Work will start this month on improvements to pedestrian and bicyclist connectivity around the Innovation Center Metro Station.
Fairfax County public officials broke ground yesterday (Wednesday) on the Innovation Station North Neighborhood Access Project, which will directly link the Metro station’s kiss-and-ride parking lot to adjacent neighborhoods at Farougi Court and Apgar Place.
The new path will shorten trips from two to three miles long to around half of a mile, according to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.
“This project is not just about infrastructure; it’s about creating a community that prioritizes accessibility and connectivity,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in a press release. “By reducing the distance between our neighborhoods and the Metrorail stations, we’re investing in a more sustainable future for our residents.”
In addition to a 10-foot-wide, 1,450-foot-long asphalt shared-use path, the project includes two 14-foot-wide pedestrian bridges over Horsepen Creek and the installation of trail lighting along both the path and bridges.
The hired contractor, Fort Myer Construction Corporation, is expected to start construction this October and wrap up in the fall of next year, FCDOT said.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to enhancing the quality of life in Herndon,” Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said. “This project will provide residents safe and accessible paths for walking and biking while also creating a much faster way for residents to access public transportation options.”
Funded by county tax dollars, the project grew out of a Herndon Metrorail Stations Access Management Study completed in 2014 that recommended pedestrian and bicycle improvements to support the upcoming Herndon and Innovation Center stations, which finally opened with the Silver Line’s second phase in November 2022.
As of this past February, 10 projects had been completed, and one to add 2,100 feet of a two-way cycle track on the south side of Herndon Parkway from the Washington and Old Dominion Trail to Fairbrook Drive was under construction. A cycle track on Sunrise Valley Drive is in the design phase.
Two projects — a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Dulles Toll Road at Monroe Street and spot improvements to a bridge in Dulles Station Community Park — are on hold.
