transportation planning | FFXnow

Reston Comprehensive Plan task force kicks off outreach effort on interim recommendations

Published March 3, 2022 at 11:15AM

Construction in Reston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

After hundreds of logged meeting hours, a community-led task force studying the Reston Comprehensive Plan is kicking off community outreach on its interim recommendations, completing a comprehensive overhaul to usher the plan into the future.

The effort, kicked off by Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, has culminated in draft recommendations on the 14 areas of the plan, which is undergoing review by the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development. The move expands Reston’s original planning principles created by founder Bob Simon.

Countywide

County board supports funding for crosswalks, maintenance backlog

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 3, 2022 at 10:30AM | Updated December 9, 2022 at 1:56PM

Fairfax County is planning to spend one-time transportation funds on crosswalk and maintenance projects (staff photo by David Taube)

In the world of transportation infrastructure, $5 million will run out faster than a driver’s patience in rush-hour traffic, but it could still leave a worthwhile dent in Fairfax County’s massive backlog of safety and maintenance projects.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors expressed collective support on Tuesday (March 1) for a proposal to spend $5 million on bicycle and pedestrian improvements to address maintenance needs, add crosswalks, and other small but straightforward and relatively cheap projects.

Countywide

Name for Route 1 bus rapid transit service unveiled

By David Taube

Published February 25, 2022 at 12:45PM

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay and other officials unveil a new name and logo for an upcoming rapid bus transit service for Route 1 (staff photo by David Taube)

Fairfax County has a new name for the dedicated bus service it is planning for Richmond Highway: The One.

Transit officials revealed the name today (Friday) at a branding event for the bus rapid transit (BRT) service, which will operate starting in 2030 using new lanes separated by a grass median.

News

Transit advocates call on Metro to resume efforts to improve bus routes

By David Taube

Published February 16, 2022 at 2:00PM

A Metrobus at the West Falls Church Metro station (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Public bus lines might seem fixed to bus shelters, but changing those routes could give people greater access to jobs, medical services, and more.

That’s one way that bus networks in the D.C. area could be improved, a consultant told transportation stakeholders during a virtual “Bus Champions” roundtable held yesterday (Tuesday) by MetroNow, a conglomeration of commerce and transit advocacy groups.

News

Fairfax County preparing to halve bus fares for low-income riders

By David Taube

Published December 17, 2021 at 2:00PM | Updated December 9, 2022 at 1:53PM

A Fairfax County bus driver waits for the next segment of his route (Staff photo by David Taube)

Changes to Virginia’s gas tax and transit fees will eventually bring savings to Fairfax County bus riders facing financial hardships.

Customized Fairfax Connector bus passes will cut fares in half for low-income riders with a new program that might begin this coming summer, county staff told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a transportation committee meeting on Tuesday (Dec. 14).

News

Fairfax County roads weren’t made for walking, but planning leaders want to fix that

By David Taube

Published December 14, 2021 at 3:30PM

View of The Watermark Hotel and McLean from the top of a new mixed-use office building at Capital One Center in September 2021 (staff photo by David Taube)

Fairfax County’s growth has come with deadly and dangerous roads for pedestrians, congestion for drivers, and other consequences that planning leaders hope to reverse.

At a Tysons committee meeting on Thursday (Dec. 9), the Fairfax County Planning Commission cited downtown Falls Church, Merrifield’s Mosaic District, and Reston Town Center as examples of what developers and governments should strive to make: mixed-use communities where people can live, shop, work, and play.

News

Draft report sets goals for Fairfax County’s active transportation future

By Scott Fields

Published September 7, 2021 at 3:50PM | Updated September 7, 2021 at 4:16PM

Fairfax County is developing a program to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety (staff photo by Scott Fields)

Safety, access, and equity are among the top priorities for Fairfax County residents when it comes to envisioning the future of transportation in the area.

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation released a draft report on Aug. 31 for its ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan, which will combine and update the county’s Bicycle Master Plan and Countywide Trails Map into an overarching plan for amenities to support walking, cycling, and other self-propelled modes of travel.