The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is expanding outreach efforts as it studies options for improving the stretch of Route 29 from Falls Church west to the Capital Beltway (I-495).
After gathering input at an in-person meeting on May 19, county transportation officials have launched a new online community survey as part of the Route 29 Active Transportation Study that will run through June 30.
An online community meeting conducted in Spanish will be held on Wednesday, June 10 at 7 p.m.
“It was a great meeting with some good conversation with the community,” FCDOT spokesman Benjamin Boxer told FFXnow.
At the meeting, transportation planning staff laid out three broad alternatives for addressing ways to modernize the corridor:
- Option A: Focusing on intersection improvements
- Option B: Focusing primarily on updates to roads and sidewalks
- Option C: Focusing mains on upgrades to service roads
The May 19 presentation looked at how each of those options would play out in the various segments of the corridor, which primarily includes Fairfax County, but its northeastern side also takes in a portion of the City of Falls Church.
No specific dollar figures were attached to the various options, but FCDOT staff noted which would be relatively inexpensive and those that would be more costly.
Planners also discussed the results of an online survey conducted in November and December, which drew more than 600 responses.
Improvements to sidewalks and crosswalks drew the most interest among survey respondents, who also mentioned a need for upgrades to roads and bicycle facilities, additional trails or shared-use paths, increased tree canopy and ways to lower speeding.
Some respondents expressed opposition to widening the roadway, fearing it would bring more speed and dangerous conditions.
That stretch of Route 29 was the site of two recent pedestrian crashes, one in 2021 and the other in 2025.
Other input will be accepted through June 30 in the current round of engagement. FCDOT’s plans call for the next round to take place in the fall, followed by the release of a preferred concept design for improvements.
