It could be a little more expensive to visit some Fairfax County parks this upcoming year.
The Fairfax County Park Authority is soliciting public feedback on a proposal to push up fees at local park facilities.
The increase would be, in part, to help pay to keep up with Virginia’s minimum wage increases.
“The FY 2023 budget included a 4.01% market rate adjustment for all employees, in addition to fully funding performance-based and longevity increases,” the proposal said. “The Park Authority Revenue Fund is also significantly impacted by the Minimum Wage increases that continue in 2022 and 2023.”
The park authority said it also had to offer signing and retention bonuses for difficult-to-fill summer positions, like lifeguards and camp counselors, to remain competitive.
“The estimated total for all increases was $1.8 million in FY 2023,” the proposal said. “While the FY 2024 compensation increase is currently unknown, it is anticipated to be similar to FY 2023.”
Retirement contributions and healthcare benefits also rose.
The county’s golf courses and rec centers are funded by user fees, not taxes. In the proposal, the park authority said the fees need to be adjusted to ensure operating costs can be met, as well as repair and replacement needs.
The proposal would increase fees at indoor swimming pools, recreation centers, golf courses and more. Rental of picnic areas, ampitheaters, volleyball courts and more would also get a little more costly.
The proposal also offered some insight into park usage. While the total number of rounds of golf decreased by 7% over the last year, attendance at rec centers increased dramatically over 2021 — though they remain lower than pre-Covid attendance and revenue levels.
If the fee adjustments are approved by the Park Authority Board at a meeting on March 22, it will take effect on April 1.
The park authority started accepting public comments on the proposal today (Wednesday) and will continue to do so through Feb. 2. A community meeting will be held virtually at 7 p.m. on Jan. 18.
The full list of fee adjustments is available in the proposal, starting on page 8. The fees would affect:
- Golf courses
- Driving ranges at Burke Lake, Oak Marr and Twin Lakes
- The golf simulator at Pinecrest Golf Course
- Facility rentals at Laurel Hill and Twin Lakes
- Group admission and chaperone fees at all recreation centers
- Indoor swimming pool base rental fees at rec centers
- Gym rental fees at Audrey Moore, Lee District and Spring Hill
- Admission and rentals at Water Mine, as well as shade, “funbrella” and picnic reservations
- Picnic reservation rentals
- All volleyball rentals
- All amphitheater rentals
- Bike rentals at County-managed parks
- Boat launches at County-managed parks
- Entrance fee to Burke Lake Park
- Camping at Burke Lake Park and Lake Fairfax Park
- All amusement carousel and train rides
- Kayak, canoe and pedal boat rentals countywide
- New garden plots at Hogge Park, Lorton/Nike
- Various facility and room rentals
A bestselling author who wrote a book on the cost of racism will be the keynote speaker for Reston Community Center’s 38th annual Reston Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration.
The main event on Monday, Jan. 16, features Heather McGhee, the author of The New York Times bestseller “The Sum of Us: What Racism Cost Us and How We Can Prosper Together.” The address begins at 11 a.m. at RCC Hunters Woods. Tickets are $5 for Restonians and $20 for all others.
“It is vital to ask ourselves every day ‘are we keeping the promise?’” Beverly Cosham, chair of RCC’s Board of Governors, said. “When we commemorate Dr. King’s birthday and recall that he gave his life to achieving justice, we are called again to the fight for universal human rights. Memory of his beliefs and service to others fuel our commitment to making our community and world better for everyone.”
A complete line up of events from RCC is below:
Saturday, January 14
Community Service Projects
9:00 a.m., Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate, 12125 Pinecrest Road, Reston
6 years and older — FreeJoin friends and neighbors in honoring Dr. King’s legacy by serving your community. As Dr. King said, “Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve.” RCC is partnering with the Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate, Reston Association, Cornerstones and The Closet on community service projects. Indoor projects include sorting and organizing items from The Closet and making bag lunches for the Embry Rucker Community Shelter. There will also be outdoor projects such as cleaning up the natural areas, pathways and hardscapes, weather permitting.
