Thursday, March 28, 2013

4MRMarket Report: "A Fresh Start on 4/14" Edition


Conceptual view of rehab of the 4MRMarket Building
The Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market has a lot of exciting news for the upcoming 2013 season, set to begin on the second Sunday in April (April 14th)!!
This past January - for the second year in a row - the 4MRMarket team presented the City of Alexandria with a check for $1,000 to further the revitalization of Four Mile Run Park. In addition to making financial donations, the 4MRMarket team has provided site improvements through "sweat equity" and by soliciting donations, both big and small. Last year, an anonymous donation of $10,000 helped support a NEA grant to build a performance stage. Other private donations and grants are being sought to provide park furniture, a green roof, plant rain gardens and other park improvements. The efforts have received coverage on NPR.
The 4MRMarket team has also been leading and participating in Four Mile Run stream clean-ups over the off-season and - on Opening Day this year - we will be assisting Casey Trees and the Arlington Tree Stewards with a massive tree planting adjacent to the Four Mile Park Expansion where 4MRMarket is held.
The Four Mile Run Expansion Continues..
Founded to support the revitalization and expansion of Four Mile Run Park, 4MRMarket has worked with various community partners to create a venue that is inviting, clean and a resource for the diverse neighborhood of Arlandria.
As the first market in Northern Virginia to accept SNAP/EBT sales, market management has continued to secure double dollar incentives, in conjunction with INOVA Health Foundation and the Alexandria Health Department, to bring healthy food to people of all income levels.
Our third season was a year of additional progress for the market. The market grew more established and we added credit card sales.SNAP/EBT and credit card sales accounted for a total of over $5,500 in sales during the season. This year, we have assisted other markets in the area to launch their own SNAP/EBT programs, giving those in need of healthy food options more choices.
As a 100% neighborhood volunteer run market, we are proud that the market serves as an incubator for small start-up businesses, a space for non-profits to promote their causes, and a community gathering place for live music, fellowship, and quality food and craft options.
Credit Cards @4MRMarket
As a convenient bonus, 4MRMarket now processes Credit Card payments for all vendors, as well.
Market Meeting & Site Prep
Stay tuned for upcoming dates for a 4MRMarket meeitng. We will also be spending some time at the site doing some prep work and volunteers are welcome to meet us then too. 
The Work Continues...and it's Working.
We've been hard at work at 4MRMarket, but not as hard as a group of award-winning, volunteer architects called Architects Anonymous that has helped the community to form and embrace these changes. Their vision along with a lot of hard work from a whole lot of people is becoming a reality and the impact on the park has be phenomenal. 
Please read this article in The Arlandrian to find out more about these changes to the market space and Four Mile Run Park. 

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How to help and participate at 4MRMarket

The supercool 4MRMarket t-shirt
BUY. Proceeds of our 4MRMarket T-shirts go to support the expansion and revitalization of 4MR Park. They cost $12 and come in 4 colors. You can pre-pay via Pay-Pal (4MRM@arlandria.org).

DONATE. Help 4MRMarket help 4MRPark. Tax-deductible donations can be made to support us in our efforts to revitalize Four Mile Run Park. Donate to the Alexandria's Living Landscape Fund to fund trees, benches and other amenities at 4MRExpand.

HELP. If you'd like to volunteer with the 4MRMarket, go to: volunteer.4MRMarket.org. We need help processing SNAP/EBT sales, keeping our books, and with set-up on market days.
Email us at 4MRMarket@arlandria.org for more info.

READ. Keep up to date on all the goings on by following 4MRMarket on Facebook or Twitter or via our website.

SPREAD THE WORD.  Please tell folks about us. And tell folks about some of the great things we're doing. For instance, all SNAP/EBT participants can take advantage of the Inova-sponsored "Double Dollar" program again this year that doubles the first $10 SNAP participants spend at the market. 4MRMarket is the first farmers’ market in Northern Virginia (and still the only) to accept SNAP.  And now SFMNP vouchers!

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Buy Fresh Buy Local 4MRMarket products.

The Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market (Alexandria, Virginia 22305) brings fresh, nutritious food to people of all income levels, provide an opportunity for local artisans and producers of goods to bring their wares to market, strive to reflect the diversity of the community, and improve the quality of life for Arlandria residents and visitors. It is part of an overall vision to expand and improve Four Mile Run park and the surrounding neighborhood.

Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. 


For more info see: http://www.4mrmarket.org/
On Facebook: facebook.com/4MRMarket
On Twitter: @4MRMarket
Contact us at: 4MRMarket@arlandria.org
Or call the 4MRMarket hotline: (804) 4mi-Run1


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Potomac Yard groundbreaking along East Glebe Road

After an earlier report from the UrbanTurf blog that reported a mid-2012 project start, MRP Realty and the JBG Companies announced the start of construction on The Alric, the first phase of The Exchange at Potomac Yard. 

The Exchange at Potomac Yard is a 14-acre Town Center parcel within the overall 300-acre Potomac Yard community in Alexandria, Va. The Exchange will be developed by both JBG and MRP and will comprise nearly 2 million square feet of retail, office, hotel and residential space. 
Located in the heart of The Exchange at Potomac Yard, The Alric will be a 323-unit, Class A multi-family apartment development. It is located at 731 Seaton Ave., adjacent to the future Potomac Yard Metro Station with Yellow and Blue Line service, and within minutes of historic Old Town, the Pentagon, Crystal City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The project will feature a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom residences in dual five-story buildings that are separated by a public mews. The Alric is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.

The project, designed by SK&I Architectural Design Group (designers of the Madison by Braddock Road Metro and Lofts 590 in Crystal City), will include a roof terrace with an indoor lounge that offers spectacular views of the Washington skyline and the Potomac River. Additionally, the community will offer internal courtyards, private patios on the ground level, extraordinary common area amenities for its residents, a pool, and outdoor seating areas.

In addition to Pulte’s high-end townhome and condominium development to the south of The Alric, a neighboring 24-acre public park with playgrounds, playing fields, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts and a bike trail that connects with the Mount Vernon trail will be completed this summer. Prior to delivery of the new Metro station, Potomac Yard will also feature Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service on Route 1 connecting Crystal City to Old Town Alexandria.

Monday, March 25, 2013

The Arlandrian Brief: "Sending Our Egrets" Edition

THE ARLANDRIAN brief

A brief summary of recent postings from The Arlandrian:

TODAY

Views On The Run
An osprey, a great egret and plenty of humans were fishing along Four Mile Run this past Saturday. Photo by Jake Cuomo.

MAR 22

The $125,000 Model Metro Train Set
Can you see me now?Testing the visual impact of one proposed PY Metro Station locationThe Washington Business Journal alerted us to a plan by the City of Alexandria to spend $125,000 to build computer and physical models of the three proposed Potomac Yard Metro locations (Alexandria to model Potomac Yard Metro alternatives). The decision whether to go ahead with the expenditure is before City Coun

MAR 21

How to fix everything. Except streetlights.
Sample Screen from March 2011The City of Alexandria has been quietly rolling out a new issue reporting system on their website: alexandriava.gov over the last few years. Back in March of 2011, we reported about a nifty new GIS-based system that not only allows you to help locate the problem on a map, it also offers you the ability to upload supporting documents or pictures and retains the request

MAR 20

Pedestrian Struck at Dangerous Crossing
Mount Vernon Avenue traffic was halted in both directions this morning between 8:30 and 9:00 to respond to a crash involving a pedestrian crossing in a marked crosswalk. Alexandria 2008  Pedestrian and Bike Mobility Plan highlighted the intersection as the only high crash density site in the City.According to Alexandria Police:The accident did occur on the Alexandria side, at the intersection of M
New Bus Shelter Vandalized. 3rd Time. Not Charming.
We STILL didn't even get a chance to report about the recent upgrades to the bus shelter at Mt Vernon and West Reed Avenues. No, not yet.And it was vandalized today...for the THIRD time since it was installed.The new shelter, part of the first of quite a few long-anticipated pedestrian improvements to Arlandria, is also one of the first of a new program of bus shelter replacements City-wide that w

