FCDOT

Countywide

FCDOT adds 16 more pedestrian safety projects to to-do list

By Angela Woolsey
Pedestrians crossing Strawberry Lane at Eskridge Road in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is preparing to start work on more than a dozen infrastructure projects aimed at making roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized travelers.

The department announced yesterday (Thursday) that it has finalized a list of 16 planned crosswalks, sidewalks, pedestrian signals and other improvements after soliciting public input this spring and securing $9.9 million in funding authorized by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 25.

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FCDOT proposes new bike lanes, crosswalks for road restriping program

By Angela Woolsey
Wide street intersection with crosswalks, several cars, a bus shelter on the left, and trees lining both sides under a clear sky.
Bowman Towne Drive at the Fountain Drive intersection in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County is proposing to add on-road bicycle lanes and crosswalks to a number of streets as part of the state’s annual repaving and restriping program.

Virtual meetings to gather public input on the proposed locations will be held in early November before a final list is sent to the Virginia Department of Transportation, which typically conducts paving work from April to December.

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FCDOT recommends changes to make Route 29 safer in West Falls Church

By Angela Woolsey
Two-lane suburban street with cars in traffic, utility poles and wires on both sides, a stop sign on the left, and a cloudy sky.
Route 29 near Lawrence Drive and the National Funeral Home and Memorial Park cemetery in West Falls Church (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is recommending a number of improvements that it hopes will make the West Falls Church segment of Route 29 safer for all travelers, especially pedestrians and bicyclists.

Community members attending a public meeting at Timber Lane Elementary School last Wednesday (Oct. 14) generally seemed to embrace the proposed changes, which include new sidewalks, a shared-use path, and crosswalks, but some lamented the project’s limited scope and undefined timeline.

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Fairfax County revs up pilot testing 20-mph speed limits on 10 roads

By Angela Woolsey
Red SUV driving on a two-lane, tree-lined road with a 25 mph speed limit sign on the right curb.
Ingleside Avenue in McLean with a 25 mph speed limit sign (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County will soon start testing speed limits of 20 mph on select streets, more than two years after local governments in Virginia gained that authority.

Starting this fall, speed limits will be lowered from 25 to 20 mph on 10 roads in the Dranesville, Mason and Providence districts, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) announced yesterday.

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Countywide

Fairfax Connector launches free fare program, increasing help for some lower-income riders

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Yellow and red tour bus crossing an urban intersection under a traffic light with tall office buildings in the background and a Sunoco sign nearby.
A Fairfax Connector bus on International Drive at Chain Bridge Road in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Some Fairfax Connector riders may now be able to ride free, thanks to help from new state funding, the county bus system announced last Thursday (Aug. 27).

The Connector will offer a new Transit Ridership Incentive Program, called TRIP100, offering 100% off fares to eligible riders, up from the 50% discount previously provided.

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Fairfax Connector is adding more hybrid-electric buses to its fleet

By Acacia James
Low-emission hybrid electric bus in red, white, and orange parked in a lot, with 'Low Emission Hybrid Electric Bus' text on top.
A hybrid-electric Fairfax Connector bus (courtesy Fairfax County Department of Transportation)

Fairfax County is expanding the use of electric and hybrid-electric buses in Fairfax Connector in an effort to reduce emissions and “modernize” its transit fleet.

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) announced this week that 19 new next-generation hybrid-electric buses are being added, advancing a goal to transition nearly a quarter of the fleet to the technology by the end of the year.

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Pedestrian improvements added near Silverbrook Elementary in time for new school year

By Angela Woolsey
Raised median with yellow bollards and crosswalk guiding pedestrians across a road.
The new pedestrian refuge island on Silverbrook Road at the Crosspointe Drive intersection (courtesy FCDOT)

Pedestrians can breathe a little easier after some new protections were installed at a key South County intersection earlier this month.

Work wrapped up on Aug. 4 on a pedestrian refuge island, additional crosswalks and curb ramp upgrades around Silverbrook Road and Crosspointe Drive, according to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.

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Fairfax County expands I-66 trail access, as work continues on gaps

By Acacia James
Gravel path leading to a crosswalk with a person walking in the distance, surrounded by green trees and a portable toilet on the right.
Construction is underway on a connection to the 66 Parallel Trail near Random Hills Road (courtesy of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation)

Fairfax County has installed new wayfinding signs on the 66 Parallel Trail to make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to navigate, but county officials say more improvement is coming on key gaps to improve overall trail connectivity.

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation recently installed directional signs at locations throughout Centreville, Fair Lakes, Fair Oaks and Oakton.

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New pedestrian walkway segment on Sunrise Valley Drive could open this month

By Angela Woolsey
A construction barrier blocks newly paved sidewalk in front of the Exxon gas station on Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County is finally making progress on filling in sidewalk gaps along Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston, though the project has created some temporary obstacles for pedestrians.

Construction on the Sunrise Valley Drive Walkway began on April 30 and is now on track to finish by the end of next week (July 13-19) for one segment near Soapstone Drive, according to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.

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FCDOT refines plan to straighten curves on deadly stretch of Lee Chapel Road

By Acacia James
Location of Lee Chapel Road improvement project (via FCDOT)

Fairfax County continues to seek public feedback on a plan to improve safety on a deadly, hilly stretch of Lee Chapel Road in South Run.

The project aims to remove two vertical curves, improve sight distance, and realign the two-lane roadway on an approximately 1,800-foot-long segment between Fairfax County Parkway and Ox Road (Route 123).

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