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.
A Fairfax Connector bus on Scotts Crossing Road in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Local bus networks serving both Fairfax County and Fairfax City posted year-over-year passenger declines in fiscal year 2026, even as transit usage increased more broadly across Northern Virginia.
Fairfax Connector saw a drop of 1.1% and Fairfax City’s CUE service was down 4.5%, according to data from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation as analyzed by FFXnow.
A Tesla Cybercab turns into a residential neighborhood in McLean at Woodhurst Blvd and Lewinsville Road (screenshot courtesy of Adam Tuss/X)
Gold-colored robotaxis developed by Tesla have been spotted driving on roads in Fairfax County, specifically in the Tysons area.
Footage shared last Thursday (Sept. 3) by NBC4 Washington and its transportation reporter, Adam Tuss, showed a so-called Cybercab traveling on Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and turning into a residential neighborhood off Lewinsville Road in McLean. The self-driving vehicles appear to be collecting data on local roads and traffic.
Skymark apartment building looms over an RTC West parking garage in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
County to Host 9/11 Ceremony — “Fairfax County’s public safety agencies and county leaders will hold a remembrance ceremony on Friday, Sept. 11, at 10:10 a.m. commemorating all those impacted 25 years ago by the 2001 event. The ceremony will take place at the county’s Public Safety Headquarters in Fairfax, though the public is invited to watch the ceremony live online.” [Fairfax County Government]
Mechanic Killed in Bus Collapse Mourned — “A Virginia mechanic killed while working beneath a tour bus at Wolf Trap is being remembered by friends and colleagues across the country as a beloved husband, father and expert troubleshooter who earned the nickname ‘The Bus Doctor.'” [WTOP]
Rehab Planned for Va. to D.C. Bridge — “A rehabilitation project on the I-395 northbound bridge over the Potomac River has taken a key step forward. The construction firm Skanska has been awarded a $114 million design-build contract to conduct renovations and upgrades on the bridge … Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, Skanska said in a press release.” [ARLnow]
Tysons VC Firm Nabs Pentagon Contract — Red Cell Partners has “inked a one-year federal contract with the Defense Department’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office” that’s projected to generate up to $100 million in new revenue for startups in its portfolio. The company will identify “slow, manual or redundant processes” that could be made more efficient with AI or other tools developed by its startups. [Washington Business Journal]
Beyer Discusses Economic Challenges — “U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Alexandria, joined a recent call with small business owners from around the country to discuss economic challenges Americans are facing due to rising healthcare, food and fuel costs, which he said are the result of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans not meeting their promise to lower costs.” [Virginia Mercury]
Foster Family Wanted for Reston Cats — “Oliver, a 4-year-old tabby, and Princess Peach, a 2-year-old tuxedo cat, need a temporary foster home together from Oct. 15, 2026, through April 20, 2027, according to Operation Foster. Their owner is deploying to the Middle East.” [Patch]
Reston Bank to Acquire Rival — “John Marshall Bancorp in Reston, Va., has agreed to buy Eagle Financial Services in Berryville, Va. The $2.4 billion-asset John Marshall said in a press release that it will pay $253 million in stock for the $1.8 billion-asset parent of the Bank of Clarke.” The deal is John Marshall’s first-ever acquisition since it was established by local business leaders 20 years ago, the Washington Business Journal says. [Bank Slate]
Woodson Graduate Finishes Epic Run — “A Woodson High School graduate who saw his professional career as a tri-athlete go up in flames has found redemption by completing a 2,000-mile run from Boulder, Colo., to Washington, D.C. Collin Chartier celebrated the end of the journey Aug. 30 at the Lincoln Memorial after completing the last 20 miles on the W&OD trail with members of the Marymount cross-country team.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny weather with a high near 88 degrees and a south wind blowing at 7 to 11 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 72 degrees. A southwest wind will continue at about 11 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. [NWS]
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Free concert at The Wharf in D.C. for Theatre Week 2025 (courtesy Theatre Washington)
An annual celebration promoting the D.C. region’s theater scene is returning this month with an expansion to Dulles International Airport.
Theatre Week is set to kick off on Sept. 24 with pop-up performances at Dulles and Reagan National Airport, featuring actors Ben Bogen and Divine Iweha, who have both starred in past shows at Arlington’s Signature Theatre.
