Armed with new bikes and SmarTrip cards, two car-dependent men ditched their vehicles this month to pedal, walk or ride public transit for the next 30 days.
Matt Smith, 27, and Kyle Lewis, 26, beat out three other Arlington County residents to compete against each other as finalists in the county’s Car-Free Diet Skeptics Challenge in the hope of winning a year of free transit.
Meanwhile, more than 120 Arlington commercial property owners are competing to reduce their carbon footprints. And the County Board is considering an energy plan that would require 160 megawatts of solar panels, among other things, to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
This is part of Arlington’s long-term plan to be a green and sustainable community.
“This is something that has been part of the way Arlington has been functioning for many years,” said Chris Zimmerman (D), board chairman. “People recognize this is important and expect it of us.”
Arlington is not alone in this quest. Myriad projects are underway in the Washington region as local governments race to make cleaner, “greener” neighborhoods. Under financial and legislative constraints, jurisdictions are nevertheless upgrading public buildings, streets and sewers to include the most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technology.
The changes aim to inspire residents and businesses to follow their lead, officials said.
A green roof will soon be installed on Alexandria’s City Hall. The roof, made of plants that soak up storm water and help insulate the building, will be visible from inside the planning office to encourage residents and developers to incorporate the idea into their designs. In return for taller buildings for its Tysons Corner headquarters, Mitre Corp. is including electric car filling stations into plans for the Fairfax County neighborhood. Montgomery County is developing programs to slow and rid storm water of pollutants before the water flows into regional waterways.
In the District, building owners are investing in renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, that equates to taking 102,000 cars off the road. Tunnels big enough to fit Metro trains are being built along the Anacostia River to handle harmful storm water. Rebate programs reward residents for installing solar panels or rain barrels.
“One of the reasons Washington is one of the greenest and most energy-efficient cities in the country is because we have everybody on board,” said Christophe A.G. Tulou, director of the District’s Department of the Environment. “We have a marketplace that demands these kinds of energy-efficient buildings we see going in. We have people in neighborhoods demanding to clean up rivers.”
The programs are paid for by a mix of federal, state and local taxes and grants. Alexandria City Hall’s green roof is being paid for with a federal grant. The $1 billion storm water tunnels being built along the Anacostia are funded through D.C. Water and Sewer Authority bills.
Legislative differences among the regional governments sometimes prove frustrating for lawmakers.
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