Arlington County Government, VA Transportation Commission Meetings, 27 Jan 2022

Previous Meeting Next Meeting

⏯

youtube image

►

From YouTube: Arlington County Transportation Meeting - January 27, 2022

Description

No description was provided for this meeting.
If this is YOUR meeting, an easy way to fix this is to add a description to your video, wherever mtngs.io found it (probably YouTube).

A

Good evening, everyone today is thursday january 27 2022, and we are all here at the transportation commission meeting and we are joined virtually my name is bridget obicoya and I am the staff liaison for the transportation commission. This meeting is being recorded, so please turn off your mics when you are not speaking before we start with the agenda items. Are there any citizen comments on matters not on the agenda.

A

Hearing none. I will turn the meeting over to chairman with the first agenda item, which is.

A

Hang on the effects of parking garages on energy efficiency and information item with mary beth eddie.

B

Great, thank you. Mizobicoya welcome to everyone here for this evening's transportation. Commission meeting we have a larger group in our virtual meeting than we often see so welcome to everyone who is new. um I invite you all to please keep your cameras turned off when you're, not speaking. I also invite you to please keep yourselves muted when you're, not speaking just to keep the meeting moving.

B

As we come to each agenda item, uh we will have a presentation from staff or the applicant uh whatever, uh and then we will have an opportunity uh for public comment in the meeting for those who may have signed up in advance to speak on a particular agenda item and then the after that the conversation will be with the commission. As we ask questions, clarifying questions uh opine or eventually come to a motion to make a recommendation to the county board. No final decisions are made in this meeting. We are an advisory body. Trans.

B

uh The arlington county board are the decision makers. We merely make a recommendation uh to them. So, with all of that said, I'm looking forward to our first agenda item. This is a local phd student who has written a very interesting paper about uh the uh environmental effects of parking garages and we look forward to that um presentation. So uh go ahead and get things started.

C

All right hi can everyone here and see me: okay, great okay, so, like bridget said, my name is mary beth eddy, I'm a senior at gw uh and the research that I'm here to talk to you today about is part of a research project. I did for an energy resources course I had last semester, um but the reason I settled on this topic in particular, was because right around when I was writing the paper.

C

It was about thanksgiving and that's when these urban planning blogs that I follow start to release these photo dumps essentially of these astonishingly empty uh parking garages and lots on what's supposed to be the busiest shopping day of the year, and it just absolutely stood out to me that there are these large plots of land, both suburban and urban, that are practically unoccupied uh on this day and around uh much of the year as well, um and it occurred to me that they must have some uh significant natural and lived environment uh consequence.

C

uh So I'll. Just take you through some of those consequences today, and then I narrowed it down to three cities that I think are having a significant effect on these consequences and are taking some some really great steps towards ameliorating uh these effects, uh but I'll start out with some of the externalities. um So it really starts at construction. A lot of these facilities are concrete and asphalt based um these materials account for eight percent of global emissions, and that is relating to manufacturing transportation and the actual construction process.

C

But when you talk about parking facilities, specifically um you're looking at construction processes, erosion and the actual built existence of these facilities that uh create a 30 increase in emissions, uh just because the materials that they're built out of concrete and asphalt also produced a significant amount of toxic runoff, um both during construction and after it's built, which has a significant effect on biodiversity in the area.

C

um These materials also produce a significant amount of heat about 15, more sensible heat than the average uh surface uh they absorb and give off a lot of heat, which contributes to the urban heat island effect, which is common in really any urban area, um but really relates to parking facilities. More than anything else. um Not only does this give off a lot of heat and raise the local temperature, but it makes these facilities really difficult to cool uh using these mechanical ventilation systems that a lot of these facilities are using.

C

So it raises the energy cost significantly for both the facility owner uh and then also locals. It puts a lot of or a lot of stress on the local grid um when it really doesn't have to. uh There are so many different options that I'll go through.

D

I love how it uh it almost like pieces together, the picture in low.

A

B

I'd like to again remind everyone to please mute yourselves if you are not actively speaking. Thank you all right.

C

That's no worries, um so you have the issue of energy cost related to heat and then you're also looking a lot of at a lot of facilities that are lit for 18 plus hours a day when they don't need to be based on their use and occupancy, um and it's becoming increasingly common for these facilities to use led lighting and seek lead certification, which is great. But a lot of facilities still don't use it.

C

uh So there's some solutions to this, including occupancy based daytime based lighting, if it's an open air facility, um but essentially you're, incurring a lot of cost for very low revenue structures, either based on the cost or the fact that they're designed for greater demand uh than actually exists um so they're taking up a significant amount of land with very little financial benefit, um and so the last externality that, I think is the most obvious um and perhaps the most damning is the land use.

C

So parking related infrastructure accounts for five percent of suburban land, uh which doesn't seem like much, but when, across america you're seeing about three to four more times parking spots available than actually needed in relation to actual vehicle ownership and use, um it seems like a lot more than it than the number actually represents.

C

So I mean understandably, this is a part of suburban sprawl. um The land is cheaper. It's available, it's easy to rationalize, making parking more available in a really auto-dependent society, but the fact is is they're being built in substantial excess uh when they don't need to be both horizontally and vertically um just to accommodate, uh really no vehicle owner.

C

So in terms of solutions, like I said, I chose three cities phoenix la austin.

C

I chose these cities one because they really occupy some of the little literature on solutions regarding parking garage efficiency, but then also because they um they face these externalities more so than really any other city due to their population and their climate, um and so they all use pretty similar solutions. uh One of them being, like I said, led lighting uh looking at lead certification standards and using dimming capabilities again either. Based on occupancy or daylight, uh at phoenix and austin international airports, they implemented more than 3000 leds per facility and they operate on dimmers.

C

That saves a significant amount of money and is far more efficient. You also have photovoltaic shading, so solar panels, either covering spots in parking, lots or the top levels of garages. um This creates a cooling effect uh and reduces the urban heat island effect.

C

It's also really attractive for drivers, uh but then also at these airports, specifically they're, generating at least half of the energy needs uh for that facility, if not 100, with the surplus returning to the grid for local residents, um so that uh assists significantly with the heat, but then also the cost of energy.

C

So, there's those that you also have uh ev charging stations uh which are a bit rarer just in terms of cost, it's understandably more expensive to retrofit garages with ev charging stations than it is in new construction, but it still changes the way that garages incentivize commute uh and then a lot of facilities are changing the way that they price entry based on ev charging ability, um and while it may not have a significant effect in who is buying electric vehicles, it does change the significance that parking garages have on their space, but in terms of individual cities, what makes them unique: phoenix, for example, not incredibly residentially dense, but has three and a half million more parking spots than needed, and they also face a massive heat and a clean water issue.

C

So, while using the aforementioned strategies, um they also use something that I thought was really unique. It's called the cool pavement project. It's only being used on residential roads in need of repair, but could be expanded to parking facilities as well. It has a great deal of potential.

C

It's a water-based uh recycled asphalt, covering that's light gray, to reduce glare, there's, practically no known glare off these surfaces as opposed to a white top, but it reduces moisture damage. It cools the surface by 12 degrees, which is incredible, and it also reduces the toxicity of the runoff.

C

um So this could be used in any number of parking facilities, whether on the actual driving surface or outside, um and then you have la which 15 of its land is occupied by parking facilities, which is incredible, considering a third of it is left empty throughout the day, and so their issue was mainly with occupancy. More than anything else, they created an app uh based off of wireless sensors uh beneath spots that alert drivers who are circling the block, maybe 30 minutes longer than they have to to find a spot.

C

It alerts them of an empty spot, nearby reduces the drive time and then also the prices of those garages fluctuate throughout the day based on occupancy and assist with revenue uh to account for maintenance issues. So la's had some trouble passing some policies regarding repurposing existing garages, but they're definitely making progress towards the occupancy issue. At least within the county, santa monica has eliminated parking minimums entirely, which is fantastic, but not necessarily feasible everywhere, um and they have built plenty of structures out of recycled steel, uh reducing the heat and also reducing the toxic runoff.

C

A lot of open air, ventilated facilities with vine coverings for shading and then also just incorporating green architecture, and then they also incorporate a lot of uh on-site runoff filtering uh so reclaiming old water pipelines to filter runoff and reduce the biodiversity loss in the area, and then austin is last but and smallest. But the downtown area parking is about 70 empty on the daily uh and still so. Much of the public feels completely unaccommodated, and this is because the majority of the parking available is private but practically obsolete.

C

It's left empty throughout the day and has these uh incredibly high prices that make people feel as though downtown parking is unaccessible.

C

So austin has made a lot of progress to moving away from garages, uh they're, lowering or eliminating parking costs through public private partnerships, but then they're also making on-street options far more available and installing their ev charging stations. There they've implemented height restrictions on garages to encourage uh below ground construction, which means less land, use easier, cooling, less vulnerability to the elements, so less maintenance costs.

C

So you run into the lighting issue there. But when you consider the other uh issues that it's resolving, it's it's not as significant and can still be improved through led lighting, um what's cool about austin is they have a couple of uh unique projects, one of them being just a single garage that was a specialty architect project um but ended up being really efficient.

C

uh One of the so the the facility in particular, has what they call a planted green roof with local fauna or with local flora to accommodate uh wildlife and disrupt the ecosystem as little as possible. This includes a rainwater reservoir, that's again filtered on site, uh an assist with runoff issues. um The structures made out of recycled steel and uses steel screens uh for ventilation and assist with cooling, um and then the lighting and cooling system is unclear. A lot of these places use variable frequency, drive, cooling systems uh which lower energy cost.

C

But again, this is more of an aesthetic improvement than it was and an energy improvement, and then, lastly, the international airport uh uses the recycled asphalt project which uses uh spoil piles from demolished asphalt, structures uh to reconstruct their parking lots. This is through the parking spot, um in addition to being covered with photovoltaic panels. It also uses the light gray, cool pavement coating, and so the lot as a whole is practically net zero energy consumption and cost, uh which is fantastic.

C

So a lot of these solutions are incredibly feasible, cost effective um and significantly reduce the natural and lived effects of having parking garages in your community, but I think it's important to acknowledge that as long as the dependence exists on these facilities um and there's not a developed enough transit system to move away uh from these structures or demolish them or completely eliminate parking minimums, these can't really be completely eliminated. um But I think all these steps are completely feasible in the next couple of years.

C

um So thank you so much for having me I'd be happy to take any questions related to this thanks.

B

Awesome thanks so much mary beth uh commissioners. If you have any questions for mary beth or comments on her paper, please go ahead and raise your hand like we usually do. I know this is a little different than we often have at transportation commission, but it was a rare opportunity to uh to have a chat with a local student who is uh who you know could be in our shoes here at some point uh advising their own. uh You know government either in a paid employment standpoint or as an uh citizen advisor.

B

So uh it's great to have her out and uh it's always great to hear about the environmental impacts of parking. um uh I really appreciated the presentation and the paper mary beth thanks so much. We are definitely sometimes digging into these uh these externalities and uh trade-offs. I can think uh recently we were definitely looking at a development. I think it was a year or two ago where there was a question about knocking down an existing parking garage to make space for uh apartments.

B

In you know a pretty transit-rich uh area of roslin, and you know there are very well-meaning, uh environmentally conscious folks on both sides. Some saying this embodied carbon is something we can't. You know you know the best building we can have is one that's already built, um and people on the other side, saying like the best thing we can do is give people an opportunity to live car free in a transit, rich and walkable environment.

B

So I think we will be wrestling with these issues more and more, as time goes by.

B

uh Commissioner price, I see your hand up, go ahead.

E

Mary beth, thank you so much for your presentation. uh Thank you, mr chairman. I appreciate you recognizing me. um I have a well more of a I've. Read your paper very interesting stuff. um One question: are you a resident of arlington.

C

No, I am yeah, I am a gw.

E

Well, I I've actually it's a several par question. What is your plan? When is your plan to move to arlington and mr chairman? Do we have an age requirement for the transportation commission, because, frankly, we could use this knowledge, her knowledge and this research paper when we are confronted uh with these parking scenarios presented to us by every developer in the county, uh miss eddie. Your paper was genius and you have a really strong future in this in this world of transportation, and you please use that knowledge for for good. Thank you.

C

Thank you. I appreciate it.

B

Thank you, commissioner price, uh uh mr vincent. Yes, I'm happy to uh to use my chair's discretion to recognize you, uh mr kevin vincent, is on our climate change and environmental there's a lot of seas and a lot of ease in the name, and I get them all confused, but uh he would like to have a chance to speak here for a moment.

F

Thank you, chairman slot, um uh mary beth. Thank you so much for your paper. I read it also, and I thought it was very good. I also wanted to point out that c2e2 is our commission, which is climate change, energy and environment commission and from all the letters in our commission name.

F

I think you can see that c2e2 is equally interested in both hearing about your paper and we'd like to invite you to come and present it to our commission, if you're interested in doing that, and also we'd like to compete with tc and in recruiting you to to when you moved arlington to join c2e too.

F

But uh more also, I wanted to point out um substantively we are working on some of those same issues and I think um your your recommendation about the this is to the transportation commission.

F

The recommendation in the paper about reducing um parking is the number one strategy that should be used to deal with these very deleterious impacts from from all the parking structures is one we agree with, and we think should be the initial uh response, but your paper makes it clear, and you mentioned that the second response is one that we are very much focused on and that is increasing. Ev charging at parking structures across arlington and in in requiring it to extend the county can minimums of eb charging. You know.

F

First thing is reduce the amount of parking and then of the parking that it is put in place. Make sure a bigger percentage is, is put in we're working on that right now, I'm the point person on all those issues and- and the transportation commission has heard me previously- you know make that point and just want to reiterate that, including on that recommendation, actually could hopefully inform some of the other things on your agenda today and then uh those are the points I wanted to make in your paper.

F

But again, thank you and, and please let me know if you're interested in presenting to our commission, because we'll we're all interested in that, and also in the the we are looking at the pavement issue. We we are focused on the emissions that are occurring in payment right now and you've done more we're doing research right now and your research is ahead of what we've already put together. So it'll be very helpful for us on that. Thank you.

C

Thanks so much.

