Clarendon Cycles

Cycling’s Challenge: The Windshield Perspective

Arlington County temporarily shuts down a major walking/cycling commuter route with no detour.

No doubt many regular readers of this column will be expecting me to tee off on last week’s inexplicable and unannounced closure of a very busy part of the Custis Trail — with no detour. It sent cyclists and pedestrians onto Lee Highway against traffic. The drivers themselves had no warning that the lane in front of them would be filled with cyclists and pedestrians simply trying to get to their own destinations. It was more than half a day before the county, in response to complaints, put a detour in place. Some, quite understandably, see this as a failing of Arlington County to follow through on its promise to be a cycling- and walking-friendly community. And, I suppose, in a way it is a failure. But it’s not a failure of intent. I’m …

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Clarendon Cycles

Arlington's Cyclists: Still Stuck With Snow

Almost three years after a major snow storm closed Arlington's main commuter trails for more than a week, the county still doesn't have a plan to deal with snow on our trails.

Clearing snow from Arlington's primary trails became a topic of public conversation again last week. Arlington County's Department of Environmental Services (i.e., the department of transportation) hosted a public chat on Facebook about Arlington's snow plowing and removal plans. Among other things, DES staff explained how they prioritized streets, who was responsible for sidewalks, and which streets depend on VDOT for plowing. When a number of Arlington residents — myself among them — asked about Arlington's plans to clear trails, DES said they had no plans to clear trails, and that in any event, it was the responsibility of the Department of Parks and Recreation. In other words, we've had zero progress on the matter since the last time I…

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Emanuel Named Arlington County Environmental Services Director

Department oversees county's infrastructure and capital investment.

Greg Emanuel, a U.S. Air Force veteran with a long engineering background, will take over as director of the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services in August, the county announced Monday. The Department of Environmental Services, which has more than 700 employees, manages the county's infrastructure and the critical areas of transportation, the environment and capital investment, according to a county news release. Emanuel joined Arlington County in 2006 as director of what was then the Engineering and Capital Projects Division, the release states. In March 2012, he was promoted to deputy director of the department. County Manager Barbara Donnellan on Monday named Emanuel director effective Aug. 13, 2012. He succeeds William…

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