pedestrian | FFXnow

Published November 6, 2026 at 9:15AM

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.

News

Pedestrian safety advocates call for Route 7 lighting, crossings review based on new study

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published November 4, 2026 at 10:00AM

Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) approaching Glen Carlyn Drive in the Culmore area near Bailey's Crossroads (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Darkness closely correlates with fatal crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists along Leesburg Pike (Route 7), with walkers bearing the brunt of such incidents regardless of the time of day, according to a new study that analyzed nearly a decade’s worth of data.

Using police-reported records from Virginia’s crash database from 2017 to 2026, the nonprofit Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS) found that 10 out of 11 fatal crashes that occurred along the Route 7 corridor from the Fairfax/Loudoun county line to the west end of Alexandria happened at night.

News

FCPS rolls out online app built by TJ students that identifies safer routes to schools

By Beth Lawton

Published October 20, 2026 at 2:45PM

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology students Isaac Leetyn, Ashwath Muppa and Daniil Prokofev discuss their new mobile app SafeWalkr (photo by Karen Bolt/FCPS)

Back in March, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology student Daniil Prokofev went for an 8-mile run from the Lincolnia school to his home. That run led to the development of a web-based app that will someday be able to help all Fairfax County Public Schools students find safe routes to school.

The route Prokofev took on his run in March, suggested by Google Maps, wasn’t particularly safe, as several sections had no sidewalks and there were busy intersections to cross.

News

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

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 20, 2026 at 1:45PM

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.

Countywide

Report: Close calls with drivers on Fairfax roads are recurring issues, not isolated

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 21, 2026 at 12:00PM

Gallows Road approaching the pedestrian crosswalk at Aston Road near Woodburn Elementary School (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Since it began collecting near-miss data for local roads in 2021, Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets has accumulated more evidence that such close calls between drivers and other travelers reflect patterns of behavior, rather than random or one-time slip-ups.

More than 70% or 94 of the 129 near-misses reported by community members in Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church between January 2025 and June of this year were marked as recurring incidents, according to an analysis released by the volunteer-led safety advocacy organization on Sept. 10.

News

Fairfax City moves forward with University Drive bicycle lane project

By Acacia James

Published September 15, 2026 at 10:00AM

The University Drive and North Street intersection in Fairfax City (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax City is moving ahead with a plan to add bicycle lanes on University Drive, north of Old Town.

The Fairfax City Council unanimously approved awarding a $725,551 contract to Arthur Construction Company Inc. to construct the bike lanes during a meeting last Tuesday (Sept. 8). The project calls for parts of the roadway to be reduced to make room for the proposed changes.

Countywide

Kiss-and-ride congestion a growing safety concern at Fairfax County schools, report finds

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published September 9, 2026 at 11:45AM

Vehicle traffic at Oakton High School during dismissal (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The “kiss and ride” pick-up and drop-off sections at many Fairfax County Public Schools are overextended to the point of becoming the school system’s “most significant operational concern districtwide,” a new staff report found.

The results of a Safe Routes to Schools assessment conducted over the past year and a half were presented to the Fairfax County School Board yesterday (Sept. 8) as part of a discussion of pedestrian and traffic safety around schools, just one week after a student was hit by a car while walking to South Lakes High School in Reston.

News

Pedestrian improvements, Metro wayfinding signs unveiled in Tysons

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 28, 2026 at 10:00AM | Updated August 28, 2026 at 10:24AM

New wayfinding sign at the McLean Metro station near Capital One Center (courtesy Tysons Community Alliance)

Pedestrians in Tysons still have to contend with heavy traffic on routes 123 and 7, but a few changes recently implemented by the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) will hopefully make parts of the urban center easier to navigate.

Last week, the community improvement organization announced that it has completed a redesign of the Westwood Center Drive and Cornerside Blvd intersection near the Tysons West shopping center, adding a crosswalk, sidewalk, painted road median and other improvements.

News

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

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 18, 2026 at 8:30AM

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.

News

JUST IN: Child on bicycle struck in Reston hit-and-run

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published August 7, 2026 at 10:30AM

Fairfax County police car close-up (file photo)

A 10-year-old boy riding a bicycle near Reston Parkway and Baron Cameron Avenue in Reston was hit by a driver who fled the scene this morning (Aug. 7), according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

The crash occurred around 8:49 a.m., police told FFXnow. The child was subsequently taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.