Like many local and state officials in Virginia, the Trump administration appears to be growing impatient with a perceived lack of progress by Maryland to replace the American Legion Memorial Bridge.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced last week (Dec. 9) that the Federal Highway Administration will seek feedback and proposals on ways to accelerate the delivery of a new bridge in the hopes of relieving congestion on the Capital Beltway (I-495/I-270).
After 97 days, the Braddock District once again has its own representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Rachna Sizemore Heizer was formally sworn in yesterday (Tuesday), having won last week’s special election for the seat. She officially succeeds James Walkinshaw, who resigned after being elected to Congress earlier this year.
Federal Agency Investigating Fatal Taxi Crash — “The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced Tuesday that it would be launching an investigation into a fatal crash in Fairfax County that happened one day earlier. One person was killed and three people were injured in a crash involving a Metrobus, a taxi cab and a minivan.” [DC News Now]
ICYMI: Bulova Wins Democratic Primary — Democratic voters in Virginia’s 11th House District nominated Gretchen Bulova in a quick firehouse primary yesterday (Tuesday) “to succeed her husband, David Bulova, after the delegate resigned last Friday (Dec. 12) to accept an appointment in Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s administration.” [FFXnow]
D.C. Region Joins Uber Lawsuit — “Nineteen states, including Virginia, Maryland and D.C., filed a joint lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission against Uber on Monday. The complaint says Uber didn’t follow through on advertised savings, charged consumers during their free trial periods, and signed up users for Uber One without their consent.” [WTOP]
Virginia Honors Civil Rights Activist With Statue — A statue of Barbara Rose Johns was unveiled at the U.S. Capitol yesterday (Tuesday), replacing one of Confederate General Robert E. Lee as a representation of Virginia in the visitor center’s Emancipation Hall. At 16, Johns organized a walkout at her high school in Farmville to protest conditions at the segregated facility, setting the stage for the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling. [NPR]
Metro Funding Question Goes to General Assembly — “As the Virginia legislature prepares to return to Richmond, the ball is in lawmakers’ court to respond to what Metro and regional officials say is a crucial moment for transit in Northern Virginia and the D.C. region. They will also have to weigh Metro’s needs with a panoply of other budget pressures facing the commonwealth.” [WAMU]
Local Soldier Reunites With Family — “Volunteers were hard at work inside the American Red Cross office in Fairfax Monday night. They were packing stockings and writing cards for patients at military hospitals at Fort Belvoir and Walter Reed. Little did the Konczal family know, as they arrived, that their son, US Army PFC Patrick Konczal, was there too.” [WUSA9]
Tysons Event Planning Company Buys Startup — “Cvent, a portfolio company of private equity giant Blackstone, announced Monday it has acquired Goldcast, a fast-growing Boston startup that uses artificial intelligence to produce video content for events and webinars. A deal price was not disclosed, but Axios reported Cvent paid just under $300 million in cash.” [Washington Business Journal]
Pickleball Tournament Raises Funds for Youth — “A pickleball tournament on Saturday at the Down the Line Sports Center in Annandale raised funds for Asian American LEAD, an organization that supports after-school leadership development programs for Asian American youths. The event featured a pickleball clinic, recreational games, and a tournament for competitive players.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny conditions today, as the temperature reaches a high near 49 degrees. The southwest wind of about 7 mph will shift west in the afternoon. For Wednesday night, the sky will be partly cloudy, with the temperature dropping to around 30 degrees, accompanied by a light and variable wind. [NWS]
Virginia’s 11th House District will likely be represented by another Bulova, starting next year.
Democratic voters in the district nominated Gretchen M. Bulova in a quick firehouse primary today (Tuesday) to succeed her husband, David Bulova, after the delegate resigned last Friday (Dec. 12) to accept an appointment in Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s administration.
By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday he won’t forget the 67 people who died when an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., in January, insisting he won’t allow operations in the airspace over the nation’s capital to revert back to the way they were before the crash.
They had signed up to make public comments at the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ final meeting of 2025, and about five hours behind schedule, they finally got the opportunity.
The public comment period provided at select board meetings typically is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., but because it is the last item on the agenda, it can start late.
An affordable independent living complex planned in the Lake Barcroft area near Falls Church has secured key financing to move forward.
At its meeting on Dec. 9, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously authorized the county’s Redevelopment and Housing Authority to issue $16 million in tax-exempt bonds for the $51.6 million Kindred Crossing project.
Prices of single-family homes declined year-over-year, but townhouses and condominiums saw increases across Fairfax County in November, according to new data.
The average sales price of a single-family home countywide dipped 3.2% to $1,138,036, according to figures reported Dec. 10 by MarketStats by ShowingTime.
Plans are solidifying for another data center facility in the Route 28 corridor just east of Dulles International Airport.
A Fairfax County planner affirmed this month that a proposed data center would be “suitable” for the former Word of Grace Christian Church property at 13832 Redskin Drive in Herndon, and that the facility would be “fully consistent” with local ordinances, according to a letter uploaded to the county’s land use database yesterday (Monday).
It wasn’t unanimous, but the leaders of Virginia’s largest locality have gone on record supporting a regional plan for funding to sustain Metro into the future.
With a 8-1 vote on Dec. 9, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors backed the DMV Moves initiative started by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to identify dedicated funding options for the rail and bus transit system.
