Reduced Parking Subsidies Fail to Destroy Arlington

Sometimes when a positive change happens, afterwards it seems so self-evidently a good idea, we forget there were people rabidly opposed to the positive change. The most obvious recent local example of the journey from the revolutionary to the mundane: Virginia's smoking ban, which opponents predicted would devastate Virginia bars & restaurants. Instead, smokers stepped outside, everyone enjoyed the cleaner air, and we all quickly moved on with our lives.

Arlington recently stopped subsidizing free parking at the former Department of Human Services garage at Wilson & Highland in Clarendon, where it's now $2 to park on nights & weekends. That rate is among the lowest in the neighborhood. The result? People continue to heavily utilize that garage, Clarendon continues to thrive, and the county is raising revenue while providing a nudge towards Metro/walking/biking.

It's worth remembering that while it was being debated, Arlington Sun Gazette editor Scott McCaffrey basically called the $2 fee an affront to humanity:

This proposal is a nickel-and-dime approach to governance that is beneath Arlington’s leaders to propose, let alone enact. County Board members can make quick work of this wrongheaded proposal by simply refusing to advertise it for a hearing.

Instead, the enacted plan has worked as intended, with side effects like increased parking in neighborhoods quickly addressed with zone changes.

Now the County Board is making plans to address tight parking in busy areas on nights & weekends, approving a long-term parking management plan that could extend meter times, generating much-needed revenue from a scare commodity that's currently subsidized as free. I know, revolutionary, right?

But McCaffrey has dialed up the rhetoric even further with this plan, predicting it will be nothing less than the end of Clarendon as we know it:

[F]orcing those in Clarendon or other commercial areas to pay for meters well into the evening, or on Sundays, is counterproductive and will place those areas at a severe competitive disadvantage. In the long run, it will reduce the county government’s revenue, not increase it.

The argument here is essentially that to avoid paying a couple of bucks in parking fees, people will:

• Go to DC or Alexandria where they'll have to pay just as much if not more for parking
• Pay just as much if not more in gas to drive long distances to places where parking is free
• Tell their spouse, "Sorry honey, I was going to take you to Clarendon for dinner, but they're charging $2 for parking now, so instead I made you this Hot Pocket."

Look, I know people hate paying for something that used to be free. It's annoying. But that's not a good reason to keep policies that worked for 1990s Clarendon with its large surface parking lots but are outdated in 2010s Clarendon with its tall buildings in which people live & work.

All we're talking about is cutting the government subsidy for free & discounted parking and using the money to fund things like repairing roads and educating kids and fighting fires. Is that so controversial?

Update: Thanks to Arlington County for clarifying 2nd paragraph

Pedestrian to Restaurants: I Want You To Want Me

I was walking through Clarendon the other day around 5:30pm. From a financial point of view, I figured I should wait until I got home to make myself dinner. And yet, if some restaurant had tempted me with a discount burger & beer and the evening edition of SportsCenter on a big screen ... well, sense of hunger would've easily overwhelmed my financial sense.

Yet as I walked down Wilson Blvd none of Clarendon's bars & restaurants tried to lure me in. While you can't walk through the streets of most major cities without sandwich boards out on the sidewalk pitching that evening's specials, there was nothing like that in Clarendon. I ended up heading home. Which was fine, it just wasn't necessarily fun.

So I was very happy to see Arlington County Board Member Chris Zimmerman working to change it:

THUMBS UP: To County Board Vice Chairman Chris Zimmerman, for pressing to end the county government’s overzealous regulation of what are generally called “sandwich boards,” those freestanding signs beckoning the public into shops and restaurants.

As Zimmerman notes, it is awfully hard to get permission to put those out in Arlington. And that’s just plain silly.

Some parts of a walkable community are obvious (public transit, crossable streets). Others are subtle. Good to know Chris Zimmerman gets the big picture AND the little details. Just one more reason Chris deserves re-election.

Tuesday: Celebrating a Smoke-Free Virginia

With Virginia's bar & restaurant smoking ban taking effect on December 1st, I thought I'd organize a happy hour to welcome Virginia's newly clean indoor air. You're invited to join us Tuesday from 6-8pm:

To celebrate, we're hosting a happy hour at one of Arlington's smoke-free pioneers -- Liberty Tavern in Clarendon. While many restaurants in Arlington have long been smoke-free, Liberty was among the pioneering bars who took a chance on clean air. Judging by how packed they are on weeknights and by how absolutely mobbed they are on weekends, it paid off.