Open Road Outpost and Biergarten at The Boro in Tysons (courtesy MHG)
Él Bebe is out, and a brand-new restaurant with a beer garden from the Northern Virginia chain Open Road is in at The Boro in Tysons.
Open Road Outpost & Biergarten opened at 11 a.m. today (Tuesday) at 8354 Broad Street, taking over an approximately 5,000-square-foot space that had been occupied by the tacos-and-tequila eatery since December 2022.
Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay at budget carryover meeting (screenshot via Fairfax County)
Fairfax County officials have started making preparations for what they anticipate will be another challenging budget season next spring.
“The low-hanging fruit is gone,” Philip Hagen, director of the county’s Department of Management and Budget, told the Board of Supervisors at its Budget Policy Committee meeting on Sept. 1.
Virginia Career Works advertises job transition resources on a Metro train (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Fairfax County in July recorded its largest number of residents employed since September 2025, but jobless totals remained higher than at the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term.
With 616,156 county residents employed in the civilian workforce and 21,819 looking for jobs, Fairfax’s July 2026 jobless rate was 3.4%, according to figures reported Sept. 2 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
Virginia State Police vehicle (photo by John Calhoun/JC Photography)
Three people died Sunday afternoon (Sept. 6) after their SUV crashed into a truck carrying oxygen tanks on I-66 in Dunn Loring.
At around 4:10 p.m., the driver of a Honda Pilot struck the rear of a truck transporting oxygen tanks that was stopped in the westbound express lanes at mile marker 64.3 near the I-495 interchange, according to the Virginia State Police.
People walk on the boardwalk around wetlands in Huntley Meadows Park (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Man Stabbed in West Falls Church — “Two people, including a teenager, are in custody Monday night after a stabbing inside a home left a man seriously injured in West Falls Church. The Fairfax County Police Department said the stabbing was ‘domestic-related’ and took place in a home in the 7000 block of Parkwood Court.” [DC News Now]
Call for Special Session Rejected — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger said Thursday she will not call another special session of the General Assembly to give state regulators more time to review the proposed $66.8 billion merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy, rejecting a request from lawmakers who warned the current 180-day review period is too short.” [Virginia Scope]
Apartment Break-In Under Investigation — Fairfax County police are looking to identify a man who was seen on video climbing onto a third-floor apartment balcony in Groveton. “According to the apartment owner, the suspect got spooked, pointed a gun and made threats before walking out without taking anything.” [FOX5]
Amtrak to Pause Virginia-D.C. Service — “Rail passengers traveling through Virginia’s Northeast Corridor should expect cancellations, route changes and may need to rely on bus connections beginning Oct. 16, due to major track upgrades … Trains traveling through Virginia will effectively end at Alexandria, with only a limited number continuing north.” [Virginia Mercury]
Congressman’s Phone Wiretapped by FBI — “Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) said Thursday he was informed by the Department of Justice that his phone calls with a Virginia state legislator in the spring were wiretapped.” Subramanyam said the wiretap was part of a probe into Senate President Louise Lucas, but called its timing during campaigning for the nullified redistricting referendum “extremely suspicious.” [Axios]
Decline in International College Students — “International students at Virginia colleges face new federal restrictions starting Sept. 15, as the state grapples with a sharp drop in international enrollment … Public four-year colleges lost over 1,100 graduate or professional international students last fall (a 13% decline) while gaining 287 undergraduates, per the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.” [Axios Richmond]
Gap in Va. Medicaid Reimbursement — “Virginia’s Medicaid programs reimburse doctors at significantly lower rates than private insurers for the same preventive-care services, according to a study published Friday.” George Mason University professor Alison Cuellar, who led the study, “said lower reimbursement rates can make physicians less likely to participate in Medicaid, potentially making it harder for patients to find care.” [WTOP]
Father-Daughter Pilots at Dulles Connect on Radio — “Kenny [Katnik], a 24-year-old CommuteAir captain, and her father, United Airlines pilot Kent Katnik, were preparing for separate flights Sept. 1 when they ended up on the same radio frequency. Their brief exchange spread online, giving listeners a glimpse of the family behind the flight decks.” [WJLA]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of 87°F and a calm morning wind shifting to the southwest at about 5 mph. Tuesday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 65°F and a light south wind at 6 mph. [NWS]
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