MAR 18

Arlington Transportation Successes.
Arlington County reports on the success it has had over the past 4 decades of managing its economic and population growth while maintaining traffic congestion. (Arlington is Booming, And Traffic Fantastically Remains at 1970s Levels — Mobility Lab):"Science fiction fans will recognize this plot line. A woman travels into the past, telling her ancestors about her reality in the future, only to be c
Traffic Hampers Morning Bus Commute (again).
WMATA reported this morning that morning commutes on the 10A were again delayed because of "traffic congestion on Mount Vernon Avenue:10A: Due to traffic congestion at Mount Vernon Ave & W Glebe Rd, buses to the Pentagon are experiencing up to 15 minute delays.— @wmata (@wmata) March 18, 2013This repeats earlier occurrences that we reported in February. Here's how WMATA reported those earlier

MAR 15

Tales of an Arlandria Twitcher: The Ides of March Edition
More on the wildlife around Four Mile Run by The Arlandrian's resident amateur ornithologist:American Robin, the familiar songbird in the thrush family, they are some of the first and most familiar birds to show up in numbers in the spring. The adult Black-crowned Night Heron that is still in the park in the small stream by the Aces field.The Downy Woodpecker (male), you can tell it’s a male beca
The Birth of the SuperStop
ARLnow.com reports on the first ever "Super Stop" that has now been put into operation along Columbia Pike in Arlington (Walter Reed ‘Super Stop’ Now Open):The first of 24 planned “Super Stop” bus stops on Columbia Pike opened this morning.The stop, on Columbia Pike at the intersection with Walter Reed Drive, offers riders a brighter, more open and attractive take on the traditional shel

MAR 14

The Economic Case for Bike, Walk, & Transit
Former Alexandria Small Business Facilitator Tom Fairchild makes the case for positive economic impacts of bike, pedestrian and transit facilities in a post at Arlington's Mobility Lab ("Bike, Walk, and Transit Mean Business"):“Bikes Mean Business” was the theme of the just-wrapped National Bike Summit in Washington D.C. And on the heels of the highly successful summit, two of the world’s biggest

MAR 08

Riding in the Dark
The Del Ray Patch notes that bicycling is now permitted for longer hours along the W&OD trail. The Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority has extended the hours so that the trail is now open from 5am to 9pm (Park Authority Extends Hours on W&OD Trail).The W&OD, one of the first "rail to trail" conversions, runs from Shirlington near I-395 to Purcellville in Loudoun County
Warwick Pool slated to close
Google Aerial view of Warwick PoolIn case you missed it:The Del Ray Patch has the story about the Alexandria City Manager's budget proposal that anticipates the closing of the Warwick Pool (Future of Warwick Pool Hangs in the Balance).The Patch writes:"Located at 3301 Landover St., the popular pool needs more than $6,000 in repairs to reopen this year. The facility also requires $500,000 in deferr
Can you get there from here?
And can they get here from there?Just released figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey show how commutes of Alexandria residents have change over the last decade...and likewise for Alexandria workers.Most Alexandria residents...about 88%...who don't work inside the City limits, have jobs fairly nearby in adjacent jurisdictions: DC, Fairfax, Arlington, and a plurality about 1/3 w
Name the BRT!
One proposed design and nameIn addition to helping to pick the look and color of the BRT vehicles and signage, WMATA, Arlington and Alexandria are also asking for the public's input on the name of the system. The current front runner's are either "MetroWay" or "Metrobeat", but other options can be suggested through write-in voting. We're partial to "BuRT" or "BuRsT".Metro is asking area customers

Views On the Run

An osprey, a great egret and plenty of humans were fishing along Four Mile Run this past Saturday. 

OSPR_Four Mile Run Park by Jaketrout33
Osprey in Flight Over Four Mile Run,  photo by Jake Cuomo
Saturday Fishing on Four Mile Run, photo by Kevin Beekman

Friday, March 22, 2013

The $125,000 Model Metro Train Set

Can you see me now?
Testing the visual impact of
one proposed PY Metro Station location
The Washington Business Journal alerted us to a plan by the City of Alexandria to spend $125,000 to build computer and physical models of the three proposed Potomac Yard Metro locations (Alexandria to model Potomac Yard Metro alternatives). The decision whether to go ahead with the expenditure is before City Council at the March 27th legislative meeting.

