Jim Durham🚌🚶‍♂️🚴‍♂️

@elenah.bsky.social My understanding is slightly different but the result is the same: we are giving up about $10M in General Funds if we do not use the 12.5 cent C&I property tax authority granted to NVTA jurisdictions by the General Assembly/Code of Virginia.

Workers, Speaker Scott criticize plan to axe data center tax exemption as budgets advance • Virginia Mercury The Senate proposal to end the sales and use tax exemption that’s saved data centers over $1 billion passes with bipartisan support.

Education funding advocates like PTAC could make better use of their time & talent working with VA partners to convince House leadership to sunset the $1.6B data center tax break as the Senate has done, allocating funds to Educ., healthcare and transportation. virginiamercury.com/2026/02/27/w...

(2) C&I tax funds are required to be allocated onby to transportation projects, not necessarily "only to NVTA".

@peterdcarlson.bsky.social That budget paragraph is confusing. Perhaps @sarahbagley.bsky.social or another CM could clarify: I understand that (1) ALX has previously opted to not impose a 12.5 cent C&I tax and hence would leave $10.3M "on the table" in FY2027 if that tax authority is not used, and

A 12.5 cent C&I tax would provide $10.3 million in city revenue per the manager's proposed budget. That amount would fully fund long-promised and overdue DASH service frequency improvements and enable a few million $$ in General Funds to be re-allocated to other critical needs.

Code of Virginia §58.1-3221.3 allows an NVTA member jurisdiction to impose a C&I tax up to 12.5 cents per $100 of assessed value of commercial and industrial property, excluding commercial property that is used for residential purposes, for transportation projects only... as done in ARL & FFX.

Your Views: Driving on the new Seminary Road is a pleasure - Alexandria Times To the editor: Regarding the recent changes to Seminary Road, I would like to thank the city’s leadership for providing us more than just crosswalks and bike lanes, but a road that leads to safer and ...

A variety of people have publicly expressed why they like the new (checks notes -2019?) Seminary Road configuration. Example: (1) Driving on the new Seminary Road is a pleasure alextimes.com/opinion/your... (2) Why I love the new Seminary Road alextimes.com/opinion/opin...

Yes. I lived in Groton CT in '78, so yes, the '78 storm was a good benchmark for many years. Hoping that the New England recovery from this storm goes smoothly. 🙏

Hmmm... choices, choices. Thanks for letting us know about the Climate Action Now ebent today!

Congratulations!!!

I’m walking here! A new model maps foot traffic in New York City MIT researchers built a complete model of pedestrian activity in New York City, the first such comprehensive effort for any U.S. city. The model could help planners decide where to invest in pedestria...

"Dustin Hoffman, playing the character of Ratso Rizzo, crosses a Manhattan street and angrily bangs on the hood of an encroaching taxi. Hoffman’s line — “I’m walking here!”... Quote from an article about a ped safety tool from my grad school alma mater news.mit.edu/2026/new-mod...

This is the same organization that had a Panel discussion about DASH bus service on Duke Street but did not invite anyone who rode DASH. The moderator, when asked why, said he didn't think a DASH bus rider would have anything to add to the discussion. That response tells you what you need to know.

The contractor for another HOA has not yet shown up as of Tuesday PM. HOA members are interested in names of alternative contractors to consider.

Is there an AlxSkeets thread for people like me who are glad we had lots of warning so we could stock up on essentials and that, while all my electronic were charged, I did not lose electrical power, heat or water? I am also glad that primary routes for emergency responders were kept clear.

Congratulations . Well deserved. Kirk is more than ready to represent Alexandrians in the General Assembly. Let's Go!!!

Bourbon

Project Ambushed: TAKE ACTION — Shenandoah Rail Trail We had a BIG surprise this week (not in a good way) that threatens the future of the Shenandoah Rail Trail . A new proposal was presented at the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) meeting on Dec...

Act NOW to oppose transferring corridor ownership and state funding for the proposed Shenandoah Rail Trail to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, which opposes the rail trail and seeks an economically infeasible excursion rail service instead: www.shenandoahrailtrail.org/news/project...

Code of VA §46.2-908.1. PDDs must "operate at a speed that does not exceed 10 miles per hour on sidewalks and crosswalks". Code of VA §46.2-100 "... not [to] exceed 500 pounds, excluding cargo." So... VA code allows powered delivery devices of up to 500 pounds traveling at 10 mph on city sidewalks.

Code of VA §46.2-908.1 "A locality may not prohibit the use of a personal delivery device on a roadway under its jurisdiction..." & "a personal delivery device operating on a sidewalk or crosswalk shall have all the rights and responsibilities applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstance."

I would hope that SB members would want to work with City Council since Council is the organization "steeped in the [fiscal] work. Seems like working together as SB member Reyna suggested would be the better approach.

After SB member Reyna's proposal for the SB to work with Council, Simpson Baird said. “I think that we have the expertise on schools. We know what our schools need in a way that the council just can’t know because they’re not steeped in the work like we are.”

I believe that the city-provided sketch indicates staff is proposing to remove two parking spaces to Commonwealth to accommodate a crosswalk across Commonwealth.

IIUC annexation resulted in new and unnamed streets that officials wanted to “systematize" so in 1953 the Alex City Council adopted Ordinance No. 769, which stated that streets running in a generally north–south direction “shall, insofar as possible, bear the names of Confederate military leaders.”

Before-After Project Evaluations DDOT website sharing information about Before/After project evaluations.

Try this link to a list of DDOT Before /After reports and then select the 9th street project... before-after-evaluations.ddot.dc.gov#projects

Here's the full page/analysis for 9th street:https://before-after-evaluations.ddot.dc.gov/pages/9th-st-analysis~0f1ea273780a4bbc9f1bf214871c9de4

Before/after analysis of separated bike and ped facilities consistently show safety benefits and increases in number of people walking and bicycling... maybe near Braddock Rd Metro in #AlexandriaVA soon!

ACPS' draft CIP budget for the next 6 years is 26% ($58M) higher than estimates of available City revenue for ACPS' capital needs over that period. Is Sup. Kay-Wyatt expecting School Board members to close a 26% CIP budget gap via Add/Deletes by Dec 11?

The Flamingo Is Open | Virginia Theological Seminary

The last time I checked, the Flamingo Cafe at the Virginia Theological Seminary was also open - good placed for a coffee, espresso or pastry during the day. vts.edu/deans-commen...

Iowa City Made Its Buses Free. Traffic Cleared, and So Did the Air.

Great article re: the value of fare free buses. Ridership in Iowa City "surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 18 percent." By combining fare free with frequent, all-day service in high density areas @dashbusva.bsky.social ridership was 40% higher in 2024 than in 2019!
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/c...

The boards voted to replace the word "adopt" with "endorse" before approving the resoluton. While the article correctly says the boards endorsed the DMVMoves plan, some might see the headline's use of the word "adopt" as a bit misleading.