A streetlight on North Street in front of Draper's Steak and Seafood in Fairfax City (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
More of the gas-powered lamps around Old Town Fairfax will dim in the coming weeks, as the city advances to a new phase of its push to convert all streetlights to LED bulbs.
To kick off the project’s next stage, workers will remove 33 decommissioned gas lights this month, starting Sunday (July 14) on Chain Bridge Road between Main Street and North Street. Additional work is planned for July 21 on Main Street from Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) to Blenheim Blvd and on a portion of University Drive south of Main Street.
Fairfax County Police Officer First Class Brian Hungarter is the new lead traffic enforcement officer for the McLean District Police Station (via Dranesville Dispatch)
The Fairfax County Police Department has assigned an officer to guide the enforcement of traffic laws and safety in its McLean District.
Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman shared in his Dranesville Dispatch newsletter yesterday that Police Officer First Class Brian Hungarter has been named the lead traffic enforcement officer for the station, which covers a 44-square-mile area from McLean, Great Falls and Tysons down to Merrifield and Pimmit Hills.
W&OD Trail users will be detoured while a pedestrian bridge is installed near Reston Town Center (courtesy Boston Properties)
The Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail will be momentarily off limits near Reston Town Center, as construction continues on a new pedestrian bridge.
The trail will be closed from Friday, July 26 through Sunday, July 28 while workers install the bridge, which will cross over the trail to connect the existing town center with the Reston Next development emerging around the Metro station.
Crossing University Drive at Main Street in Fairfax City (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Scam Warning From County Animal Shelter — “SCAM ALERT! We’ve become aware of scammers falsely claiming to represent our shelter, calling pet owners alleging that we have their pets and requesting funds for urgent medical expenses. If you receive any suspicious communications, please hang up and contact us directly.” [Fairfax County Animal Shelter/Twitter]
McLean Rower Has Qualified for Olympics — “Fifteen athletes from Virginia have qualified for the Paris Summer Olympic Games as Team USA continues to take shape. Among those 15 Virginians is 27-year-old Claire Collins of McLean, who is a member of the U.S. Women’s Rowing Team.” [Patch]
Culmore Library Renaming Approved — “The Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees voted on July 10 to rename the Woodrow Wilson Library the Culmore Community Library…Over the past few months, the Library Board received numerous comments from the community urging the board to change the name citing Wilson’s support for racial segregation.” [Annandale Today]
Dulles Ranked Among World’s Best Airports — “Dulles International Airport ranks as the 11th best airport in the world, a ranking by AirHelp finds. AirHelp, a passenger rights tech company that assists passengers with flight disruptions, crunched data for 239 of the world’s busiest airports in 69 countries.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Local Delegate Reflects on General Assembly Session — “Active, highly partisan and ultimately productive are how Del. Rip Sullivan (D-McLean) described this year’s General Assembly session at the McLean Citizens Association’s July 3 board meeting.” His adopted bills included ones that address tree preservation and allergic reaction awareness training. [Gazette Leader]
Park Authority Recognizes Top Volunteers — “At its meeting on July 10, the Fairfax County Park Authority Board approved a resolution honoring 23 individuals as outstanding volunteers. These peer-nominated individuals were recognized for their dedication to their community and their invaluable service to the Fairfax County park system.” [FCPA]
Virginia Named No. 1 State for Business — “With the nation’s best education system and policies that give companies room — both literally and figuratively — to grow, Virginia is America’s Top State for Business in 2024. This is the Old Dominion’s sixth time at the top of CNBC’s rankings, and its third win in five years.” [CNBC]
It’s Friday — Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms, increasing after 7am with a high near 81. Precipitation likelihood is 90%, with new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch. Friday night brings a 70% chance of showers. Temperatures dip to around 73, and another quarter to half an inch of rain is expected. [NWS]
Three northbound lanes on I-95 are closed to traffic after an overhead sign was damaged by a dump truck (via 511Virginia)
Virginia State Police are searching for a dump truck that reportedly crashed into an overhead sign on I-95 in Springfield and bolted.
Troopers were dispatched to northbound I-95 at 12:18 p.m. today (Thursday) after getting a report of debris near the 168-mile marker, which is just south of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway interchange, according to the VSP.
A Fairfax Connector bus (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Fairfax County is set to receive close to $51 million from the federal government to buy 60 new diesel-electric hybrid Connector buses.
Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner announced yesterday (Wednesday) that the county has been awarded over $50.5 million for the buses from the Federal Transportation Administration’s Low or No Emission Grant program, which has funded more than 1,100 buses in 47 states.
Herndon Town Manager Bill Ashton will resign on Sept. 10, 2024 after getting appointed as county administrator for Stafford (courtesy Town of Herndon)
Herndon Town Manager Bill Ashton’s nearly three-decade-long career with the town government will come to a close this fall.
The town announced last night (Wednesday) that Ashton will resign as its top administrative official in order to take a new job as county administrator for Stafford. His final day as town manager will be Sept. 10.
A proposed mixed-use building at 10306 Eaton Place in Fairfax City (courtesy of Capital City Real Estate)
Fairfax City will soon see the construction of a seven-story residential and retail building next to WillowWood Plaza along Eaton Place following a near-unanimous vote of approval from the city council earlier this week.
The new development, dubbed “N29 Apartments,” will replace a 328-space, 2.96-acre parking lot at 10306 Eaton Place, adjacent to a 1980s-era office complex.
Westbound Route 29 approaching Fairmont Street in Idylwood (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Fairfax County wants to come up with a new vision for the Idylwood segment of Route 29, one that’s more inclusive of modes of transportation other than cars.
The Board of Supervisors authorized transportation staff on June 25 to apply for $175,000 in federal grant money to fund the development of an active transportation plan for Route 29 between Hollywood Road and Route 7 (Leesburg Pike).
Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods (staff photo by David Taube)
Reston Community Center (RCC) will update its Hunters Woods facility this summer, requiring some reductions in programming and a temporary closure of its swimming pool.
Starting on July 22, contractors are slated to replace the elevator and install solar panels, among other energy improvements, in the nearly 50-year-old flagship building at 2310 Colts Neck Road. The Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center will be closed during construction, which is expected to last through Sept. 6.