According the staff request, the expense would be "from Potomac Yard Special Tax District Revenues will be used to assist in developing and evaluating mitigation options and strategies for the three Potomac Yard Metrorail Station alternatives." The models are needed, say staff, not as part of the Environmental Impact Study, but in order to complement that study with a view toward the aesthetic impact that the stations might have on the "view shed" of the George Washington Parkway:
"Because of the potential visual impacts of the three proposed Metrorail Station alternatives on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, it is recommended that a physical model and a computer model of the three station alternatives be developed in order to assist in understanding the visual impact of the three Potomac Yard Station alternatives."
In prior efforts to address the view of any proposed Metro from the GW Parkway, Alexandria sent up a series of trial balloons with which to gauge the visual impact (Potomac Yard Metro Balloon Testing to Begin Soon | Del Ray Patch). Using photographs of the balloons, a series of mock-ups were created (some of that was presented here). The proposed additional modelling would apparently that that effort much further.


We discussed the concerns that residents have had with the impact of any Metro Station on the Parkway before (Potomac Yard Metro opponents cite GW Parkway purity, cross-posted at Greater, Greater Washington). The issue centers from activists' concern over the National Park Service visual easement, as Poul Hoertel explained in one of several letters to the Alexandria Gazette-Packet:
"The City Council has de-facto committed to putting the Metro Station on a National Park scenic easement. Now that I bring that up, the conversation becomes more explicit telling me that the parkway is not worth saving, I could not disagree more. It is the genesis of what Alexandria is today, because the Historic District was created to protect it...
As the exiled duke said in Shakespeare’s As You Like it, “Tis true I have seen better days,” so it is today I feel totally exiled from the city I moved to 25 years ago. I feel deceived by the non-transparency and obfuscation in the adoption of the 2010 plan to put the metro on the scenic easement."
We're quite sympathetic to mitigating the environmental impact of the proposed Metro station. Even despite the enormous environmental plus it will be, future transit absolutely has to be planned sensitively. All of us involved in the Arlandrian, work diligently in various environmental restoration projects. And we do so tirelessly. When you have to beg and borrow to plant trees in what's too often an urban wasteland, it's hard not to bristle at such a huge expense that could go for so much other good, when maybe just some Legos would do. If we're going to buy ourselves our own Miniatur Wunderland, it should at least light up and run.


Prior Related Articles from The Arlandrian:



Wednesday, March 20, 2013

How to fix everything. Except streetlights.

Sample Screen from March 2011
The City of Alexandria has been quietly rolling out a new issue reporting system on their website: alexandriava.gov over the last few years.

Back in March of 2011, we reported about a nifty new GIS-based system that not only allows you to help locate the problem on a map, it also offers you the ability to upload supporting documents or pictures and retains the request for you under your account so you can check back later to see the results.

The system is live now, but one major difference: you can no longer report streetlight outages online. Back when we tested the system, two years ago, both the City and Dominion Power (the provider of the lights) offered online outage reporting systems. The pic above is a screen captured from our test to report broken streetlights. 

A vandalized street light waiting repair.
But that's not how it works anymore. Instead, if you need to get a streetlight fixed Alexandria suggests: 
Public Streetlights - If the light is on a public street, it's most likely a streetlight. Streetlight outages must be reported by calling us at 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357).
We've tried this and it does work, but it's slow. It took us, on average, 12 minutes to make each report over the phone. And yes, when you have a few reports (say 10) to make, as we have, it can take HOURS. 

The problem with streetlights is not unique to Alexandria. Greater, Greater Washington had a recent post about similar challenges in Arlington County: "Arlington confronts challenges of streetlight ." And there's still the human element involved in any system (other reports we made got redirected when City staff found and fixed other problems instead of the one we reported). But those issues aside, Alexandria's new system, dubbed Call.Click.Connect is a major step in the right direction.

Here's more:

City of Alexandria Launches Call.Click.Connect.

New Customer Service Initiative Places “Your Government @ Your Fingertips”

On January 28, the City of Alexandria launched Call.Click.Connect., a new customer service initiative that combines people, processes and technology to deliver information, services and solutions to the public through a centralized, streamlined process. At the heart of the initiative is an online system for entering, tracking, and resolving service requests, designed to help the City respond more efficiently to requests from residents and the public.