To volunteer, please contact Ha Brock, Volunteer Reston Manager, at 703-435-7986 or [email protected].
Reston Community Orchestra
Annual Musical Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Words and Music as Diverse as the World of Which He Dreamed
4:00 p.m., RCC Hunters Woods Community Room
All ages — FreeWith music and words specifically chosen for this occasion, RCO joins the Reston community in a weekend commemoration of the contributions made by this celebrated American, and his vision of a society free of prejudice and racial division. The program features Reston vocalist Beverly Cosham, students from Al Fatih Academy and other special guests. There will be songs and spirituals known and loved by Dr. King. Tickets available through the RCC Box Office.
Sunday, January 15
Mark G. Meadows: Music and The Movement
2:00 p.m., RCC Hunters Woods — the CenterStage
$15 Reston/$20 Non-RestonJoin Mark G. Meadows & The Movement as they pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mark G. Meadows is a man on a mission to create a unifying sound that breaks through social barriers. There’s something for everyone in his music, which harmonizes jazz, gospel, R&B, hip-hop and rock. Mark uses his artistry to send a positive message of love, joy and hope to his audiences. Get ready to lift every voice and sing with Mark G. Meadows & The Movement. Tickets sold through the RCC Box Office.
Monday, January 16
Keynote Address by Heather McGhee followed by Community Lunch
11:00 a.m.
RCC Hunters Woods: the CenterStage and Community Room
$5 Reston/$20 Non-RestonA renowned expert on the American economy, Heather McGhee is one of the most brilliant and influential thinkers exploring inequality today. Both her viral TED talk and her instant New York Times bestseller The Sum of Us reveal the devastating true cost of racism – not just for people of color, but for everyone. Deeply stirring, intelligent and compassionate, McGhee’s talks offer us an actionable roadmap during one of the most critical – and most troubled – periods in history. Following the keynote address, a family-style lunch will be provided in the RCC Community Room.
Especially for Youth
10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
RCC Hunters Woods
6 – 12 Years Old – Free. Registration Required. Reg. #704750You may register your school-age child (first to sixth grade) to participate in activities at RCC. Children must be registered in advance and no onsite registration will be available on the day of the event. Children will rotate through a series of activities, including an age-appropriate video and arts and crafts. All activities will be based on the history of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement. Lunch will be provided.
Tuesday, January 17
American Red Cross Blood Drive
RCC Hunters Woods
1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.Reston Community Center partners with the American Red Cross and Fairfax County NAACP to offer a blood drive. People with minority roots are especially encouraged to participate to increase the blood supply for vulnerable populations. Make your appointment here.
The events are organized by RCC with the cooperation of the Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate, Cornerstones, The Closet, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn’s office, Reston Association, Reston Community Orchestra and local schools.
Photo via National Archives
A substantial renovation to Reston’s Lake Thoreau pool is 25% complete, putting the multi-million dollar project on track for opening by the 2023 pool season.
Demolition, regrading and structural support for the elevated deck are officially complete, according to Chris Schumaker, Reston Association’s capital projects director. At a Dec. 15 board meeting, Schumaker said the planned addition to the bathhouse will begin shortly after the New Year.
“We’re currently holding on schedule and anticipate opening sometime during the 2023 pool season,” he said.
Fine grading, structural steel work and concrete work is in progress for the pool basin, he told the board.
The project could see delays due to weather impacts — but currently no delays are anticipated.
On-site work at 2040 Upper Lake Drive began over the summer. The facility has been closed since 2020 for the renovation project, which was first set to break ground in the fall of 2021.
The renovated facility will include six lap lanes and a ramp to provide ADA access, a redesigned deck, a larger 25-space parking lot, an overlook with a pollinated garden, and expanded bathhouses.
The project is expected to cost roughly $3.5 million.