B

Commissioner, moradovic you're up next.

G

All right, let me turn my camera on yeah. uh Thank you. This was. uh This is really interesting. um I have unlike the two previous uh commissioners. I have not read your paper, but I look forward to it, um but one thing that I picked up on was when, uh when you were talking about austin, did I hear you correctly uh mention uh pub charging on on street parking on public parking for uh electric vehicles.

C

Oh sorry, um the majority of the charging stations that they're building right now are on street um rather than any sort of off street facility.

G

All right, yeah, I mean I'm kind of wondering what what your thoughts about that might be, given that um this would essentially be using uh public infrastructure to charge private vehicles throughout history.

G

You know they've always been charged fueled on on put on private space gas stations, and uh so now there is an increasing amount of proposals for using public space for these private vehicles, which would further, you know, entrench cars as a mode of transit, which is, you know, problematic in an urban setting, to say the least, and you know what are like what your research has come across in terms of like you know, I mean there's like pros and cons to everything. But overall you know. uh Is this policy more positive or negative.

C

I would lean towards the positive- and I understand that evs are really a mixed bag. It's coal powered electricity, but I think one stepping away from the off street facility dependence is really important and, frankly, any way that you can do. That is a step towards better efficiency and I think it's difficult to move away from an auto-dependent area, even when it's downtown until you have a more developed public transit system.

C

Now, austin is making significant steps- and I didn't really mention this in my paper, because I thought it was a little too uh out of the subject, but they are making steps towards uh self see. This is self-driving, um but again it's like with an attendant uh self-driving public transit um partnered with this eb charging on-street facility.

C

So I think any on-street facility is the same as um any officer facility and that encourages auto commute and it's accommodating private vehicles. But if you incorporate the ev charging um or any sort of energy efficiency aspect, um then it's a step towards the positive.

G

Okay, all right, thank you.

B

Awesome, I don't see any other commission hands, so I thank you again, mary beth, and uh expect to see uh more of you around in the future and uh wish you luck uh in ms obacoya. You can call the next item.

A

Okay, we have pentagon. Thank you, mayor beth. That was great. We have pentagon city sector plan, update next with staff, matt matuzak and staff.

H

Great, thank you, everyone and good evening. um My name is matt matuzek. I am with the arlington county community planning, housing and development department, and I am joined tonight by several other staff, which I'm sure you're going to hear from from the department of environmental services, and we wanted to provide an update on where we are with the planning study in pentagon city, which is uh nearing its end as we develop another version of the pentagon city sector plan and consider several implementation actions associated with that plan.

H

That would update the general land use plan, the master transportation plan and the arlington county zoning ordinance. So tonight what I wanted to do is first make sure my screen share is working properly and I'm giving it one. Second.

H

Can everyone see that.

I

H

All right, um so what we wanted to do uh is again in a brief presentation, because I know we've been here uh several times last year, uh so I I'm assuming there's some level of familiarity with the plan, but give you a quick overview of what's involved uh what you can find in the sector plan. That's been developed, really focus on some of the key changes that have been made since the november version was released and in response to a lot of feedback we've heard through december 31st.

H

I also wanted to highlight and remind everyone of the master transportation plan amendment that will accompany the plan as it gets to the board uh and quickly talk about our remaining schedule over the next few weeks.

H

So with that again, just to reiterate uh the purpose of the study, um this is something that began in the summer of 2020.

H

uh It responds to a county board planning commission work session from 2019, in which staff was directed to evaluate the future of pentagon city's growth potential and its impacts on the area in a more comprehensive manner, rather than just isolating a handful of sites um that initially were expressing interest in potentially developing this part of the county has not really been evaluated closely uh for several decades, and many of the development that you see in pentagon city is actually following a vision that was established back in the mid 70s.

H

So the effort that started back in the summer of 2020 evaluates much of the properties that historically were governed by what we call the pentagon city, pentagon, city phase, development site plan pdsp, but also encompasses the adjacent river house property on the west side of joyce street and again, this is in response to that guidance from 2019.

H

That asked us to consider a broader geography resembling closer to what we have on our general land use plan identified as the pentagon city metro station area.

H

What this study does not include primarily, is the block in the middle, where the costco is located, which is the pentagon center phase development site plan, and that historically has been its own trajectory of uh future growth scenarios. That is only in its early stages of uh implementing, uh with a lot of its existing tenants uh anticipating to exist on that site for quite some time, given their current uh conditions and also lease agreements.

H

uh However, a lot of the findings that were prepared in that uh pdsp informed uh the surrounding properties that were studied with this effort beyond the boundary.

H

uh If you read the most current version of the sector plan, it has a lot of information, but I think it's worth highlighting that the planning analysis which follows the vision uh statements in our planning principles really gives everyone a sense of the analysis that took place over the last 18 months and some of the key questions that were answered during the course of our study, which led to a lot of the recommendations you might see in the next section, which is a development framework and really where I think much of the sector plan focuses its uh guidance and regulatory exhibits and narrative.

H

um There is also an accompanying appendix which continues to grow, as we add some supplemental information, uh an additional analysis that perhaps was not as critical to be located in the main portion of the plan. But nonetheless, I think it's helpful to readers to understand uh and likely help us implement this moving forward.

H

I did also want to touch on the public engagement that has taken place. You know beyond some of the meetings that many of you, I suspect, have attended.

H

There was a significant effort during the first 12 months of the study, uh not just working with the broader community and having several different public workshops with breakout groups and uh the official kickoff that you see here in september of 2020, but really uh a lot collaborating with a very diverse group of stakeholders in our focus group that not only represented the local community, but also some of the property owners that are representing sites in the study area.

H

A number of different commission members, our consultant team and staff from different departments, including aps.

H

uh The one piece I always highlight, which uh we're incredibly proud of, is the biophilia tour that occurred in june 2021 and really represented one of the few instances we had as an in-person event that took place outside.

H

It is at this point in july of last year, where a lot of the analysis began to develop building blocks of our sector plan and from that point, on the summer of 2021, we started to look at the framework and draft versions of that plan and begin to share that more broadly with additional stakeholder groups.

H

Now that you can see here so starting with that initial version in the summer, we began to then share that with various committees and advisory commissions to get additional feedback, make sure that we're not missing anything and as that information began to be synthesized. Additional versions of that plan were produced. So you can kind of see here through the entire fall, the different type of meetings that took place as we were developing uh and leading towards the request to advertise which took place in december.

H

So along this same trajectory, um this kind of gives you a sense of how we've arrived at our fourth version of the draft sector plan that was released uh just earlier this week uh and we'll present the version that we're going to bring to the county board.

H

Now some of the key changes that I wanted to highlight and we'll be happy to answer and maybe even go into others involve uh items that we believe this group might be very interested in there's. Certainly many more we can highlight, uh but I think in the interest of time we really wanted to focus on are the ones that can be found in the development framework, which really will be the critical section we'll use in future site plan review committees as site plan applications are coming in.

H

uh So we wanted to really make sure that guidance was as clear as possible and reflects the feedback that we've heard. If that is not the case, we'll happy to take that feedback again and make sure we are accurately interpreting it.

H

One of the key changes that you'll see, which we've heard at the transportation commission and the planning commission, was the need to ensure the 15th street corridor was identified on our future bike network map as having at least the potential for a separated bikeway.

H

So what this before and after image shows you is in that corridor, especially between south hayes and south east street.

H

A number of those previously peach colored lines have been changed to blue some because of a technical adjustment that we've noticed just looking at the existing conditions, but also because we felt that there was enough information there that either through further analysis or potentially through and in concert with future redevelopment.

H

Some of those areas did have the potential to become separated by ways. So this was one of the key elements we wanted to highlight as a change in the current version. That's out there you'll also find, in the development framework a number of maps that or tables I should say that kind of break down our expectations from a multimodal perspective. What we expect to see at different, uh existing and planned uh street connections throughout the study area. uh I'm only highly highlighting a few here that we know resulted in some adjustments but holistically.

H

What you'll find in this current draft, I think, is an acknowledgement of some of those interim conditions. We may anticipate, as only some portions of the roadway uh begin to redevelop, but we're not going to see changes on both sides and in an effort to achieve complete streets in many of these segments.

H

How do we reconcile this kind of phased approach and make sure that, even with those initial projects, we can accommodate as many modes of travel as possible and stay true to the larger objective of making sure uh folks don't feel like there's a need to drive, because we've made it so much easier to walk bike than use transit?

H

uh In addition to that- uh and this also, I think, continues to come up with uh the active review of the penn place proposal. We really wanted to highlight what our current expectation is in terms of being as aggressive as possible in the mode split for uh single occupancy vehicles, but also indicate that, with future monitoring, future analysis and additional data, we expect to be even more aggressive, where even if 30 percent might be the expectation in current site plan review.

H

Once we get past the near term projects, we believe we might have a good chance of reaching 25 percent. uh If some of the other recommendations and analysis begin to materialize,.

H

I also wanted to highlight uh you know something outside of that development framework and is an item that we continue to track. Is the implementation matrix so this tracks by subject things that we either require further analysis, perhaps ongoing monitoring?

H

So if you might find elements that perhaps don't provide as much closure in the main portion of the sector plan, you might find some additional references here that speak to what else needs to happen beyond this current process. That perhaps needs additional data, perhaps additional stakeholders- and it might give you some guidance on what to expect, and we hope that between those two, the development framework and the implementation matrix, we vatically addressed a lot of the comments that have been submitted thus far.

H

Beyond the sector plan itself, I did want to just remind folks that, as part of the implementation actions that are going to the board, we are updating the master transportation plan. This primarily extends the blue hatch that you see here for future connections uh to accommodate and account for the planning study area that we've used throughout this planning effort, and there is also a more subtle change along the 12th street corridor between hayes and 8th street that reclassifies that roadway to more accurately reflect its current purpose and vision.

H

In terms of our remaining schedule, we have a number of meetings scheduled for early february, where additional briefings with commission members will take place uh and we are looking to see uh if february 12th will be the accounting board date or if we are going to be considered at the recess meeting the following tuesday, um and with that.

H

I just wanted to conclude with a staff's recommendation uh which you'll see in the draft staff report that we shared, which is to recommend that the county board adopt the pentagon city sector plan and the proposed general land use plan, master transportation plan and zoning ordinance amendments.

H

And with that I will stop sharing and happy to answer questions.

B

Great, thank you very much, mr matuzik. I appreciate the time sensitive presentation, as we did certainly spend a lot of time on this um in november, uh appreciate highlighting the things that have changed and what has happened in the interim um since we did not see this at rta, like planning, commission did um ms obikoya. I know we had a number of written comments on this item, including from the arlington ridge, civic association and at least one or two uh arlington ridge or other nearby residents.

B

uh Did we have anyone sign up to actually speak uh at this virtual meeting on this item?.

A

We do we have mr mark capistrant as a speaker, kedrick whitmore and kevin vincent from c2e2.

A

Those are the three speakers we have signed up to speak tonight and I believe they're all present.

B

All right great, can you call.

A

The first speaker, then, please mark.

D

Thank you all right. Can I you hear me sure? Okay, yes, yes, hello! This is mark capustron and I am speaking on uh behalf of a neighborhood group uh recently forum called density that makes sense, and I, along with 1500 of my neighbors, opposed such drastic increases in density that the pentagon city upzoning plan calls for. I will obviously focus on some of our transportation concerns. The plan states that, in the future, 75 percent of residents won't drive as a reason not to properly invest in in more road infrastructure.

D

But the reality is that in past 22202 transportation studies have shown that one quarter of all households don't drive and three quarters due. So in tandem, the number of drivers will increase the quarter of people that don't have cars use services that drive on their behalf, such as uber lyft, deliveries of packages, groceries food and dry cleaning. So the argument that there will be less cars is not really.

J

D

Add in 30 years of ongoing construction, and there will be thousands of sites related vehicles, making deliveries and contractors driving and parking, because metro and public transportation is not a realistic solution for transporting tools and equipment. We need proper infrastructure put in place in tandem with sensible development and to ignore this fact there will be congestion and smog.

D

We also ask that the transportation study you know did not properly cover army navy drive going west, south arlington ridge, road and 23rd street going west. These streets should be reviewed due to being major routes in and out of the area along with uh major through fairs.

D

In closing, a final point is the lack of consideration for notifying the public. The plan was, the updated plan was uploaded last night and there is a transportation meeting tonight. The agenda could not even be reviewed online. Two days before this meeting, we have concerns that the public is being excluded with less than 24 hours to review the updated plan. Many residents would have appreciated time to review the updated plan and participate tonight, but we're not given uh advanced notice. We feel this is unacceptable.

D

Less than 24-hour citizen notification for public engagement is not the arlington way. Thank you for your time.

A

Thank you, mr capistrant. Next we have kedrick whitmore.

J

Good evening, mr chair members of the commission, thanks for your time my name is kendrick whitmore, I'm with venable llp, and I represent jbg smith, the owners of the river house property in pentagon city. uh We first want to thank staff and the community for the incredible amount of work that has gone on into this plan. uh Pentagon city has been in need of a planning overhaul for quite some time with the existing plan dating back to 1976., given the age of the plan and the critical needs for these updates.

J

This was a really significant scope of work, and I think everybody did a really great job working through it. uh That work took place over 18 months. 12 focus group sessions, six public workshops and through it all, we believe that a plan has been created that all the stakeholders can be proud of. From a transportation perspective. The plan contains extensive analysis detailing the impacts of additional density and recommending key improvements to all modes of transportation infrastructure, along with the rest of the county arlington space.

J

Excuse me, the rest of the country arlington is facing a housing crisis, given the many opportunities for transit and non-single occupancy vehicle modes of transportation in this area. We believe that pentagon, city and river house in particular, is the right location for additional density. This additional density will be accompanied by affordable housing, open space improvements and a number of other community benefits that are outlined in the plan. We should note that the adoption of the plan is not the final step in creating any of these new developments.

J

Following adoption of the plan, there will still be significant entitled prop entitlement processes required before any new development can begin at river house or at any other site within the study area. This is the first step and it's an important one. I'd be remiss if I didn't thank mr matuzik specifically for his hard work on the plan um and, in conclusion, we'd ask that the transportation commission recommend approval of the plan uh of the staff proposal for the pentagon city plan. Two poor thanks for your time.

