yet, Arlington residents see the mass exodus of military contractors and agencies from Crystal City as the fatal blow.听

The federal government鈥檚 Base Realignment and Closure program gutted Crystal City at the same time. The Department of Defense fled from the region, leaving more than 3.7 million square feet of empty office space behind, mostly in Crystal City.听

The bustling lunchtimes underground are no more.听

Instead of locally owned treasures, the Crystal City Underground鈥檚 halls are now lined by vacant storefronts and fast-casual chains. Parking lots once filled with commuter cars remain empty.听

The promise of Amazon鈥檚 arrival to Crystal City and nearby Pentagon City drummed up excitement for the members of Livability 22202. The zip code is expected to grow by more than 30 percent by 2045, according to the latest Arlington County Profile.听

听Whispers of new people and new business caused Livability 22202 to draft an action plan, chocked full of goals for the three neighborhoods and plans for new community assets, including a new plan for the Crystal City Underground.听

The group planned to workshop ideas for an improved Underground in April. Of course, COVID-19 disrupted all of their plans, leaving Livability 22202 at a loss for how to find new ideas for the space.听

Like everyone else, the organization turned online to find ideas for the shopping center. They launched in early June as an alternative to the April workshops.听

鈥淭his challenge is a kind of way to try and get feedback from people in kind of a nontraditional sense,鈥� said Eric Cassel, another Arlington resident involved with Livability. The challenge uses story submissions and even TikToks to brainstorm ideas for the Underground.

Cassel has plenty of big ideas of his own; he floated turning one of the empty parking lots left behind from the Underground鈥檚 busier days into a dark space to grow mushrooms. To him, those oddities are essential to recreating the spirit of the Underground.听

Though Livability 22202 attempts to imagine a better tomorrow for the Underground, the organization鈥檚 leaders also understand that the Underground provides a strategic opportunity for its proprietors, JBG Smith.

JBG Smith owns a majority of properties in Crystal City, including Amazon鈥檚 coveted second headquarters. JBG Smith declined to comment on any plans for the Crystal City Underground.听

The Underground provides a chance for JBG Smith and Amazon to make Crystal City into an attractive new home for all the workers slated to fill the gaps left by federal contractors, according to Christer Ahl.听

Back in the early 2000s, Ahl spent his time in Crystal City advocating for the neighborhood before it had a formal civic association.

Ahl envisions a new Underground filled with community gathering spaces or art galleries in the Underground鈥檚 vast hallways and empty crannies, a low-cost endeavor for JBG Smith that still makes the area more attractive to newcomers.听

鈥淲e cannot turn the trends around when it comes to retail viability,鈥� said Ahl.

The post Residents dream up new future for the Crystal City Underground first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Its environmental services department readily broadcasts that the county is ranked at the highest level by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the only community in the nation to do so. Bike lanes line the streets across Arlington too, a sign of its commitment to eco-friendly transit.

As residents, businesses, and local government ready themselves to welcome the multinational tech giant Amazon into Northern Virginia, some activists struggle to reconcile Arlington鈥檚 sustainable future with the company鈥檚 environmental impacts.

Amazon’s environmental and economic footprint in Northern Virginia spans far past just HQ2 鈥� its impact on the region will include data centers, shipping facilities, office buildings, and thousands of employees once HQ2 is completed.

Amazon鈥檚 inconsistencies on environmental commitments are nothing new 鈥� something that has long been evident to some of its employees. The internal group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice has voiced its concerns about the companies environmental habits for years.听

John Mixon, a former Amazon employee and member of the group, has watched the company鈥檚 internal environmental strategy shift over the years.

Mixon鈥檚 initial concerns came from what he calls 鈥済reenwashing,鈥� a practice where companies provide a false impression about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound.听

鈥淭hey try to promote good-intentioned actions for employees around recycling and composting,鈥� said Mixon. 鈥淏ut, they weren鈥檛 really doing anything on the subject of climate change.鈥澨�

A representative from Amazon refuted Mixon鈥檚 claims, saying that 鈥�Amazon has been committed to sustainability for many years.鈥� He pointed to the company鈥檚 pledge to meet tenants of the Paris Agreement 10 years early, announced by founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in September 2019.

鈥淲e鈥檙e done being in the middle of the herd on this issue鈥攚e鈥檝e decided to use our size and scale to make a difference,鈥� announcing Amazon鈥檚 latest effort. Mixon believes that this change in tone would not be possible without his group鈥檚 internal pressure campaign.听

Still, Amazon Employees for Climate Justice believes that these environmental moves on the company鈥檚 behalf are only a 鈥渓ong overdue鈥� first step.听

Both Mixon and local Sierra Club chair Rick Keller point to Amazon鈥檚 massive cloud computing centers in Northern Virginia as a place where environmental improvements are imperative.听

Keller says that his subgroup, along with environmental watchdog Greenpeace and another group from Loudon County, are working to pressure Amazon into purchasing renewable energy practices for Amazon Web Services, or AWS, which the company has not done since 2016.听

Greenpeace that AWS鈥檚 鈥渃ontinued lack of transparency and its rapid growth in Virginia and other markets largely served by dirty energy鈥� are harmful to the local energy economy.听

Rick Keller heads the largest local subgroup in the Virginia Sierra Club. Keller鈥檚 group championed Amazon鈥檚 foray into the D.C. metro area, viewing some of the company鈥檚 shortcomings as 鈥渢radeoffs鈥� that could bring greater environmental growth to the region.听听

For example, Keller believes Amazon will help combat Northern Virginia鈥檚 housing crisis by encouraging dense, environmentally-friendly housing in Arlington and Alexandria.听

By the end of 2019, housing prices in Arlington County are expected to jump more than 17 percent, a number that far exceeds previous modest the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors and the George Mason University Center for Regional Analysis.

Keller鈥檚 group hopes that the boom in local investment will draw funds towards affordable housing practices throughout Northern Virginia.听

Keller鈥檚 optimism on Amazon鈥檚 net environmental positive has faded in light of more recent developments, like the of new environmental standards for buildings that would fail to meet Arlington鈥檚 Community Energy Plan, an environmental agreement that has been fiercely debated by local activists for the past three years, and the company鈥檚 own Climate Pledge.听

Despite the local Sierra Club鈥檚 concerns, the Arlington Department of Environmental Services remains proud of its strides towards sustainability.听

The Arlington Community Energy Plan sets a county-wide goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, pushes government operations to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2025, and hopes to make sustainability available to every member of the community.听

鈥淏oth sides are working to transform the Pentagon City site from a block of vacant warehouses into two new LEED-certified buildings, new retail space for area businesses, and plenty of open space for the community to enjoy,鈥� wrote a spokesperson from the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services in an email to 最新蜜桃影像.听

Discrepancies between plans and realities have not discouraged Keller or the Virginia Sierra Club from pursuing important conversations with Amazon and Arlington Count or giving the 鈥済ood people with the same goals that we have for the environment鈥� at the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services the benefit of the doubt.听

Mixon from Amazon Employees for Climate Justice encourages that kind of action and persistence in the face of Amazon鈥檚 arrival.听

鈥淚 think that that the community must hold Amazon to the highest standard possible,鈥� said Mixon. 鈥淭hey must make sure that Amazon builds and invests to make sure that its a zero impact investment for the company.鈥澨�

The post Arlington has committed to the environment. Can Amazon meet the county鈥檚 goals? first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.