Updated at 9:45 p.m. on 3/6/2024 — Fairfax Connector workers with ATU Local 689 voted today (Wednesday) to ratify a new contract with bus operator Transdev, ending a 15-day strike, the union announced.
The bus system will officially resume service on Friday (March 8), according to Transdev and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.
“Our management teams and staff have been preparing to restore full bus service as soon as possible after approval of the new contract,” FCDOT said. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our passengers during this challenging time and look forward to welcoming them back on board.”
Earlier: An end to the strike that has kept Fairfax Connector buses on ice for nearly two weeks may be near.
ATU Local 689, the union representing more than 600 bus drivers and mechanics who run Fairfax County’s public bus service, have reached a “tentative” contract agreement with Transdev, the contractor that operates the service, the union announced tonight (Tuesday).
The news came just two hours after the Fairfax County Department of Transportation announced at 6 p.m. that service would be suspended tomorrow (Wednesday) for a 14th consecutive day.
According to an ATU spokesperson, the strike remains in effect, but union members won’t be picketing. Instead, they will vote on whether to ratify the new contract, which will set standards for pay, benefits and working conditions and replace one that expired on Nov. 30.
“If it passes, they could return to work as soon as Thursday,” ATU Local 689 spokesperson Ben Lynn said.
Fairfax Connector workers have been striking since Feb. 22, when the union called for a work stoppage, saying it remained far apart from Trandev in what they were seeking from a new contract, even after 12 bargaining sessions.
While details of the potential agreement aren’t currently available, Local 689 says it secured “major transformative improvements…that would guarantee retirement security for members, include competitive wages for bus operators and mechanics, and enhance the 40-hour guarantee,” among other priorities.
Transdev confirmed that it had reached “a mutually agreeable, tentative agreement.”
“The next step will be for the ATU 689 membership to vote on ratifying the contract tomorrow,” a Transdev spokesperson said. “We will immediately prioritize restoring full service as soon as possible.”
Fairfax Connector service has been suspended throughout the strike, disrupting travel for the approximately 26,000 passengers who ride its buses daily.
FCDOT encouraged riders to utilize alternatives such as teleworking, carpooling, walking, bicycling, Metro and Virginia Railway Express (VRE), though many commuters resorted to ride-sharing services. Starting last Friday (March 1 ), the county offered free Capital Bikeshare rides.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in a newsletter that participants in the Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP), which provides half-price fares to low-income riders, got “a supplemental one-time credit in their accounts that they can use for alternative transportation during the strike.”
Though initially criticized by the union for not taking a more vocal stance on the contract dispute, McKay got involved last week when he sent a letter to a federal mediator on Feb. 28, asking her to move up talks between Transdev and ATU that previously weren’t scheduled to resume until March 5.
In a statement, McKay said county leaders are “pleased” by the news of a tentative agreement, signaling that Fairfax Connector service could resume soon.
“The mutually agreeable solution that resulted from this effort not only respects the exemplary work of the system’s drivers and mechanics but ensures that we are moving forward in a fiscally responsible and sustainable manner that benefits our residents,” McKay said.
(Updated at 10 p.m.) A man has died after being shot by police outside of Tysons Corner Center mall.
Frantic police radio transmissions went out around 6:30 p.m., for mall-based Tysons Urban Team officers following a suspect in the parking lot outside of Bloomingdale’s. The suspect then reportedly entered the woods along Fashion Blvd, after which officers radioed that gunshots had been fired.
The man was brought to the Fairfax County Police Department’s attention by a loss prevention officer who reported that there was a theft in progress earlier this evening, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said in a 9 p.m. media briefing.
When the loss prevention officer led police to the person believed to be a suspect, the man fled, and two FCPD officers — one in uniform and one in plainclothes — chased him out of the mall, according to police.
“Probably a quarter of a mile or so later, the suspect approached a small wooded area, a small patch of trees and brush,” Davis said. “The suspect ran into that area. Our officers continued to chase him into that area, and at some point in time, our police officers…discharged their firearms.”
Davis said the man was hit at least once, though the number of shots fired haven’t been confirmed yet.
Police say the man received “immediate” medical attention after being shot in the chest. He was transported to a hospital, where he died, the FCPD said at 8:19 p.m.
Fashion Blvd was closed to traffic between Leesburg Pike and Tysons One Place. A police helicopter is flying overhead.
No police officers were injured, Davis confirmed. He said the scene will be blocked off into the morning, as police search for potential evidence.
While there’s no indication so far that the man was armed or fired any shots, Davis didn’t rule out the possibility that he may have had a weapon.
“We want to make sure that if anything was discarded, we have an opportunity to identify and discover it,” he said.
Davis said he couldn’t identify the man yet beyond confirming that he was an adult and male, but he’s apparently “well known” to law enforcement in the D.C. region
“His encounters with local law enforcement in the National Capital region span many years, and it’s a violent criminal history,” he said, though he didn’t share any details of that history or regarding the reported theft.
Tysons Corner Center has been rocked by public safety scares over the past year, most notably a shots-fired incident on June 18 that prompted a panicked evacuation. Noah Settles, a 23-year-old D.C. resident, pleaded guilty to four felony charges stemming from the shooting earlier this month.
The mall was also evacuated in August after shoppers mistook a light fixture shattering for gunshots. A police investigation of a robbery in Arlington on Dec. 19 and a robbery at Elite Jewelers on Jan. 1 also set off rumors of gunfire that turned out to be unfounded.
