Power, Road Crews Prep for Possible Snow; Arlington Schools Monitoring Forecast

Dominion Power is urging their customers to be prepared with food and an emergency plan.

Update (6:02 p.m.): Arlington County crews spent Wednesday afternoon and evening putting spreaders on vehicles and expected to complete that work by Thursday morning, according to the Department of Environmental Services. "Our hard-working crews are ready for a snow event as well. We will adjust our plans depending on a more accurate forecast from regional outlets and our weather service this evening and again tomorrow morning," according to county spokeswoman Jennifer K. Smith. Federal agencies in the Washington area will be open Thursday, though employees have been given the option to use unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework. Original story (4:24 p.m.): With a National Weather Service winter storm watch in place for Thursday morning…

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Clarendon Cycles

Smooth Sailing on Arlington’s Roads? Sometimes.

Arlington's roads can present challenges to cyclists and drivers alike.

Silky smooth black pavement. It’s the kind of thing that brings a smile to my face, whether I’m behind the wheel of my car or leaning over my handlebars.  There’s nothing quite like the feel of efficient speed over land that a good road gives you. It’s something that both cyclists and drivers can easily agree on, I think. Drivers and cyclists also tend to both dislike it when roads deteriorate. No one likes jarring potholes (or chipseal, for that matter). This common cause goes back a lot further than most might expect. It was the League of American Wheelmen (now the League of American Bicyclists) that launched the Good Roads Movement in the 1880s. The Good Roads Movement literally paved the way for modern streets, as cycling advocates …

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Speak Out: Oversight Group Says Metro Is Safer

Committee says rail's approach to safety has improved since 2009 crash, but tell us: Do you agree or think system has a long way to go?

The group charged with tracking and analyzing the safety of Metrorail told the system's board this week there were no serious concerns about its safety operations and communication with its directors “has improved dramatically” in the past few years. The Tri-State Oversight Committee (TOC) said in its quarterly report this week it had gained confidence in the system, the Washington Post reported Friday. TOC officials said they had much better access to Metro documents and better faith in its safety practice then they did in the aftermath of a deadly 2009 red line crash. The relationship between TOC and Metro thereafter can be described as rocky at best: Metro blocked the TOC from documents and banned its safety monitors from its tracks. …

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Clarendon Cycles

The Cyclist's Wish List for Arlington

These things can't be found in any catalog, but it sure would be great to see Arlington get them.

In the modern spirit of the season, I present my holiday wish list for Arlington cyclists: 5. End the subpar cutting and "repairing" of our streets. Yes, frequent pavement cuts and covers are an inherent part of growth and redevelopment. While Arlington manages most aspects of its growth fairly well, the pavement repair quality has taken a serious nosedive in the past year. The jagged edges, unfilled cuts, and unexpected lumps routinely result in dangerous situations for cyclists and pedestrians. Arlington County needs to do a far better job than it does of holding contractors accountable for the damage they're doing to our streets. 4. It’s time for the National Park Service to become bike friendly. It's a rare Arlington cyclist that stays…

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