McLean Woman Killed in D.C. Crash — “D.C. police identified the woman killed Friday afternoon near the White House by a man fleeing from the Secret Service as Shuyu Sui, a 31-year-old from McLean.” A second woman injured in the crash remains hospitalized in critical condition. A LinkedIn page indicates that Sui worked as a data engineer for Meta, which didn’t immediately return FFXnow’s request for comment. [The Washington Post]
About 313 People Killed on D.C. Area Roads in 2022 — “Prince George’s County again tops the list with 117 people killed, about 11.8 traffic fatalities per 100,000 people. The region’s other counties with big, fast highways, like Prince William and Fairfax, round out the top three jurisdictions with traffic fatalities above 5 per 100,000 people.” [DCist]
Police Officer Cleared in Seven Corners Shooting — “An undercover Fairfax County police sergeant was justified when he shot and wounded a man in August who had fled a supposed drug deal and appeared to be reaching for a gun, the Fairfax prosecutor ruled Friday.” [The Washington Post]
Herndon Resident Seeks Owner of Hen — “Tas Robin is trying to find the owners of a lost hen who showed up at her home on Bayshire Lane in Herndon on [Dec. 27]. Around 6:30 p.m., Robin’s nephew told her there was a chicken sitting on the hood of the family’s truck parked in the driveway. Robin’s brother-in-law went out, grabbed the hen and then brought it inside.” [Patch]
McLean Tech Company Partners With Samsung — “Iridium Communications Inc. said it’s signed an agreement with an undisclosed company to put its satellite communications technology into smartphones…A South Korean news outlet reported in November that Samsung was planning to work with Iridium to add satellite…technology to its Galaxy S23 phones.” [Washington Business Journal]
Not So Fast on Address Changes, Fairfax Says — “The names of 14 streets officially changed on Jan. 1, 2023, and the U.S. Postal Service has updated its database to reflect the new names. However, the city requests residents and business owners to refrain from updating their address information until Feb. 1.” [City of Fairfax]
Reston Town Center Inspired YIMBYs of NOVA Co-Founder — “Reston Town Center is where I first settled when moving to the DC area from the endless suburbs of Florida. It was my first experience living in a walkable urban community & I was amazed. My origin story of being a housing & transit advocate begins here.” [Adam Theo/Twitter]
Providence District Supervisor Makes History for Regional Transportation Group — “Members of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission will swear in new leadership for 2023, including the first Latina Chair Dalia Palchik, and hear public feedback on NVTC’s Work Plan at their monthly meeting Thursday.” [NVTC]
It’s Wednesday — Rain in the afternoon and evening. High of 67 and low of 58. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:00 pm. [Weather.gov]
Need an office for a Top Secret meeting? Venture to Venture X, opening soon in Fairfax.
Venture X’s new high-end coworking space is opening in Fairfax’s Mosaic District and offers many amenities other flex spaces do not, including secure facilities for those performing top secret work.
A tour Venture X’s 28,000-square-foot site — housing some 112 private offices — reveals luxury furniture, high-end finishes, lounge areas, 24-hour access, and comfortable collaboration spaces as well as oversized meeting rooms large enough for small-to-medium company-wide retreats, board meetings, and workshops.
Today’s flex space workers expect reliable, high-speed internet, but Venture X takes it to the next level by offering network security approved for secret-level government and corporate work. Venture X also offers a large, separate secure area specifically designed for a single company to occupy while performing top secret assignments.
The Mosaic location is convenient to the town center’s many amenities, including restaurants, bars, and shopping. It is also convenient to the Orange Line’s Dunn Loring Metro station — now connecting to Dulles International Airport via the Silver Line — as well as easy access to I-495 and Arlington Boulevard/Route 50. Learn more about the location and be sure to check out the floorplan!
Venture X, an internationally franchised company, designs its luxury accommodations for a diverse and varied membership that seeks to expand in-place and inspire its teams to achieve success. Venture in soon.
Venture X is located at 3060 Williams Drive, Suite 300, in Fairfax’s Mosaic District. See a testimonial video about Venture X. To schedule a tour or to learn more, call 703-952-5265 or see this website.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) An outcry stoked by conservative activists over Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) allegedly failing to promptly announce a student academic honor has reached the Virginia governor’s office.
