Party for the Pike Aims to Turn Streetcar Supporters Into Advocates

Nearly 100 people turned out this month at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse for the inaugural Party for the Pike.

"A lot of it is just a chance for different people to get together," John Snyder, chairman of the grassroots group Arlington Streetcar Now, told Patch. "We're kind of like an extended neighborhood along the Pike. So, it's a chance to see your neighbors."

The Thursday-night event had several other purposes.

Columbia Pike revitalization supporters talked about the accomplishments along the business corridor, like the completion of the eight-story Halstead at Arlington — a mixed-use building that includes 269 apartments and several ground-floor businesses, such as P. Brennan's Irish Pub and Restaurant.

Businesses small and large along the Pike are awaiting a new streetcar system and the accompanying plans to transform the strip into a "walkable main street," Arlington County Board member Chris Zimmerman told the Washington Post.

The Party for the Pike also featured a few tips and well wishes on a projection screen via Skype from a transportation official with Portland, Ore., who talked about that city's streetcar system and the increased ridership it's seen in the past year.

The Alcova Heights-based band BoxCartel provided live music.

The party was free but voluntary donations were accepted for Arlington Streetcar Now's advocacy efforts.

Snyder told Patch that he hoped the night helped turn some supporters into advocates — if someone already wears a pin or sticker to show their support, for instance, they could begin to go one step further and grab a few extras to give their friends, family members and neighbors.

He said he saw several new faces Thursday night, and Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse simply putting "Party for the Pike" on its marquee was good for morale if nothing else.

Currently, buses run every two to three minutes at their peak on Columbia Pike, carrying about 16,000 people a day — the busiest thoroughfare in Virginia.

Arlington County expects the need to transport at least 30,000 people through a combination of bus and streetcar trips. The planned streetcar would run about five miles and run from Pentagon City to the Bailey's Crossroads/Skyline area of Fairfax County.

Streetcar supporters say such a transit system is needed for the Pike to keep up with the anticipated redevelopment along the corridor.

About 96 percent of Columbia Pike residents own cars. The cost of owning and maintaining a car does more to cut into family budgets than any other costs of living, said Takis Karantonis, executive director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization. In other words, families that rely less on automobiles have more cash available for housing and other costs. 

Snyder said he's seen growing support for the streetcar, particularly among newer or younger residents who are interested in seeing the Pike as a metropolitan place rather than a suburban one.