Is the Columbia Pike Trolley A Fiscal Folly?
The answer may depend on which two of the five Arlington County Board candidates, which Arlington citizens elect in November. Scott McCaffrey of the Arlington Sun-Gazette frames it thus in his report of the election “kick-off” at the Arlington County Civic Federation:
“Is it an economic engine for South Arlington, or a choo-choo traveling down the tracks of fiscal irresponsibility?
“The five candidates for County Board split decisively on the proposal for a $120-million-plus Columbia Pike trolley system, as they debated Sept. 4 in front of the Arlington County Civic Federation.”
Supporting the idea of a trolley were incumbent Walter Tejada and former School Board member Mary Hynes.
The three candidates opposing a trolley, with quotes from the online Arlington Sun-Gazette:
- Mike McMenamin: “How are we going to pay for it - we're strapped so tight, there's no wiggle room [in the budget] at all.”
- Joe Warren: According to the paper, Warren “said the idea for a trolley makes no sense, as it would narrow Columbia Pike for vehicular traffic, increasing congestion.”
- Josh Ruebner: “It's a boondoggle designed to benefit developers.”
Unfortunately, time constraints only allowed three questions for the County Board candidates. So make every effort to raise your concerns with the candidates, e.g., during one of the neighborhood debates.