The City of Fairfax will have to look for other funding means to add a new sidewalk after it missed out on potential financing from the regional Transportation Planning Board.
The city had applied for $3.25 million in funding to construct a sidewalk on Norman Avenue between the Chain Bridge Road Service Road and Hill Street. The funding would have covered a significant part of the project’s $10.8 million estimated cost.
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, staffed by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), approves projects to receive federal Transportation Alternatives funds stemming from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Fairfax City’s project was not among the seven chosen last month to receive funding in the 2027-2028 program.
The Norman Avenue sidewalk project ranked ninth out of the 16 projects submitted from Northern Virginia and 24th of 78 projects across the state.
Projects adding new sidewalks and shared-use paths or filling in gaps were approved in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William counties, the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. Another approved project in the Town of Vienna will make an existing sidewalk on Ayr Hill Avenue compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In a statement to FFXnow, COG noted this round of the Transportation Alternatives program was competitive, and the $27.6 million funding requests exceeded the $12.5 million funding allocation.
“Considering this funding level, the TPB’s Selection Panel applied criteria based on regional priorities to select the projects that should receive funding,” COG said in the statement.
“These criteria include: improving roadway safety, expanding transportation options, supporting Regional Activity Centers, providing access to high-capacity transit and Transit Access Focus Areas (TAFAs), access for low-income communities, and supporting the National Capital Trail Network, providing safe access to schools, and increasing access for people with disabilities.”
The city pursued the project after the Cobbdale neighborhood submitted a 2020 petition for a feasibility study on adding a sidewalk along Norman Avenue, which doesn’t have a sidewalk except for a partial block between Hill Street and Cobb Drive. After a feasibility study, the city recommended sidewalk curb and gutter on the south side of Norman Avenue.
The city has not yet decided how the project will move forward without the federal funds.
“The sidewalk project will be discussed with the city council as part of our next Two-Year Transportation Program,” city spokesperson Matthew Kaiser told FFXnow.
Updated annually, the Two-Year Transportation Program identifies projects that the city plans to prioritize for funding. Since a new list for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 was approved by the city council at its Feb. 25 meeting, the Norman Avenue sidewalk won’t be added until next year. The projects currently included are:
- An evaluation of Fairfax Circle
- Hiring a planning consultant to design wayfinding for the city’s bicycle routes
- Intersection improvements at Main Street and Lyndhurst Street
- Improvements on the north side of the Vienna Metro station
- A feasibility study for a sidewalk on Rust Road and Westmore Drive
Image via Google Maps