In a letter released this morning (Tuesday), Gov. Glenn Youngkin urged Attorney General Jason Miyares to investigate the Fairfax County magnet school after it reportedly didn’t notify students commended by the National Merit Scholarship Program until after early college applications were due.
“We need to get to the bottom of what appears to be an egregious, deliberate attempt to disadvantage high-performing students at one of the best schools in the country,” Youngkin said. “Parents and students deserve answers and Attorney General Miyares will initiate a full investigation.”
Fairfax County Public Schools says it has initiated a third-party, independent investigation of its own but “stands ready to work with our partners at the state level,” should Miyares decide to pursue a review.
“Our preliminary understanding is that the delay this fall was a unique situation due to human error,” an FCPS spokesperson said. “The investigation will continue to examine our records in further detail and we will share key findings with our community.”
The school system said in a statement on Friday (Dec. 30) that families were notified as soon as the lapse “came to light.” Staff also sent emails and made follow-up calls to each college where the affected students had applied.
“FCPS understands the hard work and dedication of each and every student who competes for college acceptance and scholarship opportunities,” FCPS said. “We remain committed to supporting every student in reaching their full potential.”
The National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes students who receive the highest scores in the country on the preliminary SAT, essentially a practice for the main standardized test considered by most colleges and universities for admissions.
According to the National Merit website, about 50,000 students qualify for the program every year based on an index score calculated by doubling the sum of their reading, writing and math scores.
Notifications are sent out in late September, with about two-thirds of those students being commended and one-third advancing as semi-finalists. Only about 7,250 students win actual scholarships each year.
However, FCPS only announced the school’s semi-finalists in September. Commended students at TJ didn’t learn they had gotten the honor until teachers handed out certificates on Nov. 14, Coalition for TJ co-founder Asra Nomani said in the Fairfax County Times.
The Coalition for TJ sued Fairfax County Public Schools in 2021 over changes to the admissions system that were designed to boost diversity at the magnet school. The lawsuit is currently in a federal appeals court.
Nomani said she learned about the issue from Shawnna Yashar, a member of the Fairfax County Parents Association, which was incorporated in June 2021 by leaders of the Open FCPS campaign that urged schools to reopen early in the pandemic.
Since publishing last Thursday (Dec. 29), Nomani’s story has gotten picked up by several, mostly conservative outlets, including Fox News and the Daily Mail. Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears tweeted on Saturday (Dec. 31) that she had “reached out” to Youngkin and Miyares about a possible investigation.
The Fairfax County Parents Association and other groups have called for TJ principal Ann Bonitatibus to be fired and are planning to hold a rally outside the school this afternoon, according to WUSA9.
FCPS confirmed that Superintendent Michelle Reid is scheduled to meet with families this evening “to listen to their concerns.”
Parent and 11th District Republican Committee Vice Chair Srilekha Palle told WUSA9 she considers the delayed notifications “a criminal act.” Harry Jackson, another Coalition for TJ founder and brief GOP school board candidate hopeful, claimed administrators “wanted to downplay the significance of these awards to students in the name of equity.”
“I believe this failure may have caused material harm to those students and their parents, and that this failure may have violated the Virginia Human Rights Act,” Youngkin said in his letter to Miyares.
The letter doesn’t say how the lack of merit scholarship notifications might violate the Virginia Human Rights Act, which protects individuals from discrimination based on race, religion, sex and other characteristics.
A new future could be on the horizon for an office building on Dulles Technology Drive.
Aventon Holdings II is seeking Fairfax County’s permission to redevelop the ePlus headquarters at 13595 Dulles Technology Drive in McNair with a 348-unit apartment building, according to a Dec. 29 application.
The building would be up to 75 feet, or six stories, tall with a partial basement and include 41 workforce dwelling units.
“The Applicant’s proposal seeks to reinvigorate an underutilized property and increase the housing stock in Fairfax County,” the application says.
