The days of saving up loose change to pay the Dulles Toll Road’s fees are officially in the past.
Effective today (Wednesday), the 14-mile highway also known as Route 237 has converted to an all-electronic, cashless payment system, joining the network of express lanes that criss-cross Northern Virginia.
Child Care Enrollment Starts Next Week — “Registration for 2023-2024 Fairfax County School Age Child Care (SACC) will begin on March 9. Registration will open on a rolling basis in alphabetical order by school…The SACC School Year Program…offers before- and afterschool care for children attending kindergarten through sixth grade in most Fairfax County public elementary schools and several community centers.” [Neighborhood and Community Services]
Couple Found Dead in Fairfax Home — Fairfax County police are conducting a death investigation after an adult man and woman were found dead in a home on the 8900 block of Walker Street. Police believe preliminarily that the “elderly couple” died in a murder-suicide incident. [FCPD/Twitter]
(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) Fairfax County hopes to get a head start on its annual street paving and restriping efforts this year, thanks to the D.C. area’s warmer-than-usual winter weather.
The county and Virginia departments of transportation program will kick off next month in Merrifield with the proposed addition of bicycle lanes on Ellenwood Drive from Route 29 to Route 50, along with crosswalks at two intersections.
The traffic safety advocacy group Fairfax Families for Safe Streets (Fairfax FSS) says the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is primarily to blame for Fairfax County’s high pedestrian fatality count last year.
The Safe Streets Report compiled by Fairfax FSS examines the crashes that resulted in 32 pedestrian fatalities and 53 serious injuries in 2022. Like the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) earlier report, Fairfax FFS found that the county saw a dramatic increase in fatalities and serious injuries last year from any other year going back to 2010 — the first year where data is available.
Each election cycle requires some tweaks to Fairfax County’s polling precincts, and 2023 will be no exception.
This year’s proposed revisions aren’t quite as intensive as 2022’s, which affected over half of the county’s precincts to account for redistricting changes. However, they’ll still have an impact on hundreds of voters in a year when nearly all key state and local offices will be on the ballot.
Four Displaced by Two-Alarm Tysons House Fire — A malfunctioning water heater started a fire in the 200 block of Trailwood Court that resulted in approximately $175,000 in property damages, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says. After an initial dispatch at 3:52 a.m. last Thursday (Feb. 23), additional Fairfax County and Arlington units had to be called to the two-story house, but no injuries were reported. [FCFRD]
Maryland Contractor Plans Fairfax County Move — “Amentum Services, Inc., a leading provider of engineering and advanced solutions and services to the U.S. government, allies, and commercial companies, will invest $495,000 to relocate its headquarters from Germantown, Maryland.” Its operations will be consolidated at 4800 Westfields Blvd in Chantilly, a move expected to create 157 new jobs. [FCEDA]
(Updated at 10 a.m. on 2/28/2023) The fatal police shooting of a man accused of shoplifting sunglasses at Tysons Corner Center last week has local civil rights groups questioning the Fairfax County Police Department’s commitment to enforcing its own policies.
The Fairfax County NAACP wants “an independent, transparent and comprehensive investigation” into the death of D.C. resident Timothy McCree Johnson, who was shot by officers on Wednesday (Feb. 22) during a foot chase that extended a quarter-mile from the Nordstrom where he allegedly stole a pair of designer sunglasses.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
Lots and lots of discussion last week as everyone in Fairfax County received their notice of assessment for their real estate.
The overhaul of the Nutley Street and I-66 interchange is nearing completion, promising an end to the unpredictability that has characterized trips near the Vienna Metro station over the past three years.
Two new roundabouts at the interchange are scheduled to open tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, the Virginia Department of Transportation recently announced, cautioning drivers to yield to traffic in the loops when entering.
Passenger in Annandale Truck Crash Dies — The 27-year-old passenger of a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado that crashed into a tree and light pole by Little River Turnpike near John Marr Drive on Jan. 27 died at a hospital from his injuries last Tuesday (Feb. 21). The 29-year-old driver may face additional charges after already being charged with driving under the influence and without a license. [FCPD]
Government Center Affordable Housing Approved — Last week, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the Residences at Government Center II plan and $14 million in funding. The development will consist of two mid-rise residential buildings with 279 units for those earning between 30 and 70% of the area median income, along with a childcare center and urban park. [Fairfax County]