Davis noted that no stores were closed tonight.
“We know how important this location is to many people, and that’s why our public safety commitment here is so robust,” Davis said. “We have 16 police officers that are assigned full-time to our team here. They work every day, around the clock to ensure this location remains…an absolute safe destination for shoppers, for people going to dinner, for people consuming entertainment.”
FCPD officers shot at least four people last year, two of them fatally. A dog was also shot and killed during a SWAT raid in Herndon in December.
NEWS PHOTO: @roryfgilmartin https://t.co/FO6me2qg6e pic.twitter.com/15LtvVy1Fd
— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) February 23, 2023
I was in my car when I saw multiple cops chase someone in the wooded area and heard the police officer scream out “POLICE STOP” and a few moments later heard atleast 7 rounds get unloaded
— QuailMan (@QuailM4n) February 23, 2023
#Breaking Officers are in the area of Fashion Blvd in McLean for an officer-involved shooting. Preliminarily, one man was shot in the upper body outside the mall & taken to hospital w/injuries considered life-threatening. No officers injured. Avoid the area. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/Y0wr0IHQYk
— Allison Papson (@AllisonPapson) February 23, 2023
Hat tip to Alan Henney
Updated at 4:25 p.m. — Elden Street in Herndon has reopened, as police continue to investigate a crash that involved two pedestrians.
Earlier: Two pedestrians were struck by a vehicle on Elden Street in Herndon, per a police report, with one suffering injuries that were initially considered life-threatening.
The incident at the 1000 block of Elden Street occurred shortly after 3 p.m., Herndon Police Department spokesperson Lisa Herndon told FFXnow in an email.
The crash happened near where Elden Street intersects with Locust Street and Sterling Road with one victim being transported to Inova Fairfax with “life-threatening injuries.”
The northbound lanes of Elden Street are closed for the quarter-mile stretch between Alabama Drive and Sterling Road while officers remain on the scene investigating.
The HPD said at 4:11 p.m. that the person who suffered critical injuries has been stabilized, and the other pedestrian’s injuries were minor.
“Preliminary investigation shows speed does not appear to be a factor” in the crash, police said.
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION: 1000-blk Elden St- Two pedestrians were struck by a vehicle; One victim is en route to Inova Fairfax Hospital with life-threatening injuries. NB Elden closed between Alabama and Sterling for accident investigation. Updates as available. #HerndonPD pic.twitter.com/Wqvb7KN8FO
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) October 17, 2022
Update at 9:15 p.m. — The earlier Tornado Warning, and one issued subsequently, have both been cancelled. It appears that a rotating storm — possibly a weak tornado — passed by Tysons Corner Center mall, according to video posted on social media. There are also reports of damage near the Tysons Corner Metro station.
Note that the video below contains strong language.
Maybe some damage to some businesses on international drive between the two malls. Power lines arcing is what alerted me. Came out of nowhere. Tornado went right over Tysons corner metro station.
— Christopher (@RealPotatus) April 1, 2022
Tysons Mobil and Sunoco on Chain Bridge Rd. took a direct hit. No injuries. Roof of Sunoco was partially unmoored. pic.twitter.com/AHumJYTk5d
— Christopher (@RealPotatus) April 1, 2022
BREAKING: trains are obstructed near Tyson’s Corner just west of D.C. from possible brief #tornado touchdown. https://t.co/PIuYE0Wwus
— Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) April 1, 2022
Earlier: Parts of Fairfax County are under a Tornado Warning.
Take cover if you’re in the path of the potential tornado, including parts of Oakton, Vienna, Tysons, Falls Church or McLean.
From the National Weather Service:
BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
822 PM EDT Thu Mar 31 2022The National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a
* Tornado Warning for… Northern Fairfax County in northern Virginia…
* Until 845 PM EDT.
* At 821 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Chantilly, or over Centreville, moving northeast at 35 mph.
HAZARD…Tornado.
SOURCE…Radar indicated rotation.
IMPACT…For those in the direct path of a tornado touchdown, flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Damage to roofs, siding, and windows may occur. Mobile homes may be damaged or destroyed. Tree damage is likely.
* This dangerous storm will be near… Reston, Vienna and Oakton around 840 PM EDT. Pimmit Hills, American Legion Bridge, Mclean, Tysons Corner and Wolf Trap around 845 PM EDT.
Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Dunn Loring, Belleview and West Mclean.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.
Via social media:
Tornado Warning including McLean VA, Oakton VA, Fair Oaks VA until 8:45 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/lieFd6DP7P
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) April 1, 2022
If you like in Fairfax County, there is a likely tornado moving from fair oaks almost along VALE ROAD and will impact VIENNA WOLF TRAP AND TYSONS CORNER. Seek shelter pic.twitter.com/typfMuvAOd
— Ryan Miller (@RyanMiller_WX) April 1, 2022
This is the tornado at 8:25pm. pic.twitter.com/Ti1l9A96LU
— Russ Adams 🌧️🌬️☀️🌡️☘️🌷🇺🇦 (@patpend) April 1, 2022
Tornado Warning for Fairfax County, VA. #vawx pic.twitter.com/G4TElvQhhh
— Washingtonian Weather Geeks (@WashingtonianWx) April 1, 2022