Arlington's Car-Free Diet Blog

ART 77 Brings New Way To Go Car-Free In Shirlington

At a time when other places are cutting back on transit service, Arlington is showing it's commitment to building a sustainable community by adding new bus service. Beginning Monday, June 8 the new ART 77 Shirlington-Lyon-Park-Court House line opens. Buses will run every 30 minutes, 6:00 am to 7:55 pm weekdays with key stops including the Shirlington Bus Station, Walter Reed Drive, Lyon Park, Clarendon and Court House. The service provides an important North-South or cross-County connection between the R-B Corridor and the emerging and exciting urban village of Shirlingtonand the neighborhoods in-between.

And on June 29, Shirlington will get enhanced service on the new ART87 Pentagon Metro-Army Navy Drive-Shirlingtonline. The ART 87 replaces ART 82 and Metrobus 22B with service six days a week.

Both of these routes will be served by brand new 35-ft. low-floor clean CNG vehicles (pictured here). Arlington Transit just took delivery of 12 of these beautiful buses and they'll also be used to replace some older buses on other routes.

If you live or work in Shirlington or just want to access some of the great restaurants, shops, theaters or new library, this is a good day. Now you can leave that car at home and go green with ART.

Chris Hamilton is the Commuter ServicesChief for Arlington County in the Transportation Division of the Department of Environmental Services, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.

Why Stop There?

Last year I lived in Falls Church and commuted about 25-30 minutes to Rosslyn every day. I would often have to pay about $8/day for parking and we all know how expensive gas was/is. I "owned" a car that I was shelling out $300/month payments on, another $900+ per year for insurance, unknown hundreds on things like oil changes and tire problems, and of course several hundred dollars in property tax. In August, I moved to Ballston. Initially, I took the Metro and thought, "This is great. Now, I'm only spending $3.15 each day on my commute." But then I thought, "Why stop there?" I pulled out my old touring bike and I have been biking to work every day since September (all you have to do is bundle up in the winter). Not only that, but I sold my car in October! No more payments, and it turns out that biking into work is even faster than taking the Metro (thanks, Arlington bike lanes!).

Danny Cooper, Arlington, VA

Car-Free, Like It Or Not

A few years back, one of the major TV networks had a slogan they used for their prime-time lineup: "Must-See TV." They used that same slogan for several years, and I got a kick out of it when a comedian that starred in one of the shows added, "This year, they're enforcing it."

Well, we're always encouraging people to go Car-Free, but on Inauguration Day many will have no other option. There will be no access for personal cars to drive from Virginia into D.C on January 20. All of the bridges will be reserved for buses, emergency and other authorized vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles. (The Key and Chain Bridges will be open outbound -- you can leave D.C., but you can't go in.)

Even roads that are not officially closed may be closed in effect by heavy volume. For information about transit options, see the CommuterPage.com Inauguration page. There's also plenty of useful information on Arlington County's Inauguration page.

Now that locations for WABA's bike valet service have been pinned down, biking is looking like a good option, as Paul DeMaio notes in his post.

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Joe Chapline is Web Manager for Arlington County Commuter Services

One Car Family

Since moving to the DC area over a year ago, we committed to being a one car family. The locations where we lived have been served by the 21B or 21D routes making it convenient to ride Metrobus and then the Metro to get to work. Being a one car family has taken some getting use to, but now I am even more committed with the cost of gas. There are some minor logistical issues, but we have made the sacrifice and enjoy the cost savings. It has been a great choice.

Michael Davids, Alexandria, VA

Don't Have to Rely on a Car

I worked in Arlington from 1990 - 2001. I drove to work every day. When I returned to Arlington in 2007, I began using Metro due to the government subsidy. I take the bus to Metro then to Ballston. Regularly using the transit system has shown me I don't HAVE to rely on a car. I now use Metro as often as I can. A few days a week I take my bicycle into work on Metro after biking to the Metro station, then ride home. I also now use my bicycle for short errands (grocery, library, haircuts). I still need to use my car for long trips to visit family and for scuba trips, but transit has shown me I can avoid much wear/tear on my car, gas prices and parking fees. The biking gets me home around the same time as the transit commute, but I sure burn more calories!

Renee Amodeo, Vienna, VA

So Easy

My friend from San Francisco came to visit over Labor Day weekend. She is very aware of "being green" so we took the Shirlington bus to the Pentagon Metro to DC to visit museums, etc. I never knew it was so easy! Now that I know how, I am planning to go to DC more often. This weekend we are planning a family trip by Metro to the National Building Museum. We'll save about $15.00 taking the Metro vs. parking.

Ann Murray, Arlington, VA

Cycle to Transit

I was a bit skeptical about taking another job 25 miles from home. My husband is an avid cyclist and I liked it as a recreational past time. For the summer, I decided to try my hand at cycling to public transportation instead of driving. That first day was pretty tough, but now I really look forward to the time I spend on my bike.

S. Auckerman, Manassas, VA

Walk and Shuttle to Work

I have lived in the Courthouse area for a number of years after previously being in Ballston. I started walking plus using a company shuttle from Rosslyn to avoid wear and tear on my car and myself. Now the shuttle is FREE and my car, a 1990 (still getting 35 mpg on highway) has only 60,000 miles!

Diane Kelly, Arlington, VA

Car Free for 6 Years

Upon moving back from LA to DC in 2002, I didn't have a car. And I didn't get one. I decided I didn't want one. For the last 6 years, I have only lived no further than 2 miles from work. When I transferred jobs,  I used Metro and bus from NW to Bailey's Crossroads for 9 months, then I moved 1 mile from my new location. I have a Zipcar membership if I want to buy something big.

David Luecke, Arlington, VA

Very Happy Living in Arlington

For 2 years now, I have been taking the 16Y every morning at the corner of Columbia Pike and Walter Reed, and at least 3 days a week, I have my bike in the front rack of the bus.

At K and 16th Street I get out of the bus and bike north to 16 and P Street where my office is located.  In the afternoon, I bike home...the trip takes roughly 40 minutes.

This way of combining transportation allows me to exercise, connect with my neighborhood, save money, enjoy the sites in DC and Arlington and protect the planet...I'm very happy living in Arlington...transportation in our County rocks!

Edgar Gil, Arlington, VA