As featured on Urban Turf
In November, the concept of an aerial gondola connecting Rosslyn and Georgetown seemed to be gaining momentum after a study concluded that the transit option is feasible as long as the political will to follow through exists. Now, it looks like the will on one side of the Potomac is up in the air.
On Friday, Arlington County Board chair Jay Fisette released a letter stating that the Board does not support moving forward on the transit option right now, citing the transportation projects outlined in the County’s Master Transportation Plan as priorities.
The view on Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn looking north.
“The Rosslyn-Georgetown gondola is not a project included in our recently approved Capital Improvement Plan,” the statement reads. “Given our identified and pressing transportation needs, along with some ongoing concerns about the long-term value of the gondola, the Board is not in favor of any further funding of the gondola project.”
Despite the Board opting not to support the gondola effort in the near-term future, stakeholders on the opposite side of the river remain confident.
“Arlington County has a lot on its plate and we are respectful of their priorities,” Georgetown BID president Joe Sternlieb wrote to UrbanTurf. “The Gondola really is part of a regional transit solution and it will require more regional voices and greater vision and leadership than we have organized to date. We will continue to meet with leaders on the DC side of the river to plan for further study, and if a decision is made to proceed, regional partners will revisit the plan with the Arlington County Board to come up with a mutually agreeable path forward.”