Arlington Board Meets with Transit Experts Ahead of Purchasing Rules Change

Arlington County likely will update its purchasing guidelines later this month to allow, in part, for more flexibility in the decision-making and planning processes that will lead to a streetcar system along Columbia Pike.

Board members held a three-hour work session Thursday night at Arlington Central Library with transit officials from Salt Lake City, Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul, along with representatives of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the procurement agency for the city of Ottawa, Canada, and a Montreal-based private contractor.

"They're giving us information, different mechanisms on how to put this together," County Manager Barbara Donnellan told Patch. "We really can learn from their experiences."

They discussed everything from risk management to public notices, along with when to give specifics to private contractors and when to give them ranges.

"We, as Arlingtonians, have a tendency toward detail. So, if anything, we're going to err on the side more detail," Board member Jay Fisette said.

Arlington County currently has two methods at its disposal for major projects — one is commonly known as "design, bid, build" and the other is a variation on that. Board members on Thursday heard about three other methods that include different levels of private investment and involvement.

"The question is, for us, for the size of the project … Is any of this a better way to do things than the traditional design, bid, build? All of these try to bring private sector expertise," Board Chairwoman Mary Hynes said.

The board is slated to vote on Nov. 27 on amending its purchasing resolution. Doing so would correspond with the county adopting the state Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995, which allows private entities to enter into agreements to construct, improve, maintain and operate transportation facilities, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. Such amendments would not be limited to transit.

The Columbia Pike streetcar proposal is a $249 million transit system that would connect the Bailey's Crossroads area of Fairfax County with Pentagon City.

During the recent election, Board member Libby Garvey said she preferred a bus rapid transit system over a streetcar.