transportation planning | FFXnow

Transportation officials suggest upgrading popular Metrobus route ahead of Route 7 BRT

Published June 25, 2024 at 10:15AM | Updated June 26, 2024 at 9:43AM

Metrobus going to Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

With Route 7 still years away from getting a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, regional transportation planners want to improve Metro’s existing service in the corridor from Tysons to Alexandria.

In response to feedback suggesting the process could be sped up, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) is developing a strategic implementation plan that considers short-term enhancements for Metrobus 28A, even as it keeps studying how to eventually convert the route into a higher-capacity, higher-frequency BRT.

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Reduced speed limits, on-street parking proposed for downtown McLean

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 18, 2024 at 2:30PM

Old Dominion Drive at Elm Street in McLean (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County is considering experimenting with some changes to the main streets in downtown McLean.

At an open house at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue) last night (Monday), the Fairfax County Department of Transportation kicked off a study of five possible pilot projects designed to slow vehicles down and make roads in the McLean Community Business Center (CBC) safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

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Herndon seeks input on Ferndale Avenue, Park and Monroe traffic calming

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 13, 2024 at 1:30PM

The Park Avenue and Monroe Street intersection in Herndon (via Google Maps)

The Town of Herndon is looking to improve the designs of Ferndale Avenue and the Park Avenue and Monroe Street intersection, two spots with histories of crashes.

Staff with the town’s Department of Public Works will present their initial proposals for the two projects at a community meeting tonight (Thursday) in the town council’s chambers at 765 Lynn Street. The meeting is scheduled to last from 7-8:30 p.m., and Spanish translation services will be available.

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County seeks more feedback on proposed Route 29 changes

By Melanie Pincus

Published June 12, 2024 at 1:30PM

Aerial view of Route 29 corridor study area (via Fairfax County)

The march toward improvements to the walking, cycling and driving experience along about 2.9 miles of Route 29 continued at a virtual public meeting last Wednesday (June 5).

County staff is looking to boost pedestrian comfort at intersections, reduce the level of traffic stress for bikers and shorten wait times for cars on the roadway between Buckleys Gate Drive and Jermantown Road in the Fairfax Center area.

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Herndon seeks funding to improve Sunset Business Park access

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 7, 2024 at 10:30AM

Flags advertising Sunset Business Park along Spring Street (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Town of Herndon is angling to obtain funds for a project it hopes will make Sunset Business Park easier and safer to visit, even as construction continues on a different side of the commercial complex.

The Herndon Town Council authorized staff on Tuesday (June 4) to apply for up to $6 million in federal funds for access and safety improvements at the Herndon Parkway and Sunset Park Drive intersection.

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Middle school students pitch eco-friendly redesign for Fairfax Circle

By James Jarvis

Published June 5, 2024 at 1:30PM | Updated June 6, 2024 at 12:26PM

Eighth-graders from Katherine Johnson Middle School pose in front of diorama depicting an eco-friendly Fairfax Circle (courtesy City of Fairfax)

A group of Katherine Johnson Middle School students has proposed a new design for Fairfax Circle that they hope will be more environmentally friendly.

Several eighth graders presented their ideas to the Fairfax City Council on May 28 for addressing issues such as flooding, runoff, and pollution, which they argue will help to reduce the city’s impact on surrounding ecosystems, such as the Chesapeake Bay.

News

Utility undergrounding dropped from Elden Street widening project

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 4, 2024 at 11:30AM

The existing Elden Street and Laurel Way intersection in Herndon (via VDOT)

A long-gestating project to widen East Elden Street will no longer move utilities along the Herndon corridor underground.

The Herndon Town Council approved a resolution on May 28 authorizing the removal of a utility duct bank from the project’s scope after town staff reported that costs had drastically increased from an earlier $57.3 million estimate.

News

Maryland surveys McLean to plan for new American Legion Bridge

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 4, 2024 at 9:30AM

The American Legion Bridge heading into Virginia (via MDOT)

Transportation staff from Maryland crossed the Potomac River last week to gather data in McLean for their long-planned American Legion Bridge replacement project.

According to a notice shared by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) sent a field team last Thursday (May 30) to investigate the drainage along Live Oak Drive.

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Future Wiehle Avenue could have fewer lanes, more pedestrian and bicycle facilities

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 30, 2024 at 10:15AM | Updated June 2, 2024 at 7:48PM

Northbound Wiehle Avenue approaching Sunset Hills Road in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Wiehle Avenue of the future will be less auto-centric and more accommodating to pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized travelers — or so Fairfax County hopes.

Reston residents got a glimpse into possible versions of that future at a community meeting on May 23, when the Fairfax County Department of Transportation shared three concepts for new roadway configurations with multimodal facilities, landscaping and other changes.

News

Herndon wins federal grant to fund creation of road safety plan

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 29, 2024 at 11:30AM

A sidewalk on Spring Street in Herndon is closed (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Town of Herndon will get a financial lift from the federal government for its efforts to develop a roadway safety action plan.

A $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program will fund an analysis of local roads to identify priorities for future transportation safety projects, particularly ones that could reduce crashes or improve accessibility, the town announced yesterday (Tuesday).