I oppose the Columbia Pike trolley. It will do little, if anything, to improve congestion on Columbia Pike at a price tag of over $300 million when all the costs are taken into account.

After suing VDOT, and spending nearly $1.5 million to do so, over the HOT lanes proposal which was initiated by Democratic Governors Kaine and Warner, relationships with Richmond on transportation issues are understandably strained. I am positioned to better work with Republican leaders in Richmond and can work directly with them on areas where we have bi-partisan agreement on what’s best for Arlington when it comes to getting around.

Many Arlingtonians rely on Metro. Arlington leaders need to have the courage to speak out against Metro’s mismanagement and unsustainable labor contract. It is particularly disingenuous for Arlington to rely on ART bus service which is not subject to an unworkable labor contract all the while defending Metro’s.

Our transportation issues are even broader, with ever-increasing density, a reduction in parking requirements for new buildings, and a reluctance of our board to accommodate the additional cars coming into the county. The current approach to development and transportation demand management is simply not matching up with the number of Metro, Metro bus and ART users.