A

Thank you, mr mittmore. Next we have mr kevin vincent with c2e2.

F

uh Yes, I I put in the chat. I actually didn't once do not want to speak on this item, but thank you.

A

Okay. Well. That concludes all of the speakers. Thank you.

B

Great thank you very much to both of our speakers and to staff for the presentation. uh Commissioners, if you want to go ahead and throw your hands up, if you have clarifying questions um or opinions or any of that sort of thing, as we usually do, um I will start things off.

B

um uh We got some great written testimony from um pam van hine, who is uh was the pedestrian advisory committee rep on this item, and I wanted to chat with staff briefly about one of the things that she raised, which is the lack of specific specificity about sidewalk shy zones and landscape zones.

B

um The the plan is quite clear about um required clear zones at least eight feet, uh wide clear zones on like all new streets um in all streets in pentagon, city, 10, foot, wide clear zones on other certain areas, um but I do know in other plans. We have made it very clear. um You know the landscape zone for street trees and benches, and that sort of thing is a particular width. I feel like in some places we've specified a shy zone without a shy zone specification.

B

um Don't we have doors opening into the clear zone? And then is it really a clear zone? Can staff talk a bit about why there's not more specificity on those items in the plan.

K

Thank you. My name is joanne gabora am with arlington county des, and I'm going to take the shy zone question. um It is something we did talk about and you're correct. Some of the other sector plans do show uh specific dimensions for furniture zone, clear zone and shy zone. We decided with the pentagon city sector plan to not provide that to provide that additional flexibility that we have been talking about in the plan, and so it is something with the landscape standards and the chesapeake bay standards.

K

We do have standards about the minimums of the tree planting zone. um I believe, right now we say minimum four foot tree pit. Ideally it would be five or six um and then the shy zone is something that we do want to provide that flexibility. If the developer wants to have some outdoor seating or if they don't want to have that, it's provided on other sides of the building. So it's not something we felt was uh needed for this sector plan.

K

It is something we do review through all site plans through the sprc process and with staff review and make sure it is appropriate based on the uses and the nature of the street.

B

Great, so those landscaping standards and streetscape standards and chesapeake bay standards do give us some idea of how wide the landscape zone will be just in order to be able to fit an appropriately sized tree pet. That accurate.

K

Correct- and that applies throughout the entire county- not just the pentagon city area,.

B

And it was it also safe to say that if a um if uh an area of the sidewalk is within the door swing of an exit from a building that that would not be able to be considered clear zone for those clear zone measurements, because the the door would intrude into that area, sometimes or no.

K

No, we clap, we count the clear zone as where the building face um is so the technically the door could open into the clear zone.

B

All right, thank you very much.

B

Not seeing other commission hands up, I will ask other questions. um Oh wait. We'll just go ahead to commissioner locker, so I'm not monopolizing things here.

B

We can't hear you, ms locker.

L

Sorry um so my question is in regarding uh further transportation, analysis and studies. So there's on page 34 there's uh you know a series of um follow-up studies and I I'm trying to figure the. Maybe I can't find where it is. um I looked at the matrix and then maybe 131, but one in particular, I'm interested in kind of the impacts of you know. We've been we've been doing a lot of the analysis over. um You know the last two years, which you know this is or 18 months, which is tremendous. I mean again.

L

I I also agree that this is a lot of work. We can't um you know we can't stand still hold still, there's lots of development going on right now, and so this was very important, but um just wondering again with the analysis. How is covid, um you know what is it gonna? Look like pre-covet those types of things. What is the the county's plan or staff's plan to kind of further analyze that as ongoing efforts.

K

So I want to address that um question from a couple aspects. So one thing in terms of site plan developments that do do go forward. They do have to do the multimodal transportation assessments and what that does is. It does include the impacts of the proposed development, but we also include all approved projects that haven't been built.

K

So if there is a project to make sure we have that cumulative effect, if you will, we want to make sure projects are included as background projects, we also do include, generally speaking, a growth factor that is based on information and analysis that is completed by cog and some other sources in the area, and this is to provide that forward-looking impacts of what will happen in the future with traffic.

K

I think a lot of individuals are interested to see what happens with covid and the impacts of on the transportation system. I'm not sure any of us have a crystal ball to understand the long-term effects. I know from a county perspective. It is something we are monitoring um and we are interested to see what happens in terms of commuting patterns.

K

We are seeing some increase in traffic from two years ago at the very beginning of covid, but there is a little bit of a difference um in terms of the pattern we aren't really seeing quite as peaky of the commute traffic um as we did see before. Additionally, the county does, um you know we do traffic counts? We do monitoring on our own at various intersections, um just to maintain the integrity of the transportation network.

K

Did that answer your question.

L

Yes, uh okay, yes kind of I so will there be so it will be more of a case by case uh so for for each new site plan as how it typically is when when a new traffic study would be uh initiated.

K

That's correct and that's the practice um up to date and what we do is the consultant does have to do. Traffic counts um because we are currently in this uh sort of interesting period with covid. We have been using counts that are pre-pandemic, so we don't end up with perhaps a strange blip of low counts, but probably sometime soon we're going to have folks go out and do new counts to try and figure out what those new levels are. But we are not at that point at this time.

K

L

You that's my question for now.

B

Great I wanted to jump in on. um I really appreciate the comment and response matrix. It makes it much easier to see what uh what has changed uh since the last draft, and there largely is really only one change that I have concerns about and I believe it's on page 114.

B

There is a bullet about the green ribbon that goes up the hill to lynn street, so heads up the ridge- um and there was some language about how this particular ribbon was going to need specific design to make sure that it worked for bikes and micro mobility devices and not just pedestrians.

B

Given the importance of the connection and the grade change and uh one of the change, the change in this uh new version uh significantly softens that language, and I was wondering if staff could speak to what they think the practical effect of that change in language is. Does it make it um like less stringent that a developer would need to accommodate bikes and micro mobility devices? On that connection?

B

um Is it like? What kind of flexibility are we trying to give by shifting that language? I would just like to understand what staff thinks that change in language, uh what effect that's going to have as we get into sprc in the future.

M

I suppose I could take that one um hello nice to be here our intention with that segment and with this plan is for um we don't wanna. We don't want the green ribbon to be just the base green ribbon at this location. We recognize the need for a bike connection there, uh the purpose of that segment on continuing to be shown as a separated bikeway on the um bike network map. You know on a different page um is specifically to indicate how that is not a typical arrangement.

M

We do recognize the need for that high quality bike, scooter connection. There uh being you know different than perhaps other segments of the green ribbon. um We want to treat it as a bikeway, with better accommodations for bikes than would be on a typical green ribbon section. um You know that said until it's actually designed. We really don't know what kind of facility that could be we.

M

The grades are difficult, so we wanted to provide some design flexibility there, but our intentions are still very much to call this out as being something that needs um more bike, accommodations than a typical portion of the green ribbon. There's no intention here to um reduce that in any way, so the language is there to establish policy that it be designed as a as a bike facility.

M

It's very much still on the map. We very much have that intention, but we do recognize. There are some design difficulties here.

B

Great, thank you. That's exactly the kind of response I was hoping to get. um Can we actually go ahead and throw that that bike map up one more time, because my next question uh also refers to it um so right there near that green. Where have been connection that is called out as a separated.

B

Bikeway um is also shown a separated bikeway on a piece of the real lined joist street, um but then it stops at the green ribbon, whereas realigned joists should continue on down to connect to the existing piece of joyce in the neighborhood.

B

I feel that a bike facility is needed to connect. You know, sort of the pentagon row area of joyce to the neighborhood area of joyce. Is that contemplated, but just not as a quote-unquote separated bikeway or what is staff's thinking on whether there would be bike facilities on that portion of real line joists or whether there would be a trail connection through that part of the park or or or or how a bike might get from pentagon road down into aurora highlands um there in the joyce kent west end.

M

Yeah, that's a that's a great question and- and we did look at that and discuss that- and we, you know, agree that there are likely to be bicyclists using the the new realigned joy street segment. Joyce street south of this area into the into the aurora highlands area is, I believe, a designated bike route without um dedicated facilities on it. But it's a you know, recommended travel route and so without pulling up the model and referring to exactly what the anticipated traffic counts there. My my recollection is that they're still anticipated to be relatively low.

M

We um are showing new connections uh on kent uh as well as uh north south, through virginia highlands park, so there would be more choices in the future than there are now.

M

We completely agree that bicyclists are going to continue to use that and should continue to use the the realigned choice or a potential new trail in the park. um The the reason that you see a little jog of the separated bikeway right there. uh um You know, as it approaches the intersection is so that that east-west connection to lynn street connects all the way into the rest of the pentagon.

M

City bike network, if you recall the the very early versions of this map that separated bikeway continued to follow the um green ribbon until it met the street. Some of the additional analysis that we did in the in the fall showed that it worked better to to move along joy street there so that it could intersect at a controlled intersection, which is you know the purpose of that little jog. um You know, I, I don't think we so yeah from the staff perspective. We didn't.

M

We didn't feel that an additional line on the map was necessary there, but we don't have any strong objections to um having one, uh although you know just given the well the the very high possibility of off street trails there, we might have some hesitancy to call for an on-street separated bikeway.

M

When you know an off-street trail might make more sense. So does that answer your question.

B

It does I'm just wondering if there's some way that we can denote that there should be some sort of low stress connection um without presupposing that it be one particular um form or another. um I think many people would prefer to you know bike on a trail through a park uh than on a protected bike lane along a street when given the option, um so that would be great.

B

I just want to make sure we don't end up with no connection at all other than um on street on joyce, with no facilities, uh because I think with the additional development um south of the green ribbon, um though it is, you know certainly much shorter um and less dense than is being called for north of the green ribbon that we may be putting more uh more cars onto joy street. um Then uh we can have and have it still be, a low stress connection.

M

I I think, that's a fair comment.

B

All right, commissioner moradovic, thank you for your patience. You're up next.

G

You're welcome, thank you um and thank you for your uh presentation, uh uh mr mathushik. uh I had a question regarding the uh 15th street uh uh protected bike lane or the possibility of that. uh That being the difference between the earlier points and this one, uh I think that's great, that that possibility that there is a possibility now and many uh people mean tweeted, have uh highlighted why this is important for seriously facilitating a proper modal split in this region.

G

But uh during your presentation you mentioned that uh and if finder said correctly, that construction of this bike lane would be dependent on future uh development, and I was wondering if you could elaborate on that a bit, because I didn't see anything in the implementation matrix or perhaps I missed it when I was reading through it. uh What type of development would this be, and uh you know do we have any type of even a guess how long it might take for maybe getting a bike lane on 15th.

M

I can start to answer I might ask joanne to chime in as well. So as we reviewed this, uh you know we. We came to the determination that, from a policy um perspective, it makes sense to to call for this right connection.

M

Here um there are, as we you know, discussed in the previous meeting, a lot of right-of-way constraints uh in this section of the corridor, and uh so if parts of the parts of this segment would be um presumed to be uh become bike lanes when redevelopments along the north side of the street happens what the timeline you know, and that would be done as part of the negotiation for that site plan um when that is anticipated to happen.

M

As far as I know, it's it's not anticipated to be in the very near future. um If we have any more information about when that might happen, I would have to defer to joann.

K

I just want to say I agree with dan at this point. um We do not know the time in the site plan. My guess is uh where the costco site is today it's going to be a very long time, unfortunately, before it redevelops, um but as dan mentioned, that is, that would be the the vehicle, if you will um to realize those uh separated bicycle facilities.

G

All right, thank you very much.

B

Yeah, the only thing I would add for commissioner moradovic is that you know it's kind of important to get it in the plan here, so that whenever that does happen, uh there's something to point to uh during site plan review, um because there's an uh phase development site plan uh for that pentagon center massive block that has the costco um but individual buildings, I believe, still have to come through for site plan review in the future. uh Whenever that happens, to be.

B

All right, seeing no other commissioners with their hand up. um I think I just have one more question for staff and then a few um comments. I want to address some of the uh public comment that we've gotten, but commissioner locker has thrown her hand up. So I will jump to commissioner locker.

L

I have just one last question uh well uh for the parking ratios, what I'm just wondering, how that compares to any of the other areas. It's pentagon city area ratio is one to every 975 for office development, and you know just coming off of this great presentation and just wondering where that currently kind of lands um across arlington.

L

Is this pretty aggressive uh or not? Because, ideally, you know we'd like to to find the sweet spot, as we were talking about earlier, is like the making sure we don't have too much parking, but um enough.

K

Yes, I'm going to um I'm going to answer your question. I think I might provide a little more information just because there is residential and office in this area, um so the one to 975 ratio that ms locker is referencing is the office ratio that was um associated with the office policy that was adopted in 2013..

K

Obviously, we are now about 10 years later and what we are seeing is a proposal by developers to have less parking um than that amount for office buildings. The most recent office buildings we have are the met park project, which is the amazon project. It is about one to twelve hundred um and penn place, which is currently going through the review process there at about one to fourteen fifty ish one to fifteen hundred, um so they are providing less parking than that nine. Seventy five that um is referenced in the office policy.

K

uh We don't have a lot of other office developments that have occurred. The only other one we have is 101 12th street and they provide very minimal parking on site and they are utilizing existing parking that exists in the adjacent office building.

K

So I would say from an office perspective, we are seeing very minimal amounts of parking being constructed. We do find. Generally speaking, we do have a lot of parking already in crystal city that is perhaps underutilized, especially on the east side of route 1.

K

a residential perspective. What we are seeing um in this area, the ratio is based on the distance to metro. So it's we have minimums required um for market rate and then different minimums. If there are affordable units in this area, I think believe the minimum is 0.3 and again what we are seeing with current uh recently approved developments in this area, the 2001 project um that just went through that was at .34, I believe the verizon project, which is at 411th street, which is just outside of this area.

K

I believe it was at 0.42, so we are seeing very low parking ratios in this area and it is something from a staff perspective. We are very supportive of.