To move forward, the county would have to rezone the property from industrial uses to a planned residential mixed-use district designation.
A 418-space parking garage is planned on the site, most of which will be screened by the residential buildings. The developer wants to reduce the number of parking spaces required per dwelling unit to 1.2.
Based on the applicant’s analysis, the project would generate roughly 669 net new vehicles trips during a typical weekday, according to the application.
A 4-foot-wide pedestrian pathway is planned next to to the apartment building to connect Dulles Technology Drive to River Birch Road, along with an 8-foot-wide shared-use trail in the stream valley linked to Merry Brook Run.
An interior courtyard in the apartment building is planned with a pool, seating areas, grilling stations and entertainment areas. For the public, an observation overlook, pergola, play mounds, benches and grilling stations would be provided.
The property includes a Resource Protection Area (RPA) and is near a 100-year floodplain — which the applicants says the project will respect. Although the building doesn’t encroach on those areas, a trail, utilities and stormwater area would encroach on the RPA.
Ornery Beer Company Public House is officially coming to Herndon.
The restaurant and pub, which already has locations in Fairfax and Manassas, is set to open at Arrowbrook Centre (2340 Silver Arrow Way), a development that is currently under construction at the intersection of the Dulles Toll Road and Centreville Road.
The business was started by Randy Barnette, a craft beer enthusiast and restaurant owner, in 2015 to offer a “more casual stye” brewpub. He’s also behind other concepts in the area, including Hard Times Cafe in Manassas and Mad Fox Brewing in Falls Church.
Barnette estimated the location will open in the third or fourth quarter of 2023, emphasizing that the expected opening is an estimate.
The full-service restaurant will include a three-barrel brewery.
“Our brewing capacity is supplemented by our production brewery in Bristow. Our business model is smaller pub-like restaurants with scratch kitchens, no walk-in freezers, offering great food that pairs well with our beer,” Barnette said.
Barnette said he chose the location because of the business demographics of the area and the mixed-use nature of the project. Herndon is also home to Barnette, who grew up from Herndon and graduated from Herndon High School. He now lives in Bristow.
Items on the menu include variety of beer and ciders, soups, salads, and pizzas.
The Arrowbrook Centre development is planned for more than 600,000 square feet of office space across three buildings,
The initial phases of the development will include 34,000 square feet of ground floor retail and a 274-unit apartment building. Additional development is planned.
Photo via Google Maps
Fairfax County Police Department’s in-car radio system (via FCPD/Facebook)
The new year got off to an awkward start for one Fairfax County police officer whose decidedly not-safe-for-work choice of late-night entertainment got some professional airtime.
The police radio channel picked up about eight minutes of pornographic sounds shortly after midnight on Sunday (Jan. 1), local public safety watcher Dave Statter reported. Statter observed that the noises suggested that someone was having sex or watching porn.
As it turned out, the latter theory was more accurate. The errant broadcast came from an off-duty police officer who was listening to “audio porn” while driving in his personal vehicle, the Fairfax County Police Department confirmed.
“Our investigation revealed that the off-duty officer was listening to ‘audio porn’ over his Bluetooth in his vehicle, which was captured on his activated police radio,” the department said. “The ‘audio porn’ in question has been positively confirmed as the same file broadcast over our police radio system.”
NEW: Steamy start to the new year for @FairfaxCountyPD & it wasn’t the humidity. For 8 mins this morning a stuck radio microphone gave a very strong impression someone, somewhere was having sex or watching porn. Will pass along any details from either #police or 911 as available. pic.twitter.com/Zz3QRJL7ra
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) January 1, 2023
The officer in question was interviewed by the FCPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Police determined that the officer forgot to turn off a portable radio left in the car’s trunk and that it “inadvertently activated” while he was driving, according to the news release. There was no one else in the car at the time.
The unnamed officer isn’t the first law enforcement official to land in hot water after accidentally broadcasting sexual activities over police air waves.
