trails | FFXnow

Published October 8, 2024 at 2:30PM | Updated October 8, 2024 at 4:18PM

Providence District Dalia Palchik, former NOVA Parks board member Barbara Hildreth and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn look at historical photos of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Washington & Old Dominion Trail’s history as a rail line was on full display yesterday (Monday) during the latest 50th anniversary celebration organized by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks).

After listening to local elected leaders, park officials and advocates reflect on the trail’s importance to the region, ceremony attendees could pore over old photographs of train stations and touch a rusted railroad spike, just steps from where the W&OD tracks once ran through the heart of the Town of Vienna.

News

Work on pedestrian connection to Innovation Center Metro Station begins

By Fatimah Waseem

Published October 3, 2024 at 8:15AM

Fairfax County officials participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Innovation Station North Neighborhood Access Project (courtesy FCDOT)

Work will start this month on improvements to pedestrian and bicyclist connectivity around the Innovation Center Metro Station.

Fairfax County public officials broke ground yesterday (Wednesday) on the Innovation Station North Neighborhood Access Project, which will directly link the Metro station’s kiss-and-ride parking lot to adjacent neighborhoods at Farougi Court and Apgar Place.

News

New bridge to Sugarland Run trails opens in Herndon

By Fatimah Waseem

Published September 18, 2024 at 11:30AM

A new pedestrian bridge has been built to the Sugarland Run trails in Herndon (courtesy Town of Herndon)

The path to the Sugarland Run trails behind Hunters Creek pool in Herndon is more straightforward now following the completion of a pedestrian bridge.

The Town of Herndon’s Department of Public Works held a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this week to celebrate the new bridge, which is now open for public use.

Countywide

Fairfax transportation planners seek public input on major trail and bicycle network overhaul

By James Jarvis

Published September 3, 2024 at 12:15PM | Updated September 4, 2024 at 10:40AM

The Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Herndon (staff photo by James Jarvis)

After two years of meticulous data collection and analysis, Fairfax County’s Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is moving into the second phase of its ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan.

Starting today (Tuesday) at 6 p.m. at the Graham Road Community Center in West Falls Church, FCDOT will host a series of in-person and virtual open houses throughout the fall to gather input from residents on enhancing the county’s extensive network of pedestrian trails and bicycle pathways.

News

Fairfax County to rethink vision for Route 29 in Idylwood

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 11, 2024 at 10:30AM

Westbound Route 29 approaching Fairmont Street in Idylwood (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County wants to come up with a new vision for the Idylwood segment of Route 29, one that’s more inclusive of modes of transportation other than cars.

The Board of Supervisors authorized transportation staff on June 25 to apply for $175,000 in federal grant money to fund the development of an active transportation plan for Route 29 between Hollywood Road and Route 7 (Leesburg Pike).

News

Accessibility improvements to begin at Jefferson Manor Park in July

By James Jarvis

Published June 11, 2024 at 2:30PM

Jefferson Manor Park off Telegraph Road near Belle Haven (staff photo by Brandi Bottalico)

Jefferson Manor Park will soon undergo construction to enhance access for people with disabilities.

The park, located off of Farmington Road in Groveton near the Huntington Metro station, will soon see the addition of new trails that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fairfax County Park Authority recently announced.

News

Replacement project for ‘unsound’ Herndon pedestrian bridge advances

By James Jarvis

Published May 16, 2024 at 11:30AM

A pedestrian bridge on Hunters Creek Trail in Herndon is due for replacement (via Town of Herndon)

The Town of Herndon has taken a crucial step towards constructing a new pedestrian bridge along Hunters Creek Trail, which could be ready as soon as the end of August.

The Herndon Town Council approved a special exception on Tuesday (May 14) that clears the way for a replacement of the worn-out 1970s-era bridge in Runnymede Park. The bridge was shut down last year due to safety concerns after being deemed “structurally unsound.”

News

Fairfax County board greenlights shared-use path construction on Shreve Road

By James Jarvis

Published May 10, 2024 at 2:30PM

Shreve Road in Falls Church (via Google Maps)

Fairfax County leaders have given the go-ahead for a new shared-use path and planting strip along Shreve Road at the Falls Church border.

On Tuesday (May 7), the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the Fairfax County Department of Transportation to begin the project’s design, land acquisition, and construction that will extend from the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail to Route 7 in Idylwood.

News

Expanded Route 7 is now fully operational from Reston to Tysons

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 1, 2024 at 9:30AM

Route 7 has been expanded to six lanes from Reston to Tysons (courtesy VDOT)

New vehicle lanes and a shared-use trail are officially open to travelers on Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) after almost five years of construction.

The Virginia Department of Transportation announced last night (Tuesday) that it has finished expanding the roadway from four to six travel lanes — three in each direction — between Riva Ridge Drive in Reston and Jarrett Valley Drive just north of the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons.

Around Town

W&OD Trail’s 50th anniversary celebration kicks off this weekend with cleanup

By James Jarvis

Published April 25, 2024 at 11:45AM

The Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Herndon (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail has reached the half-century mark.

The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks) is marking the facility’s 50th anniversary with various activities from April to September, starting this Saturday (April 27) with a trail-wide cleanup event from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.