Courthouse Metro Escalators Cause Daily Headache; County Board Discusses Problem

The Arlington County Board acknowledges there are capacity problems with the escalators that take commuters down to the Courthouse Metro station, but what it can do about them and where it will find the money to fix the issue remains unclear.

Courthouse resident and daily commuter Peter Owen addressed the board at its meeting this weekend, urging the group to take action to remedy the severe congestion issues that prevent daily metro riders from accessing the underground rail easily.

"The board has endorsed that concept going back a number of years...but it hasn’t progressed to actual development level." said Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman, adding the escalator back-up is "particularly frustrating." 

Board member Walter Tejada said,  "I would just like to explore if there are any opportunities we can seize for funding."

The Arlington County Board and county staff will soon begin to develop its new six-year Capital Improvement Plan. They will identify projects that need to be addressed in that time frame. Board members suggested to County Manager Barbara Donnellan that fixing foot traffic congestion at the Courthouse Metro escalator could potentially be included on this list.

"We have to acknowledge we probably don’t have the money to do everything everywhere at once," said board Vice-Chair Mary Hughes Hynes.

Chairman Zimmerman rounded out the discussion with a sense of urgency.

"I’d like someone to look into how much this would actually cost to do now," he said.