A sheriff’s deputy in Los Angeles came under scrutiny last month when a hot mic caught her getting busy with a partner during a work break. The sheriff’s department rules meant the woman could be suspended or fired for the incident, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The FCPD said its internal investigation into the New Year’s Day misconduct is still ongoing. The department declined to comment or speculate about any potential discipline the officer could face.
Its general orders allow for anything from oral or written reprimands to termination, depending “upon the severity of the misconduct and the employee’s previous disciplinary history.”
Photo via FCPD/Facebook
EEOC Finds Support for Sexism Claims Against Fire Department — “The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) wrote a letter [last] month supporting [Kathleen] Stanley’s 2018 claim that the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department retaliated against the battalion chief by changing the terms and conditions of her employment after she stepped down as the interim women’s program officer.” [The Washington Post]
Man Fatally Shot on New Year’s Eve in Lorton — Fairfax County police are investigating a homicide that occurred Saturday night (Dec. 31) in the 9500 block of Unity Lane in Lorton. Police say they found Nahom Beyene, 42, of Lorton, in the threshold of a doorway with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body. He died at the scene. [FCPD, WTOP]
Fair Oaks Chick-fil-A Closed — Chick-fil-A closed its location in Fair Oaks Mall on Friday (Dec. 30) after 22 years of operations. The fast-food company didn’t explain its decision, which was announced just one day earlier on Facebook, but there are still other locations in the area, including in Fairfax City, Fair Lakes and Vienna. [Patch]
Lorton Community Center Gym Now Open — “The new Lorton Community Center and Library were unveiled to the public at a highly attended ribbon-cutting ceremony in mid-October officiated by Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck. The facility’s gymnasium remained closed to the public at that time since its flooring was installed incorrectly.” [On the MoVe]
Postmodern Belgian Writer Dies in Reston — “Claude Krijgelmans, Belgian postmodern Flemish writer, died in his sleep on Dec. 5, 2022, at his home in Reston. He was 88. Known for illustrative prose and experimental language, producing his first book at 19, Krijgelmans published some 16 works.” [Patch]
How Fairfax County Became a Tech Hub — “While government contracting has been a boon for the region, Fairfax County has also grown to attract commercial technology companies, Taylor adds. In the county alone, there are 44,000 open jobs, about 30% of which are in the tech industry, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA).” [Virginia Business]
McLean Historical Society Nears 30 Years — “The McLean Historical Society will celebrate its 30th anniversary Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave. There will be several speakers who will offer brief vignettes of early McLean, including Palmer Robison, Dan DuVal, Lindesay Aquino and Carole Herrick.” [Sun Gazette]
Get Preview of 2023 General Assembly Session — “Before Virginia’s 2023 legislative session convenes on January 11, get a preview from area State Senators Chap Petersen (Dist. 34) and Jennifer Boysko (Dist. 33) on January 4. The 7:00 pm program will be held via Zoom hosted by the Patrick Henry Community Library and Vienna Area and Reston-Herndon AAUW Branches.” [FCPL]
It’s Tuesday — Possible light rain overnight. High of 66 and low of 50. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:00 pm. [Weather.gov]
New Year’s Eve is right around the corner, closing out an exciting first year for FFXnow.
Since officially launching on Feb. 22, the new home of Tysons Reporter and Reston Now has pushed to bring the local news reporting from those sites to other corners of Fairfax County, from Chantilly to Huntington, while maintaining their focus on the Tysons and Reston areas.
2022 had more than its fair share of challenges. Pedestrian fatalities reached heights not seen in at least a decade, and gun violence by both community members and police was a recurring concern. Meanwhile, Covid continued to ebb and surge, as remaining pandemic health measures like mask requirements and mass vaccine clinics disappeared.
However, this year also brought some key milestones, from the long-awaited opening of Metro’s Silver Line extension into Herndon and beyond to the relegation of Lee District and the names of two highways to history.
In quirkier news, the county welcomed its first medical cannabis dispensary and a pack of rescued beagles. Colby the llama got lost and found, and remember those tornadoes that touched down in Tysons and Centreville?