Users can call 703.746.HELP (4357), or click the Web portal on alexandriava.gov to easily access information and connect with their City government.

Call.Click.Connect. places City government “at your fingertips” through multiple features, including:
  • One number, 703.746.HELP, for all customer requests and inquiries;
  • Options that allow customers to create and track the status of their own requests, from start to finish, either online or by telephone.
  • A Contact Center staffed with experienced professionals to respond to customer inquiries.
  • The ability for the City to use information documented through Call.Click.Connect. to track service request trends, determine emerging policy concerns, improve service delivery and make better policy decisions.
“Excellence in service is one of the City’s guiding principles,” said City Manager Rashad M. Young. “Call.Click.Connect. exemplifies our pledge to ensure our accountability and transparency, and deliver exceptional services that enrich the quality of life for everyone in Alexandria.” 

For more information, visit the Call.Click.Connect. page on alexandriava.gov, or call the City’s Contact Center at 703.746.HELP. 


Previously related posts from The Arlandrian:


Pedestrian Struck at Dangerous Crossing

Mount Vernon Avenue traffic was halted in both directions this morning between 8:30 and 9:00 to respond to a crash involving a pedestrian crossing in a marked crosswalk. Alexandria 2008  Pedestrian and Bike Mobility Plan highlighted the intersection as the only high crash density site in the City.

According to Alexandria Police:
The accident did occur on the Alexandria side, at the intersection of Mount Vernon Avenue and Four Mile Road.   At about 8:30 a 68-year-old man was  crossing Mount Vernon in the crosswalk at Four Mile when he was struck by a car  turning left onto northbound Mount Vernon. The driver was charged with failure to yield right of way.  The report indicates minor injuries to the pedestrian, and he was taken to Alexandria Hospital for examination.  The driver blamed sun glare.
In 2009, The Arlandrian reported on earlier attempts to rectify the intersections, which have been the topic of discussion for over a decade but promised improvements have yet to occur. The Mt Vernon & West Glebe intersection was slated for improvements since the 1991 Transportation Master Plan Update. The South Glebe and Mt Vernon intersection improvements were called for by the 2003 Arlandria Plan. And the West Glebe & Valley Road intersection was cited for improvements by the 2005 Four Mile Run Restoration Plan. The South Glebe and Valley Road projects were absent however from the most recently approved Capital Improvement Budget and Transportation Long Range Plan (LRP). The West Glebe intersection is mentioned in the LRP but remains unfunded.

Existing Intersection Issues
Background on the issues can be found in Alexandria's 2008 Pedestrian and Bike Mobility Plan.The first graphic, below, shows the intersections in question had medium crash density compared to similar sites, City-wide. The only high crash density in the city was just North between Russell Rd and Four Mile Run on Mt. Vernon Avenue. (Nothing has been done to resolve that issue).



This second chart identifies these intersection as providing fairly poor quality crossing conditions. This supports the need to make improvements at the sites.


Finally, this third chart demonstrates the high volume of potential pedestrian activity. The relatively poor crossing conditions coupled with a high potential pedestrian activity further support the need to increase the quality of these intersections for pedestrians to avoid future pedestrian-related accidents at this site.



WMATA did not elaborate on the causes of the repeated congestion. Our inquiries regarding funding for the stalled 2009 effort have not been addressed.


Previous related stories from The Arlandrian:


    New Bus Shelter Vandalized. 3rd Time. Not Charming.



    We STILL didn't even get a chance to report about the recent upgrades to the bus shelter at Mt Vernon and West Reed Avenues. No, not yet.

    And it was vandalized today...for the THIRD time since it was installed.

    The new shelter, part of the first of quite a few long-anticipated pedestrian improvements to Arlandria, is also one of the first of a new program of bus shelter replacements City-wide that will also incorporate new technologies such as solar lighting and potentially schedule information or even real-time transit data. We reported on the efforts, progress and set-backs that have been happening along the way (see prior stories listed below).

    But not if stuff like this keeps happening.

    We reported the incident and will track the progress of the repairs.

    Previous related stories from The Arlandrian: