South Fairlington Residents on Record Saying it's Too Dangerous to Walk to Abingdon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearly not all SF residents feel the same way, but it seems politically expedient that suddenly the bridge is the next best thing to sliced bread and Fairlington United's webpage is arguing that their PU should become a walk zone. I'd find them more credible if they'd made the case more forcefully during the walk zone review.

But why? I mean, if I can have the option of putting my kid on a bus on a cold rainy day instead of walking a mile in the rain, lots of people would opt for that. It makes sense to me that they wouldn't have rocked the boat during the walk zone review, even if they were naive to think that it wouldn't come back to bite them.

But that's the whole point. If you're not really walking all the time and would prefer a bus, then you aren't walkers. Most people are not walking and APS has that data. It's better for kids who'd otherwise be driven individually to be bused to school, better for traffic and the environment. If they can bus to one school, they can bus to another adjacent school just as easily as any other neighborhood that is on the table. It's their kids or someone else's. APS should select the option that provides the best outcome for the system, not just one group of students or another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearly not all SF residents feel the same way, but it seems politically expedient that suddenly the bridge is the next best thing to sliced bread and Fairlington United's webpage is arguing that their PU should become a walk zone. I'd find them more credible if they'd made the case more forcefully during the walk zone review.

But why? I mean, if I can have the option of putting my kid on a bus on a cold rainy day instead of walking a mile in the rain, lots of people would opt for that. It makes sense to me that they wouldn't have rocked the boat during the walk zone review, even if they were naive to think that it wouldn't come back to bite them.

But that's the whole point. If you're not really walking all the time and would prefer a bus, then you aren't walkers. Most people are not walking and APS has that data. It's better for kids who'd otherwise be driven individually to be bused to school, better for traffic and the environment. If they can bus to one school, they can bus to another adjacent school just as easily as any other neighborhood that is on the table. It's their kids or someone else's. APS should select the option that provides the best outcome for the system, not just one group of students or another.

I don't disagree with you, in terms of what APS should do. I used to live in North Fairlington, and I always identified as "Fairlington". We would joke about "northies" or "southies" but it would never have occurred to me that they could be redistricted away from Abingdon. Naive? Yes, but it really is one neighborhood. It's just a very large neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's fair, I meant the most common topic related to the actual walk zones. The underlying concern in those comments about staying together largely relates to the boundary pushing north over 50.

At this point I’m wondering if that would be a bad thing, to include north of 50 PU’s? Maybe we could better desegregate schools if 50 wasn’t such a line in the sand. Fleet’s FRL #s are already below average for a S Arlington school. Would a few NA PUs really lower it much more?

[Anonymous]

The real solution to this would be to have committed affordable housing in Fairlington. Then they could have kept the neighborhood together (I agree it really is one neighborhood, and walkable throughout) and also have had SES diversity at Abingdon ES.

[Anonymous]

Is the only answer to affordable housing in Arlington massive apt buildings? Do they not sprinkle affordable housing apartments in market rate buildings OR give out rental vouchers? (like section 8)

[Anonymous]

Oh god bless you all. We don't need more affordable housing in Fairlington. We need it in N. Arlington. (N. Arl. resident here).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearly not all SF residents feel the same way, but it seems politically expedient that suddenly the bridge is the next best thing to sliced bread and Fairlington United's webpage is arguing that their PU should become a walk zone. I'd find them more credible if they'd made the case more forcefully during the walk zone review.

But why? I mean, if I can have the option of putting my kid on a bus on a cold rainy day instead of walking a mile in the rain, lots of people would opt for that. It makes sense to me that they wouldn't have rocked the boat during the walk zone review, even if they were naive to think that it wouldn't come back to bite them.

But that's the whole point. If you're not really walking all the time and would prefer a bus, then you aren't walkers. Most people are not walking and APS has that data. It's better for kids who'd otherwise be driven individually to be bused to school, better for traffic and the environment. If they can bus to one school, they can bus to another adjacent school just as easily as any other neighborhood that is on the table. It's their kids or someone else's. APS should select the option that provides the best outcome for the system, not just one group of students or another.

I don't disagree with you, in terms of what APS should do. I used to live in North Fairlington, and I always identified as "Fairlington". We would joke about "northies" or "southies" but it would never have occurred to me that they could be redistricted away from Abingdon. Naive? Yes, but it really is one neighborhood. It's just a very large neighborhood.

I lived in Fairlington too- and now I live in North Arlington. Large neighborhoods get split into different school districts all the time. e.g. Westover is a neighborhood- it goes to McKinley and Tuckahoe (and possibly a little Nottingham). Leeway is a neighborhood- it goes to Tuckahoe and Nottingham.
I don't think the 'but we are a neighborhood' argument is at all compelling. So what- we need to draw boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearly not all SF residents feel the same way, but it seems politically expedient that suddenly the bridge is the next best thing to sliced bread and Fairlington United's webpage is arguing that their PU should become a walk zone. I'd find them more credible if they'd made the case more forcefully during the walk zone review.

But why? I mean, if I can have the option of putting my kid on a bus on a cold rainy day instead of walking a mile in the rain, lots of people would opt for that. It makes sense to me that they wouldn't have rocked the boat during the walk zone review, even if they were naive to think that it wouldn't come back to bite them.

But that's the whole point. If you're not really walking all the time and would prefer a bus, then you aren't walkers. Most people are not walking and APS has that data. It's better for kids who'd otherwise be driven individually to be bused to school, better for traffic and the environment. If they can bus to one school, they can bus to another adjacent school just as easily as any other neighborhood that is on the table. It's their kids or someone else's. APS should select the option that provides the best outcome for the system, not just one group of students or another.

I don't disagree with you, in terms of what APS should do. I used to live in North Fairlington, and I always identified as "Fairlington". We would joke about "northies" or "southies" but it would never have occurred to me that they could be redistricted away from Abingdon. Naive? Yes, but it really is one neighborhood. It's just a very large neighborhood.

I lived in Fairlington too- and now I live in North Arlington. Large neighborhoods get split into different school districts all the time. e.g. Westover is a neighborhood- it goes to McKinley and Tuckahoe (and possibly a little Nottingham). Leeway is a neighborhood- it goes to Tuckahoe and Nottingham.
I don't think the 'but we are a neighborhood' argument is at all compelling. So what- we need to draw boundaries.

Unfortunately , that’s a lot easier to say when all NA schools perform well on paper (ie easier searchable methods like greatschools and schooldiggers.com)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real solution to this would be to have committed affordable housing in Fairlington. Then they could have kept the neighborhood together (I agree it really is one neighborhood, and walkable throughout) and also have had SES diversity at Abingdon ES.

Actually the real solution is to stop building f'ing affordable housing. We do not have the infrastructure to support continuing to increase the population, especially a population that often needs additional wrap-around services. I have nothing against poor people, but I have lots against a County Board that doesn't give a crap about our students.

I don't support AH on the Pike. I don't support it on Lee Highway. It's like Green Eggs and Ham. I do not like it anywhere.
Rant over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh god bless you all. We don't need more affordable housing in Fairlington. We need it in N. Arlington. (N. Arl. resident here).

I know, right? We've got people in 450k condos calling for affordable housing while the NA folks in 1.2+ million dollar homes go to blue ribbon schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real solution to this would be to have committed affordable housing in Fairlington. Then they could have kept the neighborhood together (I agree it really is one neighborhood, and walkable throughout) and also have had SES diversity at Abingdon ES.

Actually the real solution is to stop building f'ing affordable housing. We do not have the infrastructure to support continuing to increase the population, especially a population that often needs additional wrap-around services. I have nothing against poor people, but I have lots against a County Board that doesn't give a crap about our students.

I don't support AH on the Pike. I don't support it on Lee Highway. It's like Green Eggs and Ham. I do not like it anywhere.
Rant over.

Amen. I could not care less about affordable housing. You can’t afford to live in Arlington, tough. I’d feel differently if maybe our teachers or firefighters or police officers were living in affordable housing, but they’re not. So let it die.

Flame away.

[Anonymous]

Very interesting that these responses are available publicly while one woman is insisting on AEM that S. Fairlington is happy to walk to school and will give up their busses. Oh and they didn’t respond to the survey because it should have been obvious they love to walk. Snort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real solution to this would be to have committed affordable housing in Fairlington. Then they could have kept the neighborhood together (I agree it really is one neighborhood, and walkable throughout) and also have had SES diversity at Abingdon ES.

Actually the real solution is to stop building f'ing affordable housing. We do not have the infrastructure to support continuing to increase the population, especially a population that often needs additional wrap-around services. I have nothing against poor people, but I have lots against a County Board that doesn't give a crap about our students.

I don't support AH on the Pike. I don't support it on Lee Highway. It's like Green Eggs and Ham. I do not like it anywhere.
Rant over.

Amen. I could not care less about affordable housing. You can’t afford to live in Arlington, tough. I’d feel differently if maybe our teachers or firefighters or police officers were living in affordable housing, but they’re not. So let it die.

Flame away.

Wow. Just wow. Let them eat cake I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the only answer to affordable housing in Arlington massive apt buildings? Do they not sprinkle affordable housing apartments in market rate buildings OR give out rental vouchers? (like section 8)

To answer your questions:

Yes, so they say.
No, not in meaningful numbers. It's easier/more efficient to just build a giant building or two.
Yes. Some of the only "landlords" in Arlington who will take section 8 vouchers are the CAFs.

It's complicated. But we could be doing a better job. Quality over quantity. We can't save the world in one zip code.

[Anonymous]

SF folks-just go to Drew and stop bitching.