When Fairfax City voters go to the polls in November, they’ll be asked to grant approval for a general retail sales tax increase of up to 1% for construction and renovation of school and/or public transportation purposes.
To give voters the details they need to decide, City of Fairfax Public Schools will host a series of informational meetings about the referendum, starting this week.
The “kiss and ride” pick-up and drop-off sections at many Fairfax County Public Schools are overextended to the point of becoming the school system’s “most significant operational concern districtwide,” a new staff report found.
The results of a Safe Routes to Schools assessment conducted over the past year and a half were presented to the Fairfax County School Board yesterday (Sept. 8) as part of a discussion of pedestrian and traffic safety around schools, just one week after a student was hit by a car while walking to South Lakes High School in Reston.
Local bus networks serving both Fairfax County and Fairfax City posted year-over-year passenger declines in fiscal year 2026, even as transit usage increased more broadly across Northern Virginia.
Fairfax Connector saw a drop of 1.1% and Fairfax City’s CUE service was down 4.5%, according to data from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation as analyzed by FFXnow.
Gold-colored robotaxis developed by Tesla have been spotted driving on roads in Fairfax County, specifically in the Tysons area.
Footage shared last Thursday (Sept. 3) by NBC4 Washington and its transportation reporter, Adam Tuss, showed a so-called Cybercab traveling on Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and turning into a residential neighborhood off Lewinsville Road in McLean. The self-driving vehicles appear to be collecting data on local roads and traffic.
County to Host 9/11 Ceremony — “Fairfax County’s public safety agencies and county leaders will hold a remembrance ceremony on Friday, Sept. 11, at 10:10 a.m. commemorating all those impacted 25 years ago by the 2001 event. The ceremony will take place at the county’s Public Safety Headquarters in Fairfax, though the public is invited to watch the ceremony live online.” [Fairfax County Government]
Mechanic Killed in Bus Collapse Mourned — “A Virginia mechanic killed while working beneath a tour bus at Wolf Trap is being remembered by friends and colleagues across the country as a beloved husband, father and expert troubleshooter who earned the nickname ‘The Bus Doctor.'” [WTOP]
Rehab Planned for Va. to D.C. Bridge — “A rehabilitation project on the I-395 northbound bridge over the Potomac River has taken a key step forward. The construction firm Skanska has been awarded a $114 million design-build contract to conduct renovations and upgrades on the bridge … Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, Skanska said in a press release.” [ARLnow]
Tysons VC Firm Nabs Pentagon Contract — Red Cell Partners has “inked a one-year federal contract with the Defense Department’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office” that’s projected to generate up to $100 million in new revenue for startups in its portfolio. The company will identify “slow, manual or redundant processes” that could be made more efficient with AI or other tools developed by its startups. [Washington Business Journal]
Beyer Discusses Economic Challenges — “U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Alexandria, joined a recent call with small business owners from around the country to discuss economic challenges Americans are facing due to rising healthcare, food and fuel costs, which he said are the result of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans not meeting their promise to lower costs.” [Virginia Mercury]
Foster Family Wanted for Reston Cats — “Oliver, a 4-year-old tabby, and Princess Peach, a 2-year-old tuxedo cat, need a temporary foster home together from Oct. 15, 2026, through April 20, 2027, according to Operation Foster. Their owner is deploying to the Middle East.” [Patch]
Reston Bank to Acquire Rival — “John Marshall Bancorp in Reston, Va., has agreed to buy Eagle Financial Services in Berryville, Va. The $2.4 billion-asset John Marshall said in a press release that it will pay $253 million in stock for the $1.8 billion-asset parent of the Bank of Clarke.” The deal is John Marshall’s first-ever acquisition since it was established by local business leaders 20 years ago, the Washington Business Journal says. [Bank Slate]
Woodson Graduate Finishes Epic Run — “A Woodson High School graduate who saw his professional career as a tri-athlete go up in flames has found redemption by completing a 2,000-mile run from Boulder, Colo., to Washington, D.C. Collin Chartier celebrated the end of the journey Aug. 30 at the Lincoln Memorial after completing the last 20 miles on the W&OD trail with members of the Marymount cross-country team.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny weather with a high near 88 degrees and a south wind blowing at 7 to 11 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 72 degrees. A southwest wind will continue at about 11 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Association Drive’s long-contemplated transition from office park to mixed-use neighborhood could start with townhomes.
An affiliate of the home builder Toll Brothers is seeking to redevelop the office building at 1902 Association Drive in Reston with 54 rear-loaded townhouses, according to a rezoning application submitted to Fairfax County on Aug. 31.
Fairfax County officials have started making preparations for what they anticipate will be another challenging budget season next spring.
“The low-hanging fruit is gone,” Philip Hagen, director of the county’s Department of Management and Budget, told the Board of Supervisors at its Budget Policy Committee meeting on Sept. 1.
Seven Fairfax County playgrounds will get a glow-up this fall, as the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) updates the areas to improve accessibility and provide new amenities.
The playgrounds getting updates are located in Borge Street Neighborhood Park in Oakton, Bren Mar Park and Lincolnia Park in Lincolnia, Cub Run Stream Valley Park in Centreville, and Loisdale Park in Springfield, according to a press release from the FCPA.
Fairfax County in July recorded its largest number of residents employed since September 2025, but jobless totals remained higher than at the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term.
With 616,156 county residents employed in the civilian workforce and 21,819 looking for jobs, Fairfax’s July 2026 jobless rate was 3.4%, according to figures reported Sept. 2 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
Three people died Sunday afternoon (Sept. 6) after their SUV crashed into a truck carrying oxygen tanks on I-66 in Dunn Loring.
At around 4:10 p.m., the driver of a Honda Pilot struck the rear of a truck transporting oxygen tanks that was stopped in the westbound express lanes at mile marker 64.3 near the I-495 interchange, according to the Virginia State Police.
