Fairfax City is eyeing a potential solution to fix a trail project that was approved and fully funded while minimizing financial penalties as a result of the city council canceling a different planned extension earlier this year.
During a council work session on Tuesday (May 26), staff proposed that the project — previously called the George Snyder Trail Extension — be renamed the Wilcoxon Trail Extension, and add on-street paths along Draper Drive, instead of connecting to existing trails by cutting through parkland.
Wilcoxon Trail currently extends from Pickett Road and across Blenheim Blvd before ending abruptly on the south side of Fairfax Blvd. The proposed changes would eliminate a planned addition on the north side of Fairfax Blvd and instead pivot to creating a pathway on Draper Drive and Beech Drive to Draper Drive Park.
“The project overall was designed to improve multimodal connectivity along Fairfax Boulevard, between our various trails in the city,” said Wendy Sanford, the city’s transportation director.
Fairfax City was awarded $9.5 million by the state to improve trail connectivity, meaning the Virginia Department of Transportation must approve modifications for the city not to face financially impacted.
The department has preliminarily indicated that the modifications would be “an applicable and valid way to change the alignment,” Sanford said. The money became available in July 2025.
“So it’s been online now for almost a year, but no work has been completed yet,” said Sanford. “And we are at this point considering a modification that maintains the project benefit, does not impact its score, and complies with the VDOT’s Smart Scale parameters and the scope and intent of the project that was originally awarded funding.”
The Wilcoxon Trail extension was originally intended to connect to a long-planned project to expand George Snyder Trail to the east through Stafford Drive and Ranger Road parks and to the west, where it would’ve linked up to Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road).
Though the project would’ve improved pedestrian and bicyclist connections to Fairfax County, city council members voted 4-2 on Jan. 13 to cancel it, citing environmental impacts.
For years, the George Snyder Trail project had been a contentious issue in the city, with some residents advocating for additional pathways to bike and walk, and others citing concerns about safety and the loss of trees.
Last month, VDOT sent the city a bill for $3.7 million in concessionaire funding for the cancellation of the Snyder trail.
“We’ve already had some preliminary conversations with VDOT about this project, because again, this is Smart Scale funding, and it’s very regulated in terms of making modifications,” said Sanford. “But they have looked at this, and in light of the fact that the George Snyder Trail … would not exist for this to connect to that, pivoting and utilizing Draper Drive makes sense.”
While assessing the viability of the changes to the Wilcoxon extension project will have costs, the city can pay for it using money that is already appropriated and set aside for development of the project, Sanford said.
A feasibility study will cost about $110,000 to assess whether a shared-use path or separated sidewalks and bicycle lanes would be the best fit for the project; confirm the overall cost; identify if the city would need to acquire property to complete the project; and detail impacts on parking and utilities.
City staff do not anticipate a need to cut down trees for the project, and are hopeful that utilities will not have to be moved.
Council members said they anticipate having additional questions upon completion of the feasibility study, but their initial reception to the proposal was positive.
“[I] just wanted to add my support for this,” Councilmember Thomas Peterson said, “but also call out the value of this entire road network within the neighborhoods being enabled in terms of bike safety and bike use.”
“This is such a reasonable and well-thought-out pivot from the north side of the extension going to nowhere,” said Councilmember Stacy Hardy-Chandler. “So, I really appreciate your team taking a look at where we are under the circumstances, really figuring out an alternative that is viable.”
Trail screenshot via Google Maps
