The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is preparing to start work on more than a dozen infrastructure projects aimed at making roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized travelers.
The department announced yesterday (Thursday) that it has finalized a list of 16 planned crosswalks, sidewalks, pedestrian signals and other improvements after soliciting public input this spring and securing $9.9 million in funding authorized by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 25.
“Improved crosswalks, sidewalks, trails and traffic safety enhancements will help make biking, walking and rolling safer and more accessible for everyone,” FCDOT Active Transportation Section Chief Laura Ghosh said in a press release.
Now in a “pre-scoping phase” that includes an official feasibility assessment, the newly approved and funded projects are:
Braddock District
- Construct approximately 20 feet of new pathway to fill a gap along the east side of Maple Avenue at the John Robert Way intersection
- Provide crosswalk safety improvements at the Guinea Road intersection with Olley Lane and Harford Lane
Dranesville District
- Enhance the existing marked crosswalk on Great Falls Street at Sea Cliff Road
Franconia District
- Install new marked crosswalks on the northern and western approaches of the Backlick Road and Spring Garden intersection
- Improve the existing marked crosswalk on Franconia Road at the Mark Twain Elementary entrance and Craft Road
- Install a marked crosswalk on Ladson Lane at Evergreen Farm Place and the Costco entrance
Hunter Mill District
- Install new marked crosswalk with a pedestrian refuge island at the entrance to Floris Elementary School on Centreville Road
- Provide a new marked crosswalk with additional safety enhancements, potentially including a pedestrian signal and median refuge, across Reston Parkway at the Hopper Street intersection
Mason District
- Construct approximately 200 feet of new pathway along the west side of Carlin Springs Road just north of the Seminary Road intersection
Mount Vernon District
- Provide pedestrian signals for the existing crosswalks at Sherwood Hall Lane and Parkers Lane, along with other improvements to include curb ramps and high-visibility crosswalk markings
- Improve existing crosswalks at the Lorton Road intersection with Lorton Station Boulevard and Armistead Road.
Providence District
- Upgrade crosswalks at the Vaden Drive and Royal Victoria Drive intersection to improve access to the Providence Community Center
- Improve the existing marked crosswalk on Eskridge Road at Strawberry Lane
Springfield District
- Install a marked crosswalk and other safety enhancements, including a possible pedestrian refuge or curb extensions, curb ramps and new lighting, on Hillside Road at the Hall Street and Timber Hollow Lane intersection
- Improve the existing crosswalks at the Monument Drive and Fair Ridge Drive intersection
Sully District
- Construct approximately 300 feet of new pathway along the east side of Metrotech Drive north of Route 50
With the addition of these improvements, Fairfax County has now allocated $65.2 million over four rounds to 93 different projects as part of a commitment made by the Board of Supervisors in 2021 to dedicate $100 million over the next six years to active transportation safety and accessibility needs.
In response to board complaints about the sluggish pace of implementing the identified projects, FCDOT leaders shared a revised process in April that involves seeking public input earlier and more often, among other changes, in the hopes of speeding up planning, design and other steps toward construction.
According to FCDOT, the Board of Supervisors has approved a total of $82.1 million for the initiative, an amount that includes funding for “supportive functions such as trail and traffic safety device maintenance” on top of the $65.2 million committed to specific projects.
With its Aug. 25 vote, the Board of Supervisors greenlit $25.4 million that also included:
- Over $10.8 million in additional funding for some of the previously approved active transportation projects
- $50,000 for the Fairfax County Police Department to provide speed display signs and collect traffic data
- $420,000 for planning related to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s repaving program
- $1.1 million to match a $4.56 million federal grant for the county’s Safe Streets for All program, which will produce a Roadway Safety Action Plan for addressing fatal and serious-injury crashes
- $1.9 million for Capital Bikeshare, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon, and Fairfax County Park Authority trail maintenance
“An additional $8.94 million funding allocation is anticipated in the coming months,” FCDOT said regarding the next round of active transportation project approvals.