K

We would like to minimize the parking spaces uh for a multitude of reasons, and we don't have any reason to believe that this trend is going to reverse in this area.

B

All right, great uh one, last question: I think, um which is gonna, have to be about 12th street, so there's definitely been conversation throughout this process and significant feedback and comment during penn place about the lack of facilities for bikes on 12th street um and uh staff has certainly remained adamant and steadfast throughout this um to to not include such in the plan. um Ms bohr, could you just talk through um staff's reasoning?

B

uh 12Th street is, is the future side of the transit way, and we understand that transit is the number one priority on 12th street, uh but we've certainly seen with penn place, and I would expect to see similar with brookfield um that there's enough stat enough space that uh you know we seem to be finding space for on-street parking.

B

um So I think the question in the community is: why is on-street parking a more important uh priority on 12th street than uh low-stress bike facilities, um or any further elaboration on the lack of planned uh bike facilities on 12th street, and I'm really only talking west of edes? I recognize that the county has, like literally just approved a construction project on 12th street east of edes. That does not include bike facilities and ain't no way we're ripping that up anytime soon. Nor is there significant uh development expected east of ease on 12th street.

B

So that's right out. I'm really talking about the two blocks between hayes and edes. um So if you could address that, ms gabor, that would be appreciated.

K

Thank you. um So this did come up. Some of you were at the sprc on monday night for penn place, um and this will be the continuation of that conversation. I'm sure, and we will continue it again, I'm sure um so for everyone's just information, the transitway is proposed to be on 12th street.

K

Currently it comes north on crystal drive and then it makes the left turn onto 12th street, which is effectively the left hand bend if you will and then is going to continue on to pentagon city- and this will be the connection between the pentagon city, metro, all the way down to braddock road 12th street has been identified as a transit and pedestrian priority corridor. It is something that is very important to us to maintain the ability to have on-time arrival and on-time boarding and a lighting for those buses when the transitway is up and running.

K

In addition to some of the other uh connections that are going to be provided with columbia, pike, the 16m most, notably that's going to start running in 2023 we're looking at about a six-minute headway between all the bus facilities. Excuse me, the bus vehicles to hit all the bus stops, and so we want to prioritize the transit and not have the bicycle connections in that area, to make sure that we can provide that bus facility and those on-time arrivals.

K

Additionally, one thing that you mentioned, that is the other consideration we have is trying not to have a portion of bike facility. That is then not have a lot of connections, and that's where we feel army navy drive becomes a really good resource to have that cycle track to provide that connection. All the way from south joyce street, on army navy, all the way over to 12th street under route 1 and then eventually connect up with long bridge and so having those missing links is something that's not helpful.

K

If we have, for example, that section between eads and route one there is a there's very, uh very challenged right now to provide the transitway facilities and providing any sort of separated bike facilities. It's not something that is going to be possible, and so that's why. Additionally, we don't want to have these two blocks. Perhaps that would have that because we want to have the army navy drive used. Also, through the pen place block, we will have 11th street the multimodal path.

K

It is going to be a 15 foot wide multimodal path and we do anticipate having a connection through the brookfield site when they do redevelop, as shown in the um the bike map in this pentagon city plan. Additionally, the other thing I do want to talk about is the parking. You know. One thing I know folks um have a lot of discussions. We have about the parking, but that parking also is curb space that is used for shuttle, pickup and drop off.

K

um It could be for bike share stations, it could be for bus stops, it could be for a loading activities, and so that's something that is also important to us to make sure we do balance out. um So we feel that having that parking on 12th street is also important, because the uh the redesign of 12th street will have the transit-only lanes and then only one general purpose lane.

K

We want to make sure that vehicles do not stop in those general purpose lanes or the transit lanes additionally to pick up or drop off individuals, um and so that's one of the other reasons. We feel that having that parking is important, so there are, it is a challenge um and we we want to make sure that we provide the optionality for folks.

K

Additionally, I know it's something that is not represented on the map as well, but we do have those low stress connections that will be through 13th street and 14th street and again addition to the 11th street, and then the army navy drive cycle track. So we do feel that having those options in the east-west direction- um and then we have eaves and fern in the north-south direction- provides the flexibility for individuals to proceed through the area in a manner that has a cohesive ability to have a low stress route.

B

All right, thank you, that's that was very thorough and uh the definitely the most useful answer. I've heard to that question in the last two months. So thank you very much.

B

uh Are there other commissioners with questions or comments at this time.

B

All right, then, I'm just going to take a minute to talk about why I will be supporting this plan. I don't want our public commenters to feel that they're being ignored or that we are not taking their thoughts to heart. um So for me, I see a lot of transportation improvements called for in this plan. The mtp, the amendment to the master of transportation plan, calls for new streets, basically throughout the um the entire study area, and we will decide on exact alignments for those and exact cross sections for those as development comes in.

B

But guidance is here in the plan for what our priorities are for those new streets, so I think that's uh important car infrastructure that will make sure that these new developments are providing. You know you know new streets or alleys um to make sure that the garage entrances aren't clogging up our arterials um and that sort of thing with cars.

B

um This is, as staff put it, and I have to agree, probably the most ambitious uh bike plan that we have in a sector plan and as we move to a more sustainable future bikes and e-bikes, especially, are one of our greatest opportunities to do those many trips that we take that are very short. The vast majority of our trips are less than uh less than six miles.

B

uh Six miles on an e-bike is nothing it's pretty great, um so those trips aren't happening that way now necessarily in the numbers that we'd like to see, but part of that's, because people don't feel safe getting around that way and building out that infrastructure is called for in the plan is the way we get there. um uh I will also say you know there is a lot to look at in this plan as far as infrastructure.

B

I don't think it is accurate to say that this plan calls for a massive increase in density without supporting infrastructure.

B

We do a good job in arlington um in making sure that we're improving water mains and all those underground bits as part of development um and, like I said, the transportation improvements are called out for here.

B

There is a lot uh in this plan that takes existing private, passive, green space, uh lawns that are technically private property, and you would be trespassing if you were on them um and securing them for public use uh to be parks with public access, easements or turned over to the county entirely.

B

So we will see an increase, maybe not in actual um space, but we will see an increase in space that you're allowed to use without being trespassing um and an increase in that open space. That is programmable and has amenities and things that you might want to go there to do rather than you know, just sit in the grass or throw a frisbee around and hope you know, a security guard doesn't come, tell you that it's private property and you have to be a resident there to use it.

B

um So I will be supporting this plan. um We have a lot of people who want to live in arlington. We have a lot of people who want to work in the dc area and if we don't provide housing for them in a place like pentagon city, which is where you can walk to a grocery store, you can walk to restaurants.

B

You can take transit into the city, um you can take transit to visit other nearby friends, you know they're gonna, they're, gonna live someplace and that some place may be stafford county or loudoun county, in which case they are definitely clocking up our interstate highways and that sort of thing so, on the whole, uh the the choice here is not between uh passing this plan or the status quo.

B

The option is between passing this plan and what happens if we don't, which is still change, um and I think it's change that is less useful um than the change that is envisioned in the plan and therefore I will be voting to recommend that the board adopt this plan.

B

With that said, I will get together and work out a motion. uh Commissioner land tell me if you'd like to go ahead and talk. While I do that.

B

You're still muted, commissioner wanna tell me thank.

N

You thank you. I would like to associate myself with all of your comments, chairman slat, and for all of those reasons, I too will be voting in favor of advancing this recommending this plan to the county board.

N

This is clearly a very one of the most transit rich areas, not just in the county but in the region centrally located, and if we want to look for a sustainable future. This is the very type of development that we need to have where we need to encourage people to live and encourage people to live and work. This provides for all of that. So again, I will in fact be voting for this.

B

Thank you, commissioner. Land tommy. um I will go ahead. Oh commissioner, murray go ahead.

G

um Yeah, thank you. uh uh I'd like to associate with every myself with everything uh chairman swat and uh commissioner winton have said. uh Basically, if we're not gonna build uh density in the neighborhood with uh two metro stations, uh I don't know where we're gonna do that. uh So this is uh the neighborhood uh the neighborhood to to do this, and uh I mean the the facilities are great for it. uh I just wanted to know uh in the uh in the proposal to the the traff proposal to the uh to the staff.

G

Should we mention something about the uh connections on uh south choice, kind of reiterating uh that there be a bike lane either protected or or a trail uh kind of to put that in in writing. Given that currently there is uh there's nothing there.

B

Yep, if the commission will indulge me in uh making an amendment to my own motion, that's my intention to do so unless somebody else wants to move the county manager's recommendations so that I don't have to vote to amend my own motion.

G

All right uh well han, are you proposing a motion and you want me to sec I'll. Second, a motion: if you're proposing one.

B

No uh so I wanna generally as a roberts rules thing I like to move the county manager's recommendation verbatim um and then, if we want to recommend something beyond that, to offer that as an amendment just so that I can tell the board uh what the votes were on the amendments. All.

G

Right, I'm sorry or uh for jumping the gun here, no.

B

That's fine. I appreciate your.

N

B

Yeah, fantastic commissioner land tell me you can remove them at.

N

The plant that the transportation commission um adopt the recommendations of staff regarding the panic pentagon city. um um What are we calling this? uh The canadian city um sector sector planning, study, planning, study, update.

N

Do we hear a second.

E

N

Commissioner price be beat everybody on that yeah.

B

I think so great and uh just to be clear for staff um set recommendations to include the uh the the plan itself, the glup amendment, the mtp amendment and the zoning ordinance amendment. Yes,.

N

All of those yeah I'll I'll do it again the transfer. I move that the transportation commission recommend the staff recommendation, that the county board adopt the pentagon city sector plan and the proposed general land use plan, master transportation plan and zoning ordinance. Amendments.

E

Second, that one again thank.

N

You, mr price,.

E

B

Thank you very much. um I will be supporting the main motion, but I would like to offer a motion to amend that uh which, as I move, that the transportation commission further recommend that staff denote as staff sees fit within the plan, the need for a low stress bike connection between the main portion of joy street, that runs past pentagon row and the residential portion of joyce street in aurora highlands.

E

Second, second, that one too.

B

All right that amendment is seconded. uh Would anyone like to speak to that amendment? um I think I was pretty clear uh about why I will be supporting that uh in my questions to staff. um I don't care if it's a separated bike lane.

B

I don't care if it's a trail, but I think that is a desire line and I just want to make sure it doesn't get lost, because who knows how long it's going to be before that particular piece of development that might provide that comes through I'd, just like to have it written down, even if it's an asterisk and a footnote so that we can find it in the future.

B

B

Commissioner, tell me: did you have more.

N

No, I just I'll, I will be supporting that amendment. In fact, I would like to have the wording for it, so I could raise it at the planning commission meeting.

B

I will happily send that to you all right, uh commissioner: price go ahead.

E

I will too be supporting that uh amendment to to the the motion that I've properly seconded twice. um Just to reiterate, we need more bike facilities here in arlington county. We need delineate them, we need to make them obvious. We need to build more of them, my family, and I we bike all the time and I I can't get enough of it. So I'm fully supportive of this motion.

B

Thank you, mr price. uh Commissioner. Bros go ahead.

O

Yeah hi- I just wanted to um pile on here with your emotional amendment um and again, citing the sort of proximity to the the um the metro. Stop there as well. Just uh it seems like a gap in the existing layout there. So thank you.

B

Great, thank you all right, seeing no more hands uh to be clear on everybody, how this is going to go down. First, we're going to vote on the amendment, which is so just the part about uh connecting low stress bike network between joyce and joyce, and then, uh unless there are other amendments, we will vote on the main motion as it is amended. So that would be the county manager's recommendation, plus the additional low stress bike number thing that we are potentially adding as part of the amendment.

B

um So first off the amendment. um How do you vote commissioner bros aye? Mr land tell me. I.

B

For a minute, I thought we lost you, uh commissioner. Moradovic.

B

Is here I just haven't heard him talk yet mr raddick hi, you know, commissioner yerry was not able to make it this evening. I too will vote. I and commissioner terry was just appointed and hasn't been able to fill out her financial disclosure. Yet so she is also not here. So that is a unanimous one. Two three four five, six seven eight to zero to amend the motion and then let me just check. Is there any further discussion about the main motion as it has been amended before we vote on the main motion.

B

All right seeing no hands. Commissioner bros aye. Commissioner land tell me aye commencer locker.

L

B

Commissioner ludlow aye, commissioner moradovic.

G

B

Commissioner price aye reddick.

I

B

And I to vote yes, so that is eight to zero. Thank you very much to staff for your presentation. uh Thank you very much to our speakers, both those who spoke here at the meeting and those who submitted written comments.

B

uh This will continue on to planning, commission and then to the county board for a vote before it is fully adopted.

H

Thank you. Everyone appreciate it.

A

Next on the agenda, we have marbella apartments and this is a two-part agenda item with both the site plan and vacation of an easement for public purposes recorded among the arlington county land records at d book 1688 at page 579 and located on the east side of north queen street south of route 50 on property, known as out lot b, block 24 fort meyer heights, rpc 17-03-09.

A

And that is with um jane, kim and maxine charmandele.

A

That was a lot so I'll turn it over to you guys.

P

Hi, I guess I can die it's all girls um yeah, uh it's been a while, since I've been to tc, um jane kim from des development services um I'll be covering the site plan portion of the presentation and then I think maxine there's one slide for the proposed vacation as well. I'm going to attempt to share my screen.

A

P

Can you guys see the title slide sure can okay great. So this is a marbella apartment. I have a very brief presentation and then the applicant um will also present um and probably give a lot more details than I will. But this is the action item for site plan 463, um so the marbella apartments are located in north roslin, uh just south of arlington boulevard. As you can see, there are two proposed buildings located at site: a on the west side of peer street and site b on the east.

P

The project is proposing two 12 story completely: affordable housing, buildings for a total of 555 units, and some of the modifications requested with the site plan are for additional building, height density, residential parking requirements and then density exclusions.

P

This is transportation commission. I just wanted to touch on some of the street changes that are being proposed with this project, um the main one being that north pierce street would become a two-way non-yield street, with parking only on the east side of the street, which includes that yellow lay-by area that you can see for pickups and drop-offs, and those types of um necessary on-street kind of activities um there's uh as shown um separate loading and access, including um exclusive um or is it exclusive residential garage entry separate from loading docks?

