transportation planning | FFXnow

Critics press their concerns as vote on I-495 Southside Express toll lanes plan looms

Published July 30, 2025 at 2:45PM

Proposed route of I-495 Southside Express Lanes project (via VDOT)

Despite a full-court press from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the future of its plan to extend express lanes on the south side of the Capital Beltway (I-495) remains up in the air as the deadline for a decision looms.

The project to add 11 miles of toll roads connecting Springfield with Prince George’s County over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge is a “critical” piece of transportation planning, a top VDOT official told members of the D.C. region’s Transportation Planning Board (TPB) on July 16.

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Divided Fairfax City Council breathes new life into Pickett Road Connector Trail

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 29, 2025 at 1:45PM

Red line shows route of Pickett Road Connector Trail (via City of Fairfax)

Three months after it was put on hold, a divided Fairfax City Council has brought the $6 million Pickett Road Connector Trail project back to life.

After Mayor Catherine Read cast the tiebreaker in a 4-3 vote last week, planning will restart on the proposed 1,260-foot trail running south from Fairfax Blvd to Thaiss Memorial Park on the east side of Pickett Road.

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County proposes design changes to make Gallows Road more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly

By Jared Serre

Published July 21, 2025 at 3:45PM

Fairfax County DOT official Mike Garcia speaks with a resident at Kilmer Middle School (staff photo by Jared Serre)

Fairfax County officials have outlined a long-term improvement plan for Gallows Road that they hope will support a more harmonious relationship between drivers and pedestrians.

Presented at community meetings on July 15 and 17, the “preferred alternatives” in the Gallows Road multimodal transportation study aim to modernize the corridor due to an increasing presence of active transportation — those who walk, jog and bike.

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Vienna set to install first Capital Bikeshare stations this fall

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 10, 2025 at 11:45AM

The Capital Bikeshare docking station on Hilltop Road in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

After years of planning, the Town of Vienna is finally kicking its Capital Bikeshare program into gear.

The Vienna Town Council voted unanimously on Monday (July 7) to award $231,000 in state grant funds toward the purchase and installation of four bicycle-sharing stations, with an option to add a fifth station in the future.

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Fairfax City to explore pedestrian-only zone as part of road and pedestrian safety studies

By Vernon Miles

Published July 9, 2025 at 2:05PM | Updated July 9, 2025 at 4:54PM

University Drive blocked for Fairfax City's 2024 Asian Festival on Main (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

How do you like walking around Fairfax City? A new study could redesign the city’s streets to improve the pedestrian experience with a particular emphasis on safety.

The City of Fairfax was awarded a federal grant to develop a citywide safety action plan, a circulation study for Old Town Fairfax, and a citywide pedestrian master plan — all under the umbrella of an initiative called Move Fairfax City.

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More funding needed to advance Haycock Road shared-use path project

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 8, 2025 at 3:45PM

The concept design for proposed Haycock Road improvements at Mustang Alley (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Future multi-modal bicyclist and pedestrian improvements along Haycock Road near the Fairfax-Falls Church border may be dependent on obtaining regional grant funding.

At its meeting next Monday (July 14), the Falls Church City Council is expected to formally request up to $15 million from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) in support of the upgrades, which is jointly sought with Fairfax County officials.

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Fairfax County leaders still uneasy with VDOT’s I-495 Southside Express Lanes plan

By Scott McCaffrey

Published June 26, 2025 at 9:15AM

Proposed route of I-495 Southside Express Lanes project (via VDOT)

Fairfax County leaders remain uneasy about the Virginia Department of Transportation’s proposed I-495 Southside Express Lanes project and the possible impact of widening the highway on residents of neighboring communities.

The Board of Supervisors agreed to send a five-page letter to Virginia Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III on Tuesday (June 24) detailing its concerns.

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New data suggests increased flooding risks for D.C. region’s roads and transit systems

By Scott McCaffrey

Published June 23, 2025 at 1:45PM

Vehicles drive through accumulating rainwater on Maple Avenue in Vienna in January 2024 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The D.C. region’s roads and other transportation infrastructure is more at risk from future flooding than previously thought, a new analysis found.

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) outlined its findings to leaders of member jurisdictions, including Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn and Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw representing Fairfax County, at a meeting last Wednesday (June 18).

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Initial design for Shreve Road shared-use path welcomed by Idylwood residents

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 9, 2025 at 10:00AM

Community members review concept designs for a shared-use path and other improvements on Shreve Road and Haycock Road (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Years after a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Shreve Road, Idylwood residents got their first look at infrastructure changes that local transportation planners hope will make the corridor safer and more accessible.

At a community meeting on May 29, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) unveiled conceptual designs for a shared-use path on Shreve Road and improvements at the Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) intersection, where the roadway turns into Haycock Road after crossing the Falls Church City border.

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VDOT leans toward two toll lanes on I-495 across Woodrow Wilson Bridge

By Vernon Miles

Published June 2, 2025 at 1:45PM

Eastbound traffic on the Capital Beltway (I-495) near Rose Hill (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Controversial plans to add new express lanes onto I-495 are heading to public review starting today (Monday).

The plan is to extend the I-495 Express Lanes from Springfield into Prince George’s County, Maryland. The study area spans approximately 11 miles along the southern edge of I-495 — the last section of the Capital Beltway in Virginia without toll lanes, with construction underway on a northern extension in McLean.