On November 13 the Arlington County Board adopted goals and policies as it began the process of revising it's Master Transportation Plan. Arlington is already nationally renown for it's smart growth, transit-oriented development policies. With adoption of the plan, last updated in 1976, Arlington embarks on a path to to adopt a host of progressive, cutting-edge transportation policies that will complement the development plan and take it through the year 2030.
According to the press release, "a key goal is to provide enough high-quality choices for each trip made in Arlington and to reduce dependence on cars." Says County Board Chairman Paul Ferguson: "This plan will make our transportation system even more efficient by offering more alternatives to driving private cars."
The plan emphasizes expanding travel choice by:
- Expanding a system of high-frequency transit routes,
- Upgrading walkways,
- Expanding the bikeway network, and
- Expanding TDM programs and services.
The revolutionary part of all this is that Arlington is going boldly into the future, adding new residents and workers, and planning to do so without adding any traffic. How? By getting people to take transit, walk, bike, and telework. No new roads. That's a tall order. But over the past 10 years the County has added population and jobs and traffic hasn't really increased. With the adoption of this new plan, Arlington will have a guide that marries good planning and a commitment to expanding transportation options infrastructure and world-class TDM programs. These three things should help Arlington grow and prosper in a sustainable fashion through 2030.
Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a biking/Metro commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.
Good job Arlington staff!
The key is to make sure that we have adequate capacity and reliability on all of our Arlington travel choices. When is Arlington going to establish a congestion pricing scheme?
The MTP also made the local news on WAMU, here it is:
http://wamu.org/news/
Arlington Unveils New Mastern Transportation Plan
November 15, 2007 - Arlington County has a new Master Transportation Plan. This is the first plan for the county in a decade. Its key component to reduce dependence on cars. The county board says the way to do that is by expanding the system of high frequency transit routes and upgrading walkways and bike paths. The plan was developed after receiving input from residents through a transportation survey and holding several public hearings. The former plan needed upgrading, some of it dates back to the late 1970s. Next up, a detailed map of the policy, which will be unveiled in mid December.
Pat Brogan reports...
Posted by: Jeff Price | November 15, 2007 at 10:12 AM