P

um The site plan is improving all of the existing sidewalk frontages from about five feet to six feet and they are proposing, um as shown in the kind of pink dash line, mid block pedestrian pathways across both kind of super blocks, and there is a proposed crosswalk as well on north pierce and that's kind of near where the main entrances are to the building on north pierce.

P

um Just a quick slide on the parking. The overall side parking ratio is 0.48, which is um higher than what the minimum could be under the residential parking guidelines. um There are two parking garages, one for each building and they actually have slightly different parking ratios, 0.545 and site a and .50 and site b.

P

I think- and the interesting thing here is that, in addition to the required handicap parking spaces, there are also what is called universal design spaces being included which are wider spaces than what is required and would provide more accessibility to some of the senior residents. I think site b is the one that's being termed multi-generational and with a focus on having senior tenants, and so um there are universal type, a units in both both buildings and sometimes we've.

P

When we've done this in the past, in the county, with recent site plans, we've had applicants provide one handicap space per unit. I think this applicant is providing you know over 50 universal design type, a units, and that would be about a third of the parking spaces currently proposed, which is not really feasible um and so we've kind of I think they can speak more to it, but there's a vha requirement for universal design, spaces of five percent. That's what's being provided here, not too much. I think challenging transportation wise here, and so you know.

P

Hopefully this will be a brief brief meeting, um but we as staff do recommend that um transportation commission adopt um the attached ordinance for the site plan, location, side.

Q

Good evening, everyone, the applicant, has submitted an application to vacate a portion of north queen street. They vacated area will be used to facilitate the construction of the project, specifically the underground center online, specifically the underground garage and a portion of the building and sidewalk.

Q

Q

The staff recommendation is that the commission find that the vacation of the eastman for public purposes located on the east side of north queen street south of route 50 on the property known as outlaw b block 424 fort my heights rpc17033009.

Q

That the vacation be granted subject to conditions, and we also request that the commission find that the vacation is substantially in accord with the adopted comprehensive plan or applicable portion thereof of arlington county.

Q

I'm happy to take any questions if there are any.

B

Then first we want to move on to the applicant's presentation.

R

Okay, good evening, everyone, um okay, I can see the presentation great well. Thank you, everyone for having us this evening. My name is matthew allman, I'm an attorney with venable llp in tysons virginia I'm here this evening, representing the arlington partnership for affordable housing, who's, the owner of the marbella apartment site.

R

We have our whole team here with us this evening to help present the project and to answer questions so I'll start with a brief overview and then turn it over to our engineers and traffic consultants for more specific information, uh but before we jump into the slide show. I just would like to point out uh one little item that we could use the commission's assistance.

R

With this evening, you may have seen in your distribution materials or the draft staff report that there's some ongoing discussions taking place between the applicant and county staff relating to some of the requirements for the housing affordability, and we we simply ask that whatever motion you put forth this evening or whatever recommendation, you may make simply acknowledge that you're not taking a position one way or another on this affordable housing issue.

R

um We we think the discussion will continue uh between now and planning commission and county board um so that there's more work to do on that. But it's it's not really within our purview here at transportation commission this evening.

R

um So with that out of the way we'll go ahead and jump into the presentation and if we could advance the slideshow uh one more great. Thank you. So here you can see the site hatched in uh two different colors uh the site is, is presently developed with a series of low-rise garden style apartments, uh mostly dating back to the 1940s.

R

The site is zoned, ra 615 and there is no rezoning proposed as part of this development you can see in red. These are the buildings that are proposed to be retained and be renovated, and then I think we jumped ahead one, but in in purple on the prior slide, you could see the new development site on this slide. You'll see, we've noted the walking distances uh to the courthouse and roslyn metro stations.

R

So it's it's within a mile of two different stations and three different metro lines, so very accessible to transit and on subsequent slides, you'll, see some of the bus routes and other multi-modal options which serve the site as well.

R

Next slide, please.

R

This depicts the existing conditions in and around the site and some of the surrounding context as well. This slide begins to illustrate some of the existing metro and art bus stops and how those routes circulate in and around the neighborhood, as well as the street network and and where there's on-street parking and just some of the other existing characteristics of the neighborhood next slide.

R

uh Here's the latest uh version of our site plan um you can see on on the left is site. A that's. The affordable housing building 234 units with a parking ratio of 0.45 on the right is the multi-generational building, which contains a mixture of both traditional multi-family, affordable housing as well as senior living units, and that has a parking ratio of 0.5 spaces per unit and, on a you know, blended aggregate basis. The ratio for the site is 0.48.

R

And this is where I will turn it over to our civil engineer, karen from walter phillips. Thank.

S

You hi good evening, karen white uh with walter phillips and I'm going to walk you through some of the site circulation.

S

Here we go so here's um another view of the site here. What we have this focuses on those metro access that we talked about within a mile of the rosalind and the courthouse metro. You can see that there are two art bus stops there at the corner of queen, and this also notes a lay-by area in front of site b, which could be used for future drop-offs and things of that nature.

S

And then in the next slide here this this focuses on pedestrian circulation. So, as you can see in red, um there are the sidewalks around the site and area the existing sidewalks. As jane mentioned, we are winding all those sidewalks to six feet and you can see here in the purple and the the gray color. We are adding these mid block connections from ode to pierce and then from pierce to queen, also highlighted in yellow and the yellow. Orangey arrows are the access points, so you can see on pierce.

S

The two arrows in the middle are the two main lobbies, so those are the two pedestrian main pedestrian lobby entrances for the site and they're across from one another one another. So they can add some connection and moving back and forth and then you'll see the other accessible entrances to the buildings and then also in blue you'll, see the um garage entrances.

S

And then here this focuses on vehicles this this slide, so you'll see those garage entrances and then you can see the loading. So, as you can see, the loading is on queen and pierce and then the garage entrances are on ode and queen. So there are not any um garage entry points off of pierce. There's been some discussion in the past about what pierce would feel like. It will be a lot of traffic. um So we are, there is no. The garages do not access off pierce. um As noted there is a lay-by.

S

We do have a parking lane, we're proposing there in front of site b, and the part in orange is a part that would be blocked off, for maybe would say temp like 15-minute parking, or are you meant for just really a lay-by to drop someone off and keep moving?

S

And, as some of you may know, that pierce is a dead-end street. um You can see ode. Has that cul-de-sac turn around but pierce about 150 feet past this turnaround that we're proposing it dead ends. So that's what we are proposing where it says truck uh car hammerhead, there's an existing parking lot.

S

There that we are going to convert into a turnaround, um it's really just going to be and stay as an asphalt area as it is today, but it will have an easement on it, so it can be used for fire trucks and any other vehicles that get towards the end, get down towards pier street and need to turn around and come back and on. The next slide is, I believe, yep, so here's that truck turn exhibit. So here's, basically that fire truck that can go down.

S

Pierce use that turn around to turn around and then exit and again that will have an easement on it. There'll be no parking in that area, it'll be open for anyone to use, and then here we have some bike circulation. So um there is an existing bike share on queen street today, which we are relocating, uh shifting it a little bit, but it will remain there and then you'll see we have. What is that five areas of bikes? We have 32 bikes total, which would be bike parking on the street.

S

That's just the street parking, and then you can see here. um There is a bike room in each building.

S

Next up, okay, so um as as jane mentioned, we are widening the sidewalks. um So here are some sections of proposed north pier street. So the the bottom section here actually is further down pierce, which is pretty close to the existing condition. So the existing condition on pierce is about 26 foot wide, um I've curved a curb and there's parking on both sides, and so it's really a yield street. There's a yield yield lane trout cars going back and forth with our proposal. We are going to have that 26 feet clear at all times.

S

It's it's actually going to be used for the fire access and it will be clear um cars in each direction and then we are adding that parking lane, as you can see in the in the upper section here in front of block or site b, and so that will have some parking spaces and then that lay-by area that we noted would be drop would be for temporary parking, drop-off et cetera, and here is queen street.

S

So on queen we are keeping an existing curb section as it is by existing curb to curb we're, not making any changes to the travel lanes. But we are adding that nice, wider six foot uh tree pit or and six foot sidewalk and then the same on ode street again keeping the curb to curb with, but then again a six foot, landscape strip and six foot sidewalk.

S

And then I think I'm going to turn it over to chris cabot to get more to the traffic numbers.

I

All right, hi good evening, chris cavett with wells and associates, uh and we worked with staff and we prepared a multimodal transportation assessment and I'm just going to go over some highlights from from that study and then we'll also. I also want to start with. I know the parking has been talked about, but we will I'll have a slide on that as well.

I

So, uh as the parking has been discussed and the the parking ratio for this site, but appa and and the team has gone around and investigated their other sites- and I think you may have seen this on some other papa's applications over the years- but overall they have a portfolio-wide parking ratio of 0.83 spaces per unit.

I

They went for this particular case here. We we went out and appa surveyed 16 of their facilities in arlington in september and october of 2021 and found you know and found that the actual utilization rates and the number of vehicles that are actually parked in the spaces uh they had the portfolio-wide rate of 0.53 spaces per unit and at the existing site uh for mark marbella.

I

They had a parking utilization rate of 0.32 and again the uh you heard. What the overall blended rate was about: 0.48, a 0.5 0.5 on site b and 0.45 on site, a.

I

So for the mmta we studied four off-site intersections and the site driveways um the the study intersections. They generally operate with acceptable levels of service.

I

uh There is one approach over there at north feed that the the delay to get out on the north meet is um in the you know in the higher percent, higher numbers or whatever and there's some queuing there. But there is a good network, a street network to get around using 14th street and roads uh 12th street down there in the south and many options to to um to move around in your vehicle.

I

And then we looked at the trip generation and the applicable uh mode split rates that um you know for the non-auto facilities that are around the site and the proximity to the metro, and we found that, with the increase in the units uh compared to the existing uh dwelling units out there at marbella today, we would, we would add, 91 a.m. Peak hour, vehicle trips and 102 pm peak hour, vehicle trips to the road network.

I

We also included some of the approved and under construction or soon to be constructed buildings in the area, uh as we did our study and we found and then with putting on those added trips from uh site a and site b, we found that there would be. You know a rather minimal impact from vehicular standpoint to to offset any impact that there is there's the you know.

I

As with 4.1 cases, we have the transportation management plan, it's in draft form right now and and we'll work through that, some more with the conditions and I'll get into some of the specific uh elements of that on the next slide. um But you know the real focus here with this redevelopment is that the bike and bus access and the pedestrian circulation will be improved with the redevelopment.

G

I

Of the specific uh strategies and elements of the of the tdm plan that we're looking at are you know we will have the the property transportation coordinator. We assist the county and implementing a trans transit advertising.

I

Programs, you know, will participate in the uh events that they post that will have displays in the lobbies and parking for bikes and and uh that karen talked about that miss white talked about a little bit ago um and then, with the uh we will be offering, on the first time of the leases or whatever a either a smart trip card, a one-year bike share, membership or a one-year car share membership for the residents and the employees of the buildings, and then we'll also be monitoring and doing the annual reports that are typically required with the tdm plans.

I

So with that, you know we're here our team's here to answer any questions that the commission might have.

B

Great, thank you very much. Let me turn my camera back on here. uh Mr bakoya. Did we have anyone sign up to speak on this item.

A

I see that kevin vincent's hand is raised and he did not speak on the pentagon city sector plan update. So perhaps he has a comment.

B

I was just about to ask mr vinson, if that was why his hand was up.

F

That that is why my hand is up. I do have a comment here perfect. So, first of all, um I want to make sure that the transportation commission understands that the cto e2 was also briefed on marbella has provided comments. Those comments included some recommendations to changes to the project um that and one of which overlaps with the the agenda of the transportation commission and also fortuitously, also follows up on miss eddie's presentation.

F

uh Earlier today and first I want to point out: it's not what we included in our letter, but, um following up on my observation, is I would question whether there's more parking uh that is necessary uh for this site, but I know the transportation commission is uh good at digging into that issue, so I won't dwell on it further. But that is an observation. What we did write about was the uh ev charging in the garage and the point that we made.

F

I was trying to figure out if I could block and copy from our letter and uh put it into the chat, so you could see the paragraph that we submitted, but I'll just summarize it here. We basically pointed out that, even though there were some statements that there would be evie charging uh for in the garage that was not mentioned, uh I mean the specifics. It was not mentioned tonight and we haven't seen specifics on that, and maybe I missed it.

F

No because I was multitasking trying to copy from our letter, and I apologize to the applicant if I, if it is already spoken on tonight, but uh the specifics of it. What we had recommended, because we weren't presenting with these specifics at c2e2, um was that um we are. We recommend that it goes beyond um minimums, but actually provide 15, um ev charging and but it at any point, some level of ev charging needs to be specified and even though this is affordable housing. I think the assumption that affordable housing.

F

Tenants would not or owners- or I guess, when the owners but the the affordable housing residents- that's the term. We're looking for would not have any use of eb charging, which I think informs a lot of consideration is not really accurate. I mean certainly you're not going to expect any teslas in a parking garage for affordable housing, but the used nissan leaf is a pretty sizable market was a few years ago. The cheapest option for a used car used cars of any makes are actually quite expensive right now.

F

The entire cart market uh is is inflated right now, but there's no reason to expect that used. Nissan leafs and other low, um cheaper cars, chevy bolts after a few years are not going to be on, let's say, correct: their their safety problems will not be available uh in the used car market in numbers that make them attractive options for affordable housing residents.

F

So we think that ev charging is not only viable but necessary to some extent in affordable housing, and we would encourage that to be up to 15 ev charging and, even more importantly, since you're building a new garage make it um ev charging ready, so that, if the demand in the future points to the fact that you have drivers, you have affordable housing.

F

Folks who have cars that um want to you know, have a nissan leaf or another affordable used, ev that they have the option to plug in and they don't have to get rid of their car in order to move into arlington, affordable housing and by making the garage ev ready. It aligns with the county goal of trying to become net zero for transportation uh by 2050, but also uh will meet the demands of the residents of marbella park, the marbella housing. Thank you.

