Drivers on the Dulles Toll Road can expect to pay higher tolls beginning next year.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Board of Directors voted yesterday morning to increase fees for users of the toll road — bringing tolls to $6 for the average driver.
Reminder: I-495 Exit to Toll Road Changes Today — “Beginning on or about November 17, drivers traveling on northbound I-495 (Capital Beltway) to westbound Dulles Toll Road will take an earlier exit, rather than the existing left exit (Exit 45), which is closing to allow room for construction of a new, replacement I-495 bridge over the Dulles Toll Road ramps.” [VDOT]
FCPS Considers Changes to Grading Policies — Fairfax County Public Schools is considering altering its high school grading policy for the first time in five years “after principals reported variation in grading processes from school to school.” Possible changes include whether to continue with a 100-point scale or shift to “a standards-based scale,” and how to determine a student’s final grade. [WTOP]
Rainbow Road will pass through Tysons Corner Center this winter holiday season.
The D.C. area’s biggest mall is one of 15 locations across the country that will host a “Wishlist Wonderland” pop-up from Nintendo, the video game company behind the Mario and Animal Crossing franchises announced last week.
A plan to turn the Vienna Courts offices into duplexes has been downsized again, as the developer and town leaders try to make the complex fit in without sacrificing its viability as an alternative multifamily housing option.
After initially proposing 15 two-floor buildings with one unit on each floor in September, BFR Construction President Steve Bukont agreed on Monday (Nov. 14) to drop a building and some guest parking so the development will occupy a little less of the 1.66-acre lot at 127-133 Park Street.
Developers Hope Silver Line Opening Will Boost Activity — “Officials responsible for building and operating the 11.4-mile, $3 billion extension…have insisted that it will spark and sustain considerable development…For developers, they’re hoping those words ring true, that it supercharges multimillion-dollar investments they’ve bet on, but also brings more riders back to the office from previously hard-to-reach residences” [Washington Business Journal]
Herndon Election Results Certified — The Fairfax County Board of Elections has certified the results of the Nov. 8 contests, cementing Herndon Mayor Sheila Olem’s reelection. Town Council candidate Stevan M. Porter fell just 119 votes short of Donielle Scherff, one of five victors, but said he won’t call for a recount. [Patch]
(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) While the wave of COVID-19 cases seen over the past two winters hasn’t yet materialized this year, increased reports of other respiratory illnesses have local hospitals and health officials bracing for a particularly tough cold season.
Fairfax County and other Northern Virginia public health leaders are urging community members “to maintain their vigilance” and help prevent the spread of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which are both surging earlier than usual.
Community members who attended a public meeting on the future elementary school in Dunn Loring last week appeared to favor replacing the existing administrative center at 2334 Gallows Road with a four-story building.
Samaha Associates, an engineering firm contracted by Fairfax County Public Schools, presented two primary design options for the planned school, which is expected to be 118,000 square feet in size with the goal of addressing crowding in the Tysons area.
(Updated at 2 p.m.) It’s official: after years of rising costs and an ever-lengthening construction timeline, the second phase of Metro’s Silver Line has opened to the public.
A train pulled out of the new Dulles International Airport station for the first time shortly after noon following a celebration this morning, where local, state and regional leaders gathered to mark the opening of the 11.4-mile extension of the rail line into Loudoun County.
The developer planning to convert the former Sheraton hotel (8661 Leesburg Pike) in Tysons into multifamily housing has proposed enhancing the property with nearly 3.5 acres of park space.
A portion of the now-vacant hotel’s existing parking lot would be replaced by pocket parks, larger recreational parks, and an urban plaza to serve both future residents and the general public, according to an application filed with Fairfax County on Friday (Nov. 11).
Silver Line Phase II Arrives — “The #SilverLineExtension opens [today]! We’ll be live streaming our opening event celebration on 11/15 at 10:30 am and we’d love for you to tune in virtually. Check back here in the morning or visit http://wmata.com/silverline around 10:30 to join the excitement. Let’s #RIDESILVER!” [WMATA/Twitter]
Hunter Mill District Supervisor on UVA Shooting — “Once again we are rocked by a senseless shooting at a Virginia school. As a proud graduate of @UVA I am devastated for the school and the whole UVA community. We must find a way to work together to prevent these recurring tragedies and end gun violence.” [Walter Alcorn/Twitter]
