A little over two years after Capital Bikeshare launched in Fairfax County, the program is planning to expand across Reston. But details on where the new stations, which were proposed last year, are pending.

According to Nicole Wynands, Bicycle Program Manager for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, the bike-share expansion is planned for late 2019 or early 2020.

“We are still working on the exact locations,” said Wynands, “but additional stations are planned to be added in both North and South Reston.”

A list of sites in Reston had been proposed last year, but Wynands said further study found some of the sites did not meet federal criteria for grant funding.

“The previously proposed stations [were] a concept proposal which [is] always subject to final engineering,” said Wynands. “We have since conducted surveys and developed preliminary design concepts. As the expansion is funded through a federal grant, each location has to meet a long list of criteria stipulated by federal requirements, state requirements and operator requirements. The surveys revealed that some of the originally proposed stations did not meet all siting criteria, so alternative sites are being considered.”

Additionally, Wynands said sites are being reconsidered based on proximity to new bike trails built through Reston over the last year.

“We will be able to announce the new station locations after we have received all needed permits,” said Wynands. “We are still planning on adding up to 11 new stations in Reston”

At its busiest, typically during June, Wynands said there were 1,861 trips starting or ending in Reston. Capital Bikeshare also recently implemented a pilot project to add new battery-operated bikes to Reston. The program will continue through the end of the month.

Wynands said the most popular stations in Reston are the ones at the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station, followed by the Reston Town Center Transit Station and the Sunset Hill Road/Isaac Newton Square Station.

“The system is designed primarily to cover the first and last mile between the origin/destination and transit,” said Wynands. “This is evident in the popularity of the bike share station at Wiehle Metro, which serves both as an origin and a destination for commuters in the morning and afternoon, as people working near Reston Town Center are arriving by Metro and continuing their trip to Reston Town Center via the W&OD, while at the same time Reston Town Center residents commute via the W&OD to the Metro station to continue their trip to Tysons, Arlington or DC.”

The station with the lowest use is at North Shore and Cameron Crescent, a station which primarily serves as an overflow to the busy Lake Anne station down the hill at North Shore and Village Road.

According to Wynands, the system is continuing to grow in ridership, with a seven percent year-over-over growth recorded thus far.

“It takes a few years for a new system to establish itself, and we expect additional growth through the expansions as we will serve additional riders and destinations.”

Darwin Martinez Torres, 23, accused of raping and murdering Nabra Hassanen, 17, of Reston, will be going to trial in January.

According to the Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, motions for the case are scheduled for Nov. 29 and the date for the full trial in January has not been established yet.

Torres’ seven-count indictment includes charges of rape and capital murder.

Prosecutors in the case plan to introduce evidence that Torres was a member of MS-13, though the police are not saying that the crime was gang-related, according to the Washington Post.

Hassanen was attacked when she was returning from the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center in Sterling after a pre-dawn meal in June 2017. Fairfax County police say Hassanen was attacked with a baseball bat before she was abducted, sexually assaulted, and killed. Her body was found in a pond near Torres’ apartment and police believe the crime was not motivated by Hassanen’s religion, but was a road rage incident.

The Washington Post also reports that Torres’ defense team is alleging that Torres is intellectually disabled as a result of toxins in a gold mine near where he grew up in El Salvador. If Torres is found to have significant mental issues, he cannot receive the death penalty.

Photo via FCPD

Updated 10:45 a.m. – Ramen and Rice will be opening in Herndon (482 Elden St) early next year.

Sirinda Liw, owner of Ramen and Rice, said despite the company name being Oki Bowl of Herndon the restaurant shares no connection to the chain located in Washington, D.C.

“It’s going to be fusion ramen,” said Liw, “much tastier than regular ramen.”

Ramen and Rice will be located in Herndon Centre between The Deli and the Nail Villa. Additionally, the ABC permit in the window indicates the location will be serving wine and beer.

Liw said the construction process is still in discussion with a planned opening in January or beginning February. The interior is still vacant and decorated as Tipicos Gloria, a closed Central American eatery.

What can Fairfax do to make Reston more affordable and diverse?

Richard Rothstein, author of “Color of Law: The Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America,” will lead a discussion on how housing policy impacts equitability and inclusiveness in Northern Virginia communities.

The free event will be hosted at the Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Road) at 5 p.m. on Nov. 29. Registration is available online.

Housing inclusivity has been an ongoing discussion in Reston with county officials working to implement a series of ambitious housing affordability goals by the end of the decade. The average rent in Fairfax County is between $1,700 and $1,800 a month, but half of the jobs in the area earn less than $50,000 annually.

Following Rothstein’s comments will be a panel discussion with local housing experts about future plans for the area’s housing.

Copies of the book will be available for sale at the box office for $15, and Rothstein will be available after the lecture for book signings.

Photo via Liveright Publishing

Despite concerns about transparency, the Fairfax County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a new subdivision at McMillen Farm last week.

Tradition Homes, LLC, requested 5.76 acres of land east of Dranesville Road be rezoned from one residential dwelling unit per acre to three residential dwelling units per acre to allow for the construction of 13 homes.

Lots range in size from 11,650 square feet to 25,840 square feet along a new cul-de-sac connected to Dranesville Road. The site was home to McMillen Farm, listed as a heritage resource on the Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites