bicycling | FFXnow

Morning Notes

Published May 2, 2022 at 7:30AM

The crowds returned for the first Taste of Vienna since the COVID-19 pandemic started (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

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Former Falls Church Bicycle Shop Owner’s Mythology Unravels — “We’re not just talking about one man’s fabrications, but the ripples from those fabrications: a team of riders that allege abuse at [Nick] Clark’s hands, a series of embellished life events stretching back to the 1990s, ties with the political and military elite, alleged misrepresentations across multiple industries, and possible stolen military valour.” [Cycling Tips]

Countywide

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published April 29, 2022 at 7:30AM

A woodpecker perches on a tree branch (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

FCPS Proposes Limiting Phone and Social Media Use — “Proposed updates to school policies in Fairfax County Public Schools would ban students from using social media sites for non-academic purposes during school hours and define when cellphones can be used during the school day.” The phone policy has already been implemented at Herndon middle and high schools. [WTOP]

Falls Church Development Under Construction — Developer Insight Property Group will break ground today (Friday) on its 2.7-acre Broad and Washington project, which has been in the works since 2015. The mixed-use development will eventually include a 50,000-square-foot Whole Foods, 339 residential units, space for the theater nonprofit Creative Cauldron, a public plaza, and ground-floor retail. [Falls Church News-Press]

Countywide

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published April 14, 2022 at 7:30AM

Lying down at the Vienna Town Green (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

School Board to Appoint New Superintendent Tonight — “The Fairfax County School Board will be announcing the final candidate for the next Superintendent of Schools at tomorrow night’s School Board meeting. The Board will also vote on the candidate’s appointment.” [FCPS]

School Board Defends TJ Admissions Policy to Supreme Court — The Fairfax County School Board said in a filing to the U.S. Supreme Court that an appeals court was “entirely within its authority” to let the admissions policy for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology stay in place while legal proceedings continue. [WTOP]

Countywide

VDOT plans bicycle lanes, improved crosswalks in Fairfax County

By David Taube

Published April 12, 2022 at 12:45PM

A road project replaces pavement (file photo via Fairfax County Department of Transportation)

Road paving and striping season has arrived.

The Fairfax County and Virginia transportation departments will hold multiple public meetings this month on proposed pedestrian crossing and road changes for 2022.

News

On-road bicycle lanes, crosswalk upgrades proposed in Dunn Loring

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 11, 2022 at 12:00PM

Wolf Trap Road off of Gallows ends at a bicycle route (via Google Maps)

A pair of streets linking Vienna and Dunn Loring could be altered to make room for bicycle lanes as part of an annual paving and restriping program.

The Fairfax County and Virginia transportation departments have proposed narrowing the travel and parking lanes on Cottage Street and Wolf Trap Road so bicycle lanes can be added “where possible.”

News

Cycling paths proposed for Sunrise Valley Drive to Innovation Metro station

By David Taube

Published March 21, 2022 at 3:00PM

A cycle path is slated for federal funds near Sunrise Valley Drive (staff photo by David Taube)

Fairfax County plans to seek additional funding for cycling tracks that will run from Fairfax County Parkway to the yet-to-open Innovation Center Metro station in McNair.

Fairfax County has secured $6 million to reconstruct a nearly 3-mile section of Sunset Valley Drive that has sidewalks but no paths dedicated to bicycles. The county government is looking to apply for nearly $17.5 million more from the U.S. Transportation Department.

Countywide

Residents, advocacy groups rally for Route 7 safety upgrades

By David Taube

Published March 16, 2022 at 11:15AM | Updated February 27, 2023 at 1:09PM

CASA members call for safety upgrades to Route 7 in Bailey's Crossroads (staff photo by David Taube)

Families, including young children, called for changes yesterday (Tuesday) to make the Route 7 corridor in Bailey’s Crossroads safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

At a rally organized by the immigrant advocacy organization CASA and the transit nonprofit Coalition for Smarter Growth at the corner of Route 7 and Glen Carlyn Drive, mother Viviana Valverde, who is pregnant with her third child, said through a translator that the area has become more dangerous due to a lack of signage.

Countywide

High gas prices prompt some Fairfax County residents to adjust habits

By David Taube

Published March 15, 2022 at 12:45PM

A Sunoco gas station in McNair had its unleaded gas price surpass $4.41 per gallon on Sunday, March 13 (photo by David Taube)

Gas pump prices nationwide have been hitting record highs, with the average cost per gallon at $4.38 in Fairfax County today (Tuesday).

While there has been a slight dip since prices peaked on Friday (March 11), AAA reports that consumers “can expect the current trend at the pump to continue as long as crude prices climb.”

News

Traffic safety groups implore officials to make upgrades for pedestrians, cyclists after recent deaths

By David Taube

Published January 20, 2022 at 3:30PM | Updated June 13, 2022 at 6:55PM

Traffic safety advocates from across the D.C. area have banded together to urge local officials to make improvements that they believe could help prevent the next death of a pedestrian or cyclist.

The campaign specifically focuses on the Route 7 corridor around Baileys Crossroads and Seven Corners after 68-year-old Nguyet Ly was hit and killed when walking along a section of Leesburg Pike without a sidewalk on Dec. 13.

News

Draft report sets goals for Fairfax County’s active transportation future

By Scott Fields

Published September 7, 2021 at 3:50PM | Updated September 7, 2021 at 4:16PM

Fairfax County is developing a program to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety (staff photo by Scott Fields)

Safety, access, and equity are among the top priorities for Fairfax County residents when it comes to envisioning the future of transportation in the area.

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation released a draft report on Aug. 31 for its ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan, which will combine and update the county’s Bicycle Master Plan and Countywide Trails Map into an overarching plan for amenities to support walking, cycling, and other self-propelled modes of travel.