Before you start writing up new year’s resolutions or head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s close out 2022 by revisiting FFXnow’s 10 most-read stories of the year:
- Three people injured while evacuating Tysons Corner Center, now closed after gunfire
- McLean ride-share startup seeks to challenge Uber and Lyft by putting drivers in control
- Fairfax County approves fines for running bamboo, starting next year
- Black bear filmed strolling by Adaire Apartments in Tysons
- Silver Line extension opening date pushed once again to summer 2022
- JUST IN: Wegmans announces opening date for Reston location
- Here’s a ‘LOOK’ at what’s replacing Bow Tie Cinemas in Reston
- Here’s what will replace Clyde’s in Reston Town Center
- BREAKING: Bow Tie Cinemas to leave Reston Town Center
- Trash troubles persist in Fairfax County, with residents reporting missed pick-ups
We hope you enjoyed reading FFXnow this past year and hope to bring even more timely, comprehensive coverage of everything Fairfax County in 2023. As always, you can share tips, photos and general feedback at [email protected] or our anonymous tip form.
The new year will ring in the beginning of a new construction project in Herndon.
Nearly $23 million in improvements to East Spring Street are slated to begin Tuesday (Jan. 3), according to the Town of Herndon.
The project will widen a quarter-mile of Spring Street from just west of Herndon Parkway to Fairfax County Parkway, creating space for additional through and turn lanes. More turn lanes are also under construction at the Spring Street intersection.
“The project, administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), will enhance the safety and efficiency of East Spring Street between the Fairfax County and Herndon parkways,” the town said.
The project will also connect the new Herndon Metro station the Washington & Old Dominion Trail through a sidewalk and eight-foot-wide cycle track along northbound Herndon Parkway.
Periodic lane closures are expected at the 100 block of Spring Street and the 400 block of Herndon Parkway.
A new sidewalk along eastbound Spring Street from Sunset Park Drive to Fairfax County Parkway and enhancements to existing pathways on both sides of spring street are also planned.
The project is expected to wrap up in the fall of 2024.
Metro Rides Free for New Year’s Eve — “Take the train, bus or paratransit service starting at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 31, and #YourMetro ride will be free of charge. As a bonus, service is being extended. Metrorail will run until 2 a.m. and late-night Metrobus service on selected routes will operate until 3 a.m. for customers connecting from train to bus.” [WMATA]
McLean Company Faces Bankruptcy and Lawsuit — McLean cybersecurity company IronNet Inc. is struggling with a plethora of crises as a loss of $77 million and 35% of its staff pushes it toward potential bankruptcy. The public company also may be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after failing to file a required financial report, and a class action lawsuit alleging executives misled investors is pending in federal court in Alexandria. [Washington Business Journal]
Pizza Restaurant Opens in Fairfax City — Marco’s Pizza had a soft launch yesterday (Thursday) that will continue from noon to 8 p.m. today. Located at 10160 Fairfax Blvd., Suite 100, the franchise is is the second that owner Niten Sabharwal and his wife Sonia have opened in Northern Virginia, joining a location in Fairfax Station. The chain is also planning an expansion to the Reston area next year. [Patch]
Get Ready for More Express Lanes Work in 2023 — Work will continue next year on the I-495 widening and the I-66 Trail, which the Virginia Department of Transportation hopes to complete by Bike-to-Work Day on May 19. VDOT is also studying whether to allow two-way travel on the I-95 Express Lanes from Springfield to Dale City and whether to extend toll lanes on the south side of I-495 to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. [The Washington Post]
County’s Sewage Plant Helped Preserve Electrical Grid — “During the generational Christmas Eve Cold Snap, the PJM electrical grid that serves the District of Columbia and 13 Mid-Atlantic states, which includes Northern Virginia, became severely overloaded…So, when PJM called Noman Cole at 4:20 a.m., staff answered.” [DPWES]
State Laws to Take Effect With New Year — “The minimum wage in Virginia will bump up to $12 per hour on Jan. 1, up from $11. The increase is dictated by legislation passed by Democrats in 2020 that pushes the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026.” Other scheduled changes include a decrease in Virginia’s grocery tax rate and the addition of a 5-cent plastic bag tax in Fairfax City. [DCist]
