What happens when the BRT reaches Arlington? Aren't they building a streetcar? Or is Alexandria building a transitway that can be converted to a streetcar. If we did not build the proposed Metro Station wouldn't we be able to pay for an upgrade to a Streetcar that would carry more people and be better Economic Developmnet?

Another thought: watch out Custis and Howell - because all of the traffic that can't turn in/out with right turns is going to funnel your way (or go down Monroe Ave.) I know the Howell Ave. residents have already complained about the re-routing of traffic down their street after the Monroe Ave bridge reconstruction. This (good project) will increase the traffic on Howell again.

Streetcars can carry mor people than a metro, but they would work best if they were built in tandem with a Metro. The question is can we afford both. I just returned from tthe Metro Eis meeting at Potomac Yard where I asked that the ridership and the cost of a streetcar be compared to the proposed Metro Station. A streetcar could be built along the prosed Transitway, and so would not loose any funding, and it would serve all of Potomac Yard and be easily accesible from Del Ray. It would connect Braddock Road to the Pentagon so it would connect with two Metro Stations. Here is a link to the press conference my mother Lois Walker held with Arlington County Board Member Chris Zimmerman to discuss the idea: http://www.his.com/~tmw/neca/transportation/lr.html

We have already been informed we should expect 2000 cars per hour on Howell and Custis. Clearly the City could not care less how many more cars go up and down our RESIDENTIAL streets. Realistically, the houses on these two streets have already lost close to 20% of their value and will continue to decline further as traffic increases, although our property taxes will not reflect this.. No one living in any residential area in this City should ever depend on Council's protection from development.

With Hume becoming right in/right out only, all the cut through traffic will use Custis and Howell. Where else can they go? DRCA voted to support right in/right out only at Custis and Howell when Potomac Yard development was first approved. Later on those mitigation measures were dropped from the plan. The City must develop a new plan to reduce the traffic impacts on these two residential streets. Besides Monroe and Glebe, you can't get from there to here without using Custis or Howell. We need to have a plan to mitigate the traffic impacts before and not after our two streets become even more unsafe than they already are from increased traffic and before the quality of life and peace and enjoyment of our homes and neighborhood degrade any further.

No, Joseph, I do mean 2000 cars per hour (originally 1800). I have a copy of the City traffic study to prove this. This figure was NOT a typo. This figure was arrived at by the City's traffic consultant, presented to staff and Council, none of whom found it to be objectionable, apparently. By the way, City Code mandates that any traffic collector carrying this volume of traffic must be at least 40 feet wide. Howell is only 22 feet wide and Custis about the same. Ergo, in making these two streets traffic collectors of this volume, Council violated its own City Code.

In December 2009, the City released the Potomac Yard Multimodal Transportation Study. This study was done to support the planning efforts for the North Potomac Yard.

This study shows that currently the service of the Hume intersection is roughly comparable to Custis Ave. In 2030 with full development of the Potomac Yard, the predicted level of service at Hume is actually greater than that at Custis.

With Hume and Raymond converted to right-in/right-out, then residents north -bound on Route 1 would need to turn at E Glebe to access their neighborhood (if they don't turn a half mile before at Howell or Custis).
If they do turn at E Glebe, then they'll need to use make a left at E Clifford (difficult since it is virtually one with the E Glabe intersection) or turn left at Montrose, or continue all the way to Commonwealth Ave and make their way back to their homes.

The study shows that the service at E Glebe Rd will be an "F" while if the intersection at Hume Ave is maintained them its service level will be an "A".

Given the City's own traffic study, how can they justify converting Hume to right-in/right-out?

On March 2, 2006, at the Crystal City/Potomac Yard Transit Corridor
Community Workshop, a 38 slide "Bus Rapid Transit Photo Tour" was presented. Every slide showing intersections with the BRT at grade had full service intersections with generous pedestrian crossings. No right-in/right-out intersections.

This effective closing of so many intersections not only impacts residents, but reduces the number of pedestrian crossings. So much for the transportation grid the City so often touts.

Finally, converting Hume, Raymond, Calvert and Fannon to right-in/right-out will also negatively impact a significant number of businesses on the west side of Route 1.

Philip, I will try to locate my copy this week. I don't belong to a list serve suitable for posting the report but will leave enough info here so that you can request a copy from the city. If they claim not to have one, we can make arrangements for you to have a copy of mine.