B

Thank you, mr vincent.

B

All, right uh discussion is now with the commission and I see a number of hands, excited and ready to ask questions about this development, uh but I think I'd actually like to just jump to commissioner bros, who has been our representative on this particular project and just see if she has any context that she would like to add before we jump into those questions and comments.

O

uh Thank you, chairman slat. I will acknowledge that my fellow commissioner land tell me has also participated in this work, but representing the transportation commission. um There was there's definitely been a lot of uh discussion and a lot of uh taking into account by the um the applicant the the needs for the the community as a resident of this community.

O

Actually um the wanting to make sure that the uh that the the residents of the marbella I have the opportunities to get around and um not impact the neighborhood has been something that's been um high on the minds. The the the traffic assessment with the cars is one that sort of um is one that uh that's been on my mind because of the really low level of um traffic here and cars, because so many people um do actually take um advantage of the public transportation in the area.

O

um So it's sort of interesting, of course, they've they've highlighted that they are going to be working with the the residents in terms of providing the opportunities for car, um not car bike, share and um and metro cars etc, which is again um what's been certainly here in the neighborhood, but I think, um there's still a concern about the parking parking ratio. It's always been one for me as well. It's not high, it's certainly within the realm of the um the current um apa h.

O

um So it's hard to argue around that, but again um having too many cars in this neighborhood is gonna, be a a heart, I won't say a hardship, but an impact on on the neighborhood. So just a little context. There.

B

Awesome, thank you, commissioner bros, uh and so with that I will jump to the first hand on my list, which is commissioner ludlow.

T

uh Yes, thank you very much. uh Thanks for the presentation, my questions really have to do with um how well the site is suited and designed to accommodate the changing consumer demands in the way we receive goods and services.

T

The the data are showing that the average multi-family uh apartment is receiving uh 10 or more packages on the average a month, and if you compound that up um and increasingly this, this is not just a an issue of uh it used to be that there was a direct correlation between household income and um package delivery, and there still is, um but the research is showing and and in my work uh even talking to some of the people who monitor these these things. uh This is rapidly changing.

T

So my main question is what kind of thought has been given to the amount of packaged delivery, uh both in small trucks and micro deliveries that are coming in in cars, doordash uber? All of those things which are really well suited to serve a population that that may not have or even want access to personal vehicles.

T

The lay by does not seem necessarily adequate and also have questions about where packages are stored, whether there would be a consolidation service to bring packages and deliveries to the buildings and kind of how that's being equated.

T

Otherwise, I think you know, in in many of the situations across the country, we're just seeing a dramatic mismatch between uh the demand for the curbside space, uh the amount of micro, freight uh deliveries, food deliveries and even uber lyft and other shared mobility um activity and uh the lay by space that's dedicated to that in the ingress and egress for delivery people and for people picking things up.

T

So, if you have any insights on those things, I would be really curious uh to understand how you thought about that and the degree to which these considerations are are being taken into account in sight planning, um it's just evolving so quickly, and I think we're only going to see the trend of of continued uh use of this curb space accelerate in the future. Thank you very much.

R

Karen, I can take a a pass at that and I see you've got your camera on too so um and chris. If I miss anything, please please jump in, but um you know I think, they're. It's a great comment. Thank you for raising it, it's something that definitely came up at sprc uh when we were talking about building access and how folks are getting to and from the front door and and how are deliveries being managed, etc.

R

You mentioned the the lay by in your question and that's certainly something that was an outgrowth of those discussions and making sure that there was dedicated uh space within the right-of-way. For short-term. You know, pick-up, drop-off, short-term deliveries, etc.

R

um I would note that each building has its own um loading ramp, of course, and that we're not seeking any modifications to reduce the number of loading spaces so we're meeting you know what is you know the typical buy right number of loading spaces um which you know. Sometimes you don't you don't see that in a site planned building so um that, coupled with the the street, widening that's going on on pierce, which is a relatively low volume street today.

R

um All that, in tandem, we think, is you know sufficient to to help manage some of the delivery and short-term visits to the site, um and karen chris, please jump in. If I missed anything.

I

I'm just going to add matt that the you know the county has the ability to and to manage, or they do manage, the the curb usage and, as we do have a lay by here as these as our delivery system and the way we get packages or food changes over time and quickly, there is the ability to change the the curb usage and the management of that in the future.

I

If, if some more space would be required, if that's where the demand is, I would also just say that, as things are changing uh quickly and as they have in 2021 and all the delivery packages that are are coming to households that we we have been seeing and- and you know it's new- you know it's a new phenomenon and not much study has been done on it, but the parcel deliveries they do like to consolidate and come to a building.

I

If there's going to be several deliveries to that one building, they do like to come in a you know in a truck or a larger van and make deliveries at once, instead of coming individually for each individual unit. um You know, that's not, you know the perfect uh way things work here and you know we get.

I

You know in a residential neighborhood of single family homes, you see amazon or other trucks coming throughout the course of the day, but on the on the multi-family buildings, we haven't seen that they like to consolidate into the vans and come once or twice a day and as opposed to coming to each individual unit throughout the day.

B

Thanks, uh commissioner, lane tell me your opinion.

N

I yes thanks. um I have a couple questions. First of all, one short one um that uh turnaround um a little off the street. I think that's a nice innovation there.

N

I wonder, but whether well, you did say was going to be paved asphalt, given that it's a very limited usage and there's not to be parking on it and it's certainly not a through street, it doesn't go to any garage or anything. Does it in fact need to be paved? Could it be some sort of per pervious surface there and still function?

N

Well as a turnaround, um I throw that out there as something to consider um it would help minimize the amount of impervious surface in the overall project if you're able to do that and I don't think would affect the functionality.

N

The second question I have is about parking. um There's a few things of that. um I think I heard you say that parking will not be charged for it's free parking in the building. If so, isn't that contrary to county policy- and is this probably the only rental building that I've ever seen being built, that does that all of them are charged all the others? Are charging, um and is that true, like, for example, the queen's court building and talking about the queen's court building um you the par?

N

I agree that the parking ratio here seems a bit high for me for something: that's in a walk shed to a metro station and other other transit accessibility when you're looking at the entire apple portfolio, there are a number of projects that are not in a transit area um and, of course, have large amount of parking by necessity, if you compare it just to the apple projects that are within the transit walk sheds, what is the ratio for those other buildings again? I think it's a bit high.

N

Finally, again with parking, um I know you have those universal design spots which are larger than the regular spots. I think that's a nice innovation question I have with that, though, is how do you make sure that it doesn't get picked taken up by someone who owns a chevy, suburban or a big pickup truck, which is not the type of vehicles we really want to encourage anyway? Those are my comments and I will go offline as you answer them. Thank you.

R

Karen, do you want to speak to the idea of using pervious surfaces on the turnaround? I know we're anticipating that fire trucks and emergency vehicles will be using that as well. So I that might dictate a little bit of the design, but.

S

R

We should look.

S

Into it I mean it is, it is also area that has some wall retaining wall around it existing wall, so we'd want to make sure you know we don't want to send water down next to the existing walls, and I would- and we would need to check with the turning sometimes the harder part for the purple pavement is like the turning movements of the wheels, but I think it's something we can look. We can definitely look into it more and just see and it isn't a public access easement.

S

So we would have to double check that too, although I think that would be might be okay, but um but we can, we can look into it. Let's see.

N

Great, thank you and now the parking questions.

R

So the the question about charging for parking might best be answered by our appa team who's on the line. um I do believe that's consistent with their other projects, but I don't want to spread misinformation so.

U

Yes, this is charles sims, director development with with appa. uh Yes, the parking is free across the board at our properties, this is affordable housing. So we want to reduce the barriers and additional costs for residents. However, possible.

N

Okay, but then also are they assigned spots, and how do you deal with that that universal design to make sure that it isn't taken up by oversized vehicles? The way that.

U

N

Typically, need that.

U

Spot sure sure thing, the way that we typically assign spots is is residents who have vehicles or request a uh a uh a parking permit, and then that parking permit is handed out and parking goes to residents who use it or need it? Who who have a parking permit? uh Everyone doesn't get a parking permit immediately when they come to the building, they request it and then they're, given one and then they're allowed to park inside of the garage.

N

Okay, because again handicapped parking is, is regulated. You have to have a handicapped permit to use a handicapped space, because other spaces they're, essentially free for the taking, if, if they're not otherwise assigned, is.

U

That correct, correct yeah, we don't assign parking to residents as we have. You know we don't we're, not we're not having a one-to-one kind of parking ratio so every unit. Well, I I I.

N

Again, I quite question it that what will happen is again if it minimizes the amount of parking space is fine. I'm I'm happy with it. Otherwise somebody's going to use that, just because it's easier to get a car into that spot than it is in the standard size spot. So I'm not sure it's going to be fulfilling the purpose you're attending, which would make it easier for someone who has some sort of mobility issues that don't rise to the level of um of a handicapped space.

R

Yeah, that's a great comment, and you know, as part of the post approval permitting process, we will be submitting a parking management plan, that's going to drill down on the exact locations of the ada and ud spaces and and some of the operational and management details of the garage.

R

I think that's something we can continue to look at and it may be appropriate to build some provisions into that parking management plan to you know basically give apple control over those spaces if, if they need to be used for folks with mobility, challenges or or other issues and they're, finding that there's that demand there. I think it's something that you know allows you to adapt those spaces a little bit uh to meet the you know, changing needs of the building and its tenants.

N

Okay, thank you.

B

I just wondering before we move on from this. Ms kim, can you speak to how this uh this, uh how we handle parking intersects with our standard site plan conditions?

B

I know we have some language um preventing parking spaces from being directly bundled with a unit, and I think we often think that that means requiring charging for parking, but I don't think it actually does. uh Can you speak to that portion of things.

P

Sure I think that's correct what you just said: um while we don't, we require that they aren't bundled, um I don't think operationally. We have any language in there about pricing or um any of that kind of more operational aspect of the parking the parking management plans may deal with some of that. um But I'm not I'm not. I don't really ever review them or look at them. Our parking team, um who has the expertise, um takes a look and reviews those, but those may have some of some of those types of details.

P

I think it's mostly to deal maybe with like the arms that go up, and we don't want people, for instance, waiting to get into a garage to you know cue into the public, right-of-way and block traffic and things of that nature, and so I think for for that level of kind of review.

P

We look at and consider the pay operations of garages, but I don't think we, you know really say anything about whether or not you can or cannot charge earth or that I think the free market kind of probably captures that.

M

P

Just wanted to also um mention that we looked um at american legion and their parking ratios kind of a similar type of building and and they were recently approved at um 0.43 for parking ratio. If that kind of gives some context um for this this project, and then I think queen's court. um I don't remember what year that was approved, maybe 2017 or 18, or so, but that actually had a higher ratio of um 0.7.

P

So you know they're in the wraps area, which is also pretty equidistant between two metro stations similar to this project. So those are just some contextual parking ratios for similar types of development.

B

Great. Thank you very much. uh Moving on to commissioner moradovic.

G

um Good evening, thank you uh so going through your presentation, I noticed one thing about the bike parking that it's on parking level. Two. I was wondering uh what the logic behind that is. You know. Perhaps she has some constraints because uh it seems counterintuitive having uh people. You know, use something. That's fundamentally human-powered biking up out of the garage when it could have been on level one I mean unless it's an e-bike, then it really doesn't matter, but um so that's kind of my question. Why, on p2.

V

um I can take this matt if you want. This is megan from kgd architecture.

G

Sure all right.

V

Yeah, so um we did look at it. um We try to keep it as available to everyone as possible, and it is right next to um elevators in both of the buildings, um so hopefully ease of access. There.

G

All right perfect, thank you.

K

B

uh Commissioner price you're up next.

E

Thank you, mr chairman. um First I always like to when I make my comments like to start with the positive first say you know oppa, I love you you're a great organization, my wife and I are supportive of you.

E

We think the world of the organization. This project is fantastic, wonderful, very much needed in this county for affordable housing. It's a very, very worthwhile project, and I appreciate you coming forward and appreciate the presentation, so thank you staff and thank you uh to the developers for putting this together, um but I have some first. I want to associate myself with mr vincent's comments regarding uh electric vehicle charging as a new owner of an electric vehicle, I can speak to the importance of having home charging available, uh whether it's you know.

E

Of course, you know level two charging level one charging is just the basic the level two charging would be uh added bonus and, if you can't add it to this project at least try to make some of the spots uh ev ready. uh That would be a better than having nothing.

E

My next question is- and I I two disappointing things- is the the parking ratio uh again always trying to keep down uh the number of spots that are gonna remain vacant? uh It's just, I think, an imperative. I think you're you're a little bit too high here, uh but I do have a question and I think this would be for staff.

E

um Can someone explain the justification for 13 foot travel lanes, I'm reading on page 16 figure 7b? um Currently it's uh it's a 12-foot yield street. That's the existing condition with parking on both sides and now we're going to have 13-foot travel lanes on pierce a dead end street, um not sure why uh I I'm a big fan of nakto nakto recommends 10 foot lanes.

E

So again, I'm not sure what the justification is for 13 foot lanes. Are people traveling really fast that need wide lane to get down the street? Can you explain why.

P

um Sure I believe um pierce is the is providing fire access for both buildings, um karen from walter phillips, can confirm that and they require a what 22 26 so 26 foot clear.

S

So the aerial access, so if the building is more than 30 feet tall, you need an aerial access lane, which is a 26 foot wide lane set between 15 and 30 feet from the building. So what we did is you junior, correct? The north pier street is serving as that aerial access lane for both buildings. So that's why that is 26 feet clear on pierce.

E

I'll just say sure: it's too much I'd like to see. uh How do I say this, a wider six foot sidewalk is good. Seven foot sidewalk is better anything more much better. um I think you got too much street there. So thanks.

B

I would just say, for commissioner price's benefit that someone who has dug into the virginia fire code uh have a chat with your local state. Senator and state delegate. Currently, arlington county has the ability to make its fire code more restrictive, but not the ability to make its fire code less restrictive, um though the fire marshal does have the ability to waive certain provisions, probably not that particular provision. So, uh mr.