American Legion Bridge Traffic Headaches Persist — “The American Legion Bridge, a chronic source of misery for thousands of D.C.-area drivers, marks its 60th anniversary Saturday, highlighting the aging span’s pivotal role in the region’s crushing traffic congestion…Mounting maintenance needs have forced a debate about when the Beltway bottleneck should be rebuilt and how any expansion should jibe with broader traffic-relief efforts.” [The Washington Post]
McLean HS Student Chosen for Senate Leadership Program — “Only two students from each state are selected each year for the United States Senate Youth Program. This year, one of the Virginia delegates is from McLean High School. Congrats, Saehee Perez!” [FCPS/Facebook]
It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 54 and low of 34. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 4:56 pm. [Weather.gov]
A new dashboard looking at transit around the region illustrates Fairfax Connector’s slow climb back to pre-pandemic ridership levels.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission recently released an interactive website that lets users break down ridership at various local transit services and compare and contrast those figures.
For Fairfax Connector, data from the last year of ridership shows a stark upswing that started in June and has gradually brought the system back up to pre-pandemic levels.
The bus system had a promising start to 2020 with 669,501 riders that January — higher than numbers for that month in previous years. Those numbers dove over the next two months as the Covid pandemic kicked into gear, dropping to a low of 248,866 riders in April.
Ridership only marginally recovered through the rest of 2020 and 2021, but the pace of recovery picked up in 2022 and shot up from June to July, reaching a post-pandemic high of 738,968 riders in August 2022. In September, Fairfax Connector surpassed pre-pandemic ridership for the same month for the first time since February 2020.
The Connector isn’t alone in this recovery. DASH in Alexandria and the CUE bus in the City of Fairfax saw similar recoveries in the second half of 2022.
In Alexandria, DASH’s dramatic uptick in ridership seemed fueled in part by switching to a fare-free system. Fairfax County was considering a similar move for the Connector, but that was tabled by the Board of Supervisors earlier this month in favor of a discounted rate for low-income passengers.
Overall transit ridership in the area, though, remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels — in large part due to Metro accounting for more than 78.6% of the region’s ridership.
Metro didn’t have quite the same dramatic return to pre-pandemic ridership in Virginia that Fairfax Connector experienced.
While Metro’s combined ridership for rail and bus was higher every month in 2022 than it was in 2021, it’s still half what it was in 2018 and 2019. In Virginia, Metro’s ridership for September was roughly 4.1 million — less than half of the 9.2 million riders in 2019.
Fairfax County doesn’t have the same high percentage of access to transit — around 61.3% of the total population — compared to neighbors like Arlington and Alexandria, but that’s to be expected given that it’s significantly larger with less urbanized areas.
A Maryland man has been arrested in connection with a robbery at Wells Fargo in Reston’s North Point Village Center, police announced today.
Police believe the suspect — 37-year-old Zachary Allen Hunter — may be involved with multiple other robberies in the region.
Yesterday morning (Wednesday) shortly before 9:30 a.m, Hunter allegedy entered the bank at 1498 North Point Village Center and demanded cash while implying he had a firearm, police say. He left the area in a Mercedes.
An off-duty police officer was able to track the suspect in Tysons. When the vehicle was seen turning in Lincoln Lane but failing to exit, the officer coordinated with other law enforcement to search the area.
“Hunter was found slouched inside the vehicle and was taken into custody,” police said.
Detectives plan to charge the suspect with additional charges. Yesterday, he was charged with one count of robbery and was held without bound.
The stolen cash was also recovered, according to police, who didn’t identify the amount taken.
Bank robber caught. https://t.co/2JziAxgTjU #FCPD pic.twitter.com/yHQulwDIRL
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 29, 2022