Even if you can't make this event, be sure to stop by a local bar that went smoke-free long before it was the law (Eleventh in Clarendon, Union Jack's in Ballston, Cap City in Shirlington, etc.) and say thanks for their leadership. Hope to see you at Liberty on December 1st!

Read more details on Virginia's smoking ban from the Department of Health.

Photo via Flickr's Maryland Route 5

Breaking News: Murky Coffee to Close

I bring good news and bad news. Bad news first:

Dear valued customer,

It's with great sadness that I announce that in a few weeks, murky coffee will be relocating from here in Clarendon to a new location in Washington DC.

The property here at 3211 Wilson Boulevard was sold last year, and market rent is simply more than we can afford.

Sad, but not unexpected. As first reported last year, Murky was not so good at paying its taxes.

Now the good news:

In the coming months, I hope that you'll join us in welcoming a new coffee shop here, brought by the talented folks at the renown Liberty Tavern just up the street. They'll be bringing their years of experience, a full renovation of the building, and top-quality service. We are proud to call them our friends, and plan to support them in setting up their coffee program. That said, we ask that you'll join us in welcoming and supporting them.

Liberty has quickly emerged as one of Clarendon's hottest nightspots (in no small part because it's smoke-free). I'd been worried about this location turning into a Starbucks when Murky closed, but there's strong reason to hope Liberty's owners can keep the Common Grounds/Murky Coffee tradition alive!

A Beer That's Local AND Organic?

We've had a lot of serious discussion about major political and economic issues this week. But I feel strongly that it's time to get back to what really gets me motivated to blog every day: An excuse to try new beer.

I caught this in Washingtonian.com's recent interview with the Beer Activist, asking Chris O'Brien about his favorite local brews:

The production breweries in the area are great, too. Currently, I’m excited about the Oxford Organic Raspberry Wheat from Clipper City.

So I was excited to see Oxford Organic Raspberry Wheat on tap at Clarendon's Boulevard Woodgrill:

I'm not usually a fan of beer with a fruity flavor, but the Oxford Organic Raspberry Wheat's raspberry was relatively understated. I wished I'd found it at the beginning of summer, would've made a great backyard beer. And how great is the little "USDA Organic" seal at the top of the tap?

Boulevard Woodgrill always has a great selection of beer, but the real mecca of organic beer in Arlington is Busboys & Poets. They have Clipper City, Peak, Stonemill and Wolaver -- and they're half price on their Wednesday organic beer happy hour.

If you're looking for organic beer when you're out in Arlington, stop by Lost Dog Cafe, which has several organic and plenty of local options, or Tallula's EatBar, which has Samuel Smith Organic Lager (although it's way overpriced at $11.50 a bottle). Ted's Montana Grill used to have organic beer, but I don't think I saw it on the menu last time I was there. Any others in Arlington I'm missing?

Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is (Or Is It The Other Way Around?)

Tonight I stopped by the DHS building in Clarendon to pick up some things for Saturday's Pickup & Drinkup. If you're not familiar with the location, it's one of Arlington's best-kept secrets. There's an underground parking garage that's free after 5pm and on weekends, a lifesaver in an area with very little street parking.

Coincidentally, I pulled up right in front of the Lazy Sundae truck. After Lazy Sundae closed in July, I felt like Clarendon had lost a big piece of its charm, so it was nice to see an old-fashioned ice cream truck in the neighborhood.

Ordinarily, I would strongly object to a $4 ice cream cone. And I was already drinking a Diet Pepsi, and despite it being Laverne's favorite drink, dairy & cola do not generally mix.

But despite my recent bout with unemployment, I decided to set aside my excuses and back up my blogging by supporting a local business. So I plunked down my $4 ($3 for the cone and $1 to the "college fund" tip jar -- at least the kid in the truck was studying between orders) for a small cinnamon raisin oatmeal cookie cone. It may not have been what I was in the mood for, but damn was it good.

My environmental rationale? Buying local conserves transportation fuel.

OK, so I'm an ice cream addict. But if you're walking past 3033 Wilson, good intentions are a much better excuse to snag a cone.