E

Chairman, as soon as I.

B

E

As soon as they said, fire department, I was like believe, I'm done. This is a dumb question anyway, so yeah. Thank you. Sorry.

B

No worries uh commissioner locker you're up next.

L

So I have two questions. um The first is regarding um the pedestrian path, leading to or a pedestrian way leading to. What is that? The bridge that takes you towards the metro? I forget, the name of the it looks like the only way to get from parcel b to queen street is.

L

There seems to be a set of stairs that go on the south side of site a, and I was just wondering if, if there was a possibility to also add some on the north side, to cut that walk for the site b folks and it may be a grading issue- I'm not just looking at added in plan.

R

Sure- and it may be helpful to pull up one of the graphics chris if you still have the presentation up just to help visualize it. um I believe that the short answer to your question is in the original iteration of the design.

R

We were looking at that northern frontage uh for that through block connection. Yes, great, thank you, um and and through some discussions with the near neighbors right there and talking about sort of the history of of cut-throughs that are happening there now and maybe shouldn't be. It was decided that it made more sense to move it to the south of the block and align it um a little bit closer to the the crosswalks we have across pierce. Currently, uh in this graphic, there's a lot of great change um on that across that site.

R

So it's uh it's been a little bit of a tricky uh engineering challenge for us, but we've we've come up with a design that works, and it was you know, along the north side, frontage, where we have those townhouse neighbors.

R

After much discussion, it was decided that a better use of space there was a landscape buffer and a more passive green space.

L

And in that that passive green space right, the residents will be able to use that passive green space in the north section.

R

It's not really designed, as a you know, an open space, but it's not going to be. You know, blocked off in any way that I'm aware of so certainly you know a tenant could walk back there and you know enjoy the plantings and enjoy some fresh air, but it's not being programmed, as you know, open space per se. Each um each building has a courtyard that that will be programmed and have amenities and be made. You know more easily accessible for for that type of use.

L

So will it be used for you know, meeting stormwater requirements, I'm just one. I mean it's a shame to have green space that wouldn't really not be optimized, as I thought, but um and then my second question, I was just wondering what the why the difference between uh the two sites, uh the 0.45 versus the 0.5, especially in site b, where there's the multi-family as well as the seniors, are you finding that the senior population or the senior tenants have more vehicles just curious about what the difference? Why the difference.

R

Yeah, that's a great question and uh it reflects a little bit of the design evolution of the buildings over the course of sprc.

R

We actually started out at a 0.5 ratio for both buildings and that was sort of an intentional feature of the design, as we have nipped and tucked site a to provide a better transition to the adjacent town homes. We've pulled back some of the areas of garage that were, you know previously exposed in our initial filing of the plans, and so each time we've pulled the garage back. We've we've lost some spaces and had to re-engineer the layout a little bit in those garage levels.

R

So we've we've lost a handful of spaces in the site, a garage.

R

It wasn't really a programmatic decision so much as trying to honor the original plan for the two buildings, while still making design adjustments for a better architectural outcome.

L

So just one comment on from that it just it would be a shame, then uh you know if somebody cries louder, that they're either not getting your programmatic needs met or your program programmatics needs are being met, and maybe we can look to move that needle to reduce some parking and inside b is a thought as well.

L

Thank you. That's all. I have.

B

Great thank you, commissioner. Bros you're up next.

O

Thank you. um I do want to echo my fellow commissioner price's support for uh um the affordable housing group and for making this uh housing available, for uh which is really needed in the in arlington county um and and for the the group to be at the applicant to to work with us and there's been a lot of concern about the height of the buildings. Among other things, I mean they've really responded to to that. um I do I'll just put in another plug for the the cars and the parking.

O

I think the the uh the ratio could be lower um it. I I know there's folks, there they're gonna need cars, but um we're also so working really hard to to transition people out of cars into other modes of transportation. So I would it's it's certainly within the realm, but I would still would have loved to have it a little bit lower and to reduce the density of cars in the neighborhood.

B

Great, thank you, commissioner bros. I will just tack onto that and say uh I too would be supportive of a lower parking ratio. uh Though generally I have found that oppa as a particular applicant is quite trustworthy in uh making an appropriate decision about their parking ratio.

B

We certainly have some for-profit developers who see parking as an is an amenity that lets them charge more for their units, uh whereas oppa really seems to be looking at what is demand realistically going to be in building as little parking as they can uh do without uh negatively affecting their residents quality of life, which I appreciate uh with that said.

B

I did also want to piggyback on something commissioner moradovic asked about, which is: can somebody just walk me through what my, if I roll up to either of these buildings on my bicycle, what my route would look like to get to the bike room? Am I going through a front door and a lobby? Am I riding through and down a garage access with cars? uh What is that? What does that? All look like.

R

So, chris, if we could bring the that graphic that we just had with the bike parking rooms called out- and um I I know at a high level how to answer that question. But um you know if our if megan from kgd could uh fill in any additional detail or correct me. If I share the wrong information here, yeah.

O

R

uh Almost that's further down.

R

uh Further down right there, there we go so yeah highlighted in yellow, are the entrances from the adjacent streets and sidewalks. You know each building has a main entrance and a secondary entrance, um multiple entrances on piers and you have a queen street entrance as well. All of these are accessible either because they're at an appropriate grade, or they have ramps up to those doors.

R

Once you enter the building, I believe there are corridors that route you relatively directly to those elevators that take you down to the bike, rooms and megan. Please add some some color to that. If I'm missing important details.

V

No that's right, um and also both of the garage entrances are obviously available as well, and then there's both, I think, just one one ramp down or two ramps down. I guess like one length of the building each way to get to the bike rooms as well as we added a lot of extra um on-street bike parking as well highlighted here in the the blue squares with the dashes.

B

Great thank you and we occasionally run into um developers or I guess it's really the the residential management companies who don't actually allow bikes into lobbies or into elevators. uh Can the folks from oppa speak to that is that is there like a portfolio-wide policy that you know bikes are allowed into main entrances and lobbies and in elevators to get up and down to bike rooms.

U

I I I've got to look into that just to confirm with you whether or not we yeah. I can't speak to that uh at this moment. Just give me I'll look into that and try to get you an answer before this meeting is over.

B

Oh no worries man, you know. If not, we will see you again sometime. You know this is not your first rodeo.

B

um I think my probably final question is: can you speak to how many units were proposed in the original 4.1 filing for this development and how many units are currently proposed, as this moves forward for approval at the board.

R

I can look that up. uh It will take me just a moment because we have been through so many iterations of the design. Frankly for this project, uh we're probably on our fourth or maybe even fifth version of the plan here and we've certainly shed units along the way, I'm going to say that ballpark, we have lost approximately six units between the two buildings and that there have been some changes in the unit mix as well, shifting more towards one bedroom units versus twos and threes.

R

um But I will mute myself and try and find that exact number for you and if someone.

V

R

V

Yeah I can, I can answer that we were at um on site a we were at 236 units and I believe now we're at 234, um but, like matt had said, we're way more one bedrooms now um and for site b. We went from 325 to, I believe, we're at 321. Now.

B

Great, thank you very much. That's really appreciated, um and I am not seeing any other commissioner hands up so if, if that's an oversight, go ahead and get your hands up now, uh otherwise I think we'll be moving towards a motion.

B

um I will simply say that it is always tough as a commissioner, and I think it is tough, sometimes for the board, um the the changes that happen in site plan review. um You know, especially when we're losing uh units of affordable housing during a housing crisis, um so it is, it is always tough to see that uh that those units kind of get shed and lost along the way um for various reasons before anybody.

B

You know, on other than site plane review committee has an opportunity to say you know no we'd rather have those units um than whatever it is that we're you know whatever the justification is where we're losing them. um So I'm strongly supportive of the project, but I think I would have been even more strongly supportive of it with more multi-bedroom units to support larger families and with more units in general, seeing no further hands.

B

um I will go ahead and make a motion uh actually. First, I just want to say uh for those who are wondering about the bundling parking um thing, if you jump to page 77 of the board report for marbella, it has the standard site plan, condition that I think many of us are thinking of when we think of parking. You know having to have a separate cost, and it basically just says the developer agrees that for projects that include rental residential units, the rental agreement shall not require rental of a parking space.

O

B

It can't that's literally bundling right: you can't have to rent a space just because you're, renting an apartment uh and the cost of parking will be shown in such an agreement separately from the cost of renting the residential unit. So you can't bundle the price uh you have to say. You know your rent is this much and if you want to parking space it's this much separately, it doesn't say you have to charge something other than zero dollars.

B

um So if anybody wants to take a look at that, that's that- and I will move that the transportation commission recommends that the county board adopt uh the ordinance for site plan number 463 to construct a 555 unit, multi-family residential development, consisting of two building towers, as outlined in our draft board report dated february uh january 25th, 2022, and, furthermore, that the transportation commission recommend that the county board adopt the ordinance vacation and that the transportation commission finds that said, vacation is consistent with the comprehensive plan of arlington county, specifically the county master transportation plan.

B

By commissioner price, who is always the fastest, is there any further discussion of the.

B

Motion none. We will move to a vote as soon as I can get my google spreadsheet up. uh Commissioner bros pardon me.

R

B

Sorry, yes, I'm.

R

Sorry to I'm sorry to jump in.

B

R

Here, um if, if you would in indulges, I I wonder if there could be an amendment to the motion or a clarification that it's uh sort of agnostic as to the affordable housing issue that is still um sort of pending before county. At this time.

B

uh I'll handle that thank you for the reminder I'll handle that separately after the uh after the motion.

R

Okay, thank you very much.

B

uh So the motion as it stands, commissioner rose. You said yes, yes, commissioner land tell me yes, mr locker hi, sir ludlow aye radovik.

B

Yes, so that is unanimous and then I will merely ask the commission, as we have done a few times in the past, does anyone object to me noting in the letter that the transportation commission takes no uh position one way or the other on the affordability, uh minutia still undergoing uh conversation between staff and the applicant?

B

That's right hearing no objection. I will note that in no objection.

N

It's just just the fact that we're saying what we're saying in our recommendation, it doesn't mention anything about it, so I mean you know I'll go along with it, just not even sure we even need to do that.

B

I just think when you're endorsing the county, manager's recommendation and the recommendation omits that particular um item in the site plan ordinance right. The the applicant wants an additional thing in the in the site plan conditions- that's not currently there, so I wouldn't want the board to think that by endorsing the county manager's recommendation, we are endorsing the fact that it's not in there okay.

N

B

Welcome to minutia land all right. Thank you very much, the applicant. Thank you very much to staff and mizobakoya. I think we're ready for our, I believe our next next to last. Actually, let me just say: let's uh give the commission a brief break as we roll into this next item. Just given how long we've all been sitting in front of cameras here uh and the commission will resume in like four minutes at 9, 35.

B

A

B

All right, ms obikoya, my clock, says 9 35, so in the interest of getting everybody wrapped up this evening. Let's uh jump into the next agenda item.

A

Okay: the next agenda item is cmac rstp funding and the signals the its program with joshua nichols and dan mulloff joshua. Take it away.

W

Sure, thanks for having me tonight, um I was invited here to speak a little bit on um the background on some existing projects that have been around for quite a while um that utilize, cmac and rstp funding.

W

Let me pull up the presentation, real, quick.

W

Can you all see my screen yep? Yes, all right perfect, so this is just a a brief overview sort of a primer on these two projects, they're in the in the vein of operation style projects, so not traditional, roadway, construction, widening or improvements like that. These are more focused on getting the most out of the existing infrastructure, maximizing network capacity, uh utilizing operational strategies and some uh some heavy construction due to telecom infrastructure.

W

So let me start with uh introducing myself: I'm josh nicholas, I'm the its manager for arlington county. I work in the transportation engineering and operations bureau within des and uh dan is with me to kind of fill in some gaps on the on the grant side.

W

If I, if I forget anything or if you have specific questions on that, um a little background on these two projects, um tismo projects they're, that's kind of like the uh the abbreviation we use for trans uh transportation, system management and operations projects they look to maximize uh efficiency and benefits of the existing infrastructure.

W

Like I said before, two of the projects that the county actually has been working on for quite a while one was completed in 2018, but it has been underway. It was underway for about. I think, 10 years total uh was the tsm and communications upgrade that you all might know as it's part of the connect arlington initiative.

W

So it was heavily focused on replacing copper infrastructure with fiber optic communications and between signals, but also the county has expanded that to what connect arlington has become today and the signal optimization program and the signal optimization program focuses on modeling and.

W

Optimizing, the timings of traffic signals to promote better movement of vehicles, and also just in general, it's focused on the c-max side, which is reducing air emissions and improving air quality through reducing delays, and things like that. So traditionally it was very much focused on moving vehicles, um getting things getting things optimized to improve a few seconds here or there and over the course of a day that adds up with thousands of vehicles going through intersections um all the time.

W

So the idea there was take data every uh so often run it through a bunch of models and figure out what the what the optimal way to time and run. The signals was, so it's not really involving any kind of construction or anything like that. It's just pure engineering and then implementation.

W

So for those two projects we we did that the fiber project did originally start with ar raa funding, but it morphed into some rstp and even a little bit of cmak along the way. There were several phases, several different upc's um in getting that build because it was a massive undertaking from from the first phase to the end, um and then the signal optimization project mainly comes from actually 100 comes from cmac, usually and then a combination of cmak and local money and both of those funding streams have a lot of federal oversight and.

W

Benchmarks that you have to hit so for the tsm project um it like I said before it basically took the the existing traffic signal. Infrastructure were connected with twisted pair copper, old old technology that didn't have a lot of bandwidth for getting real-time data or any kind of monitoring capabilities when the signals are connected via fiber there's, almost no latency in the real-time data, that's coming from the traffic signal controller back to um our auto, uh our automated traffic management system.

W

So you could see real time what's happening and it makes it a lot easier to troubleshoot problems. It makes it um a lot easier to get high resolution data and that kind of thing for evaluating different strategies and identifying problems. The other. The other main benefit that fiber allowed us to do was to greatly expand the cctv deployment throughout the county.

W

I think back in 2006 or eight when, when the majority of the county was on copper, there were a few cameras running on dsl, but they were analog and it was a lot more difficult to get better coverage throughout the county and the importance of those cameras is just they're not only utilized for traffic monitoring, but different partnering departments uh have access to those for things like snow removal.

W

You know, office of emergency management has access they're tied into the um ncr net, so nor regional partners during emergency events have access to them and they're uh they're, really utilized very heavily throughout the day, just in day to day operations. Even uh the there is another benefit with the fiber. In that we can connect a lot of the equipment that is at the intersection running the different subsystems of the intersection.

W

We can connect those to the fiber to get to be able to configure them remotely log in troubleshoot gather more data than we could in the past and bring that all back. So it's all part of networking and getting the most out of what we have in the field that opens up doors for things in the future, such as connected vehicles, uh automated traffic signal performance, metrics and things like that. So having that communications backbone really lets you uh tap into that high resolution data that is very valuable in vehicles.

W

So you know having the the message go from the intersection to the vehicle if you're on copper is impossible, but if you have very low latency, you can get it back and forth in enough time for the vehicle to provide the driver, information or warnings or anything like that.

W

uh The first phase of this project was com or the final phase sorry was completed in late 2017 early 2018, it's kind of vague there just because there was a substantial completion and that kind of thing, so it was late, 2017 early 2018.

W

um The last phase was a little bit lower on the rrstp funding than we thought it was because there were different funding sources utilized. The bids came in low that kind of thing, so there was a little bit of money left and that's kind of where that request from rich last time we're rolling it into the new upc, so that that money is just part of the tsm program and now, like I said, all of our traffic signal controllers are now connected via fiber, so we have 100 coverage.

W

um The cctv capabilities have greatly expanded, so we've gone from, I think, maybe a handful to you know under 20 cameras to up to 280 plus cameras, so we have pretty good monitoring throughout the county for things like mot and troubleshooting.

W

Anything anything like that. The screenshot below is also an example of what we can do with the fiber. These are travel time, monitoring stations that we have just to.

W

Log historical data and try and pinpoint any fluctuation in reliability, and things like that. So when we do signal retiming and things like that, we look at the reliability of the segments and see is there is a certain time that some of these segments are behaving strangely and things like that and it helps us kind of target where we're troubleshooting.

W

um Signal optimization, so the tsm ties right into the signal optimization because of things like the bluetooth and and other other data's, that other data sets that we're collecting we're feeding back into the optimization process. But it's literally what it sounds like in math.

W

You know an optimization function, you're taking different variables and trying to make the best of the equation the best result from the equation, given certain constraints- and we typically do that for corridors every three years in the county and the counties split into six corridors, but they're really not corridors they're more of geographic areas, because we have several arterials running into each other and things like that.

W

So when we do optimization we're really basing it on what is because we are gathering the data that exists today. So these timings are developed and implemented very quickly in the grand scheme of planning and development, and things like that.

W

So we're taking multimodal traffic data, roadway geometry, speed, turning restrictions, transit data and everything else, trying to cram it in here and then.

W

Still satisfy the spirit of the um cmac funding category and, as you might expect, over the last two years or even longer, there have been very inconsistent travel patterns. So we haven't been doing a systematic signal, optimization, it's kind of been on hold until we felt that conditions were more or less stabilized so that we could start collecting new data and starting the cycle over again. So that was again the reason we're trying to restart the upc um for the next phase of signal optimization.

W

So we have actually started in earnest and we're trying to get rolling on the next phase.

W

I just attached some useful links to the last slide here in case anybody's, more interested in how the process works and what's considered, and things like that.

W

There's some fhwa resources on signal timing, there's some guidance in the nacto, but it's a little bit light on that. But there are some guidelines in there that we try to follow for the for setting parameters of what we're optimizing within.

W

So that was a very quick plow through of those two projects. If there are any questions or anything, please let me know I can't see so I'm going to stop presenting. I can always pull up a slide.

B

Great thank you very much. I think. First, we have one public commenter, uh mr vincent.

F

Thank you, chairman slatt.

F

um uh I first want to um point point out that uh and appreciate the presentation that one of the bullets talked about the traditional goal of the cmac program of um improving air quality through congestion management management and in 1990, when the fhw set you know, began setting up um uh cmac that made perfect sense because those two things align perfectly, but in today's reality- uh and that was simple because all the cars were internal combustion engines and the very worst case for internal combustion engines is stop and go traffic and a car.

F

That's idling, waiting on a traffic light, but in today's reality with increasing electrification, it's actually not true that those goals align perfectly anymore, a a electric vehicle. Of course it's just the opposite. The you get more efficiency out of an electric vehicle, you get more range and thus you'll displace more ice vehicles and reduce emissions, greater with three stop and go traffic.

F

You know I get a lot more range in the city and in arlington waiting at a red light than if I can drive smoothly through the red lights so can, when you're talking about vehicle electrification, even on a hybrid car like mine, it works, but certainly on a pure ev car.

F

It's it's completely counterproductive on hybrids, it's probably more a neutral thing, because you know you could you know a pure hybrid, like a prius, you know when you come to a red light um when you're stopping you're recharging the battery when you're sitting there there's zero emissions and you only start emissions again when you, when you accelerate out of the red light. But you know congestion is actually a sort of a net. uh You know to some extent neutral on hybrid vehicles in plug-ins, it's even more so and of course electric is the most.

F

But it's not just a matter of electrification.

F

There's always been a somewhat of a conflict between the goal of improving air quality and congestion mitigation, because the ideal way to improve air quality is get people out of cars and if you notice, if you want to get people out of cars, live in new york and live in european cities, where it's very, very inconvenient, to drive anywhere. It's not that people are.

F

You know more environmentally inclined and they're looking out for their neighbors better, but it's just very inconvenient to own a car, so people use public transportation and and um so making congestion makes driving inconvenient. So that goal has always been in conflict. And now you have the added factor of electrification and there's still. One final factor which is weighing into all this, and that is moving. Traffic is much more dangerous for pedestrians and for um and for bicyclists than uh traffic.

F

That's uh slowing down because it's got to go through a lot of red light, so smoothing out the traffic flow throw through traffic like management is actually contrary to that goal of reducing vehicle deaths on on the highways, which is the priority right now for the for the department of transportation because of um the fact that in the last couple years, and particularly under coved, you've had a huge spike in traffic deaths and now up to forty thousand a year.

F

But it was inching up even before then so dot under secretary buda judges is realigning programs to focus on improving safety, and I'm not sure the cmac program has uh the the whole process for awarding money under the cmaq program has been revised uh to um fit um in with the new reality.

F

I think it will be, but I I I don't believe the bite administration has done that yet so I say all this really for the purposes of transportation commission, because I think the the the commission should think very carefully about whether um the c-mac program is structured to uh really benefit the programs.

F

They're going to do do the best job of improving air quality and um uh in in in affecting the uh the other goal of reducing uh risk to uh traffic safety, um and so I think the county has to be careful and not just trying to maximize the chance of getting cmac money, but making sure it's being used for something that will benefit those goals. Thank you.

B

Thank you, mr vincent. I don't know if mr mal, if you wanted to respond to any of that or if we should just uh continue on.

W

Can I can I take a shot at some of the points there.

B

Or yeah go ahead, mr nichols.

W

um Yeah, I think that the reason you know I put in the powerpoint traditional in italics is this: is this? Is old, cmac money it's getting transferred to a new upc? um We are well aware of the balance of safety and the pedestrians um I'll say you know yeah.

W

We have to walk a fine line because we're trying to meet the spirit of the money, but we're also trying to balance the different modes and, and things like that, so where we can, we do things that are very beneficial for the pedestrians, but we try not to um totally um ignore the purpose of the grant. So at the same time, during that optimization function we're trying to set our parameters so, for example, our parameters might be okay, we've now rolled out pad recall right.

W

That's in the traditional modeling method that would produce more delay, more stops for the vehicles, but we're saying that's our parameter so, given that's a parameter that we're using how's the best way to minimize you know, emissions within that set of parameters so we're doing a lot outside of the traditional signal, optimization method that feeds in here. This is more of um you know the this is the mechanism to gather the data to provide the engineering to make those to develop those new timings.

B

Awesome, thank you. uh I think my next question is part of the reason that I've always been a little hazy on this whole thing is: uh there are like four or five different line items in the capital improvement plan that all seem to be its or tsm, um and it's just never been very clear on how they're different and why they're different pots of money.

B

So I believe in the last 10 years, cip, there was a transportation systems and signals line item that was, uh you know, 45 million over 10 years, like a very large pot of money, um there was an intelligent tran, whatever its stands for uh spelled out uh line item that was again quite large, and then there were two smaller ones. You know a transit, its and security program. That was like 5 million um and an its device replacement program that was like 5 million over 10 years. um Can you just speak about like?

B

Why are these different light items? How are they different? What what you know? What are the purposes of each of them, which which of those is the whole connecting stuff via fiber and which of them are other things.

W

So you're, referring you're referring to the counties, approved cip, the the overall program line items in there.

B

Yeah, the last 10-year one, since we haven't you know, done a real cip in a long time now,.

W

Yeah there's a lot of, I mean you're right. There is a lot of interconnection, no pun intended between the different programs, the ts and ts traffic signals and transportation systems that one is really focused on the signal infrastructure itself.

W

Rebuilding rebuilding signals intersections things like that. Those are sort of our larger rebuild projects for the intersection.

W

The its side is focused a lot more. It also does contain some signal rebuilds in the its side, but it is focused a lot more on the systems and the communication equipment.

W

Different applications like connected vehicles, things like that and then the its device replacement is was just started because a lot of the things we deployed over the last um 10 15 years are coming. You know, they're, coming to the end of their life cycle, its devices age out a lot faster than roadway infrastructure, so you put out a you know, because they're all computer-based and things like that, so a lot of the infrastructure that it's it's almost like.

W

uh You have an I.t component of the uh signal infrastructure that ages a lot faster than the um structural and underground components. So that's kind of where I see the line. There is a lot of interconnect, though we'll rebuild signals on the its side, we'll rebuild signals on the ts side, but there's a lot of interplay between the two systems and the operations.

B

Great, thank you um and then I've sort of always associated this stuff with the like real-time information kind of component. um So can you talk about how much of this stuff is? You know those signs that you see that say you know it's 18 miles to dc and 19 minutes to dc or whatever it like does. Does that all fall into here, um or is that something different.

W

Yeah, the the travel time traveler information system that we have out there- that's say, like dc line nine miles to ten minutes, that's all through um its yes, so there's bluetooth uh detectors out in the field: that'll sample cars whatever driving by and anonymize the data and then see how long it takes to get from one and the other. So that's the that was the data feeding into those travel time segments that I was showing earlier.

W

um That is its, but, uh as you can probably guess the um you know, the trends for those sort of systems are changing. The goals are changing. Everybody has a smartphone, so you know there's a lot of future proofing that we're trying to do to get those systems to get information to different platforms, but that's really hard to do a lot of times.

W

So we're working a lot with trying to partner with with vdot on some initiatives and staying informed on what they're doing at the state level, because they have a lot a lot more um specialized procurement and things like that that go on at that level.

B

Great thank you. I really appreciate your comments about um signal timing. um The idea of holding something like pedestrian recall is kind of a like an existing parameter, and how can we, um you know up? You know reduce congestion while holding that um you know sort of constant. um I think that's the most detail. I've ever gotten out of anybody in arlington county about how we do uh signal optimization or anything like that.

B

um The commission has requested in the past that the county developed, a sort of you know a signals policy to kind of help. The public understand what exactly it is that we're optimizing for you know it's very easy to say we're optimizing our signals, but you're always optimizing for some outcome that you can measure um and the concern has always been we're optimizing for vehicle throughput and that, maybe that's not actually the county's values for what we should be optimizing for. um Is there any uh sort of movement in that direction?

B

Maybe, as part of this vision, zero toolbox discussion, that's coming up on helping the public understand, um you know what what do we do with traffic signals as far as improving safety? And uh what are we optimizing for and that sort of thing.

W

um I can answer part of that. The division zero toolbox does include a lot of traffic signal mitigation strategies or countermeasures.

W

I've worked closely with them on developing those and putting those in there that's outside the optimization process, but again if those are implemented, those are held. So it's not like we would say, hey we're going to optimize this, so you got to take out all your lpis, so you know we have things going on outside of the optimization process. Then we have the actual optimization process. um We do look at it's not really.

W

The reason, probably there hasn't been a lot of detail, is just that it's it's hard to communicate because it's specialized based on where you're talking about um and each each cluster of intersections has their own challenge, and there are certain constraints that are present within just the phasing and timing of each intersection.

W

That'll affect how an entire corridor is treated, so it's um it's a little bit more nuanced and um and on that side, and we have been um working on things like lpi policy and things like that. That will help with the um with the vision, zero toolbox. So I I think that, um hopefully, through vision, zero we'll be able to communicate a little bit better on what we're actually trying to do behind the scenes and balance all the different modes.

W

B

Great thank you. I will say anybody who's seen the county's um crosswalk policy, uh which.

F

B

Full page flow chart, like literally the entire eight and a half by 11 sheet of paper, is filled with a flow chart knows that the county is not afraid to at least attempt to convey a complex decision-making process. So don't don't shy away there.

B

Any final questions or comments from other commissioners, I'm not seeing a lot of hands on this one, uh possibly because it's a very wonky topic. No all right, then. I will just thank you very much for the presentation and for coming out and for uh excellent q. A.

W

A

And that wraps up our agenda items are there any other items that we need to discuss in other business.

B

uh I will bring up uh that we, uh despite uh some strong recruitment efforts on my part. We are still uh not at full strength as a commission. um So if you have people you have met in the community uh friends uh people who owe you a favor um who might be interested in joining the commission, please don't hesitate to send them my way um and then I will ask if any commissioners have any report outs from liaisons from sprc pfrc other committees, other commissions.

B

All right, then, uh ms obikoya, let us know when our next meeting is, and we will wrap this up all right.

A

The next meeting is march 3rd.

B

Fantastic have a great february everybody and we are adjourned all right.

A

Good night.

G

Bye-Bye good night, good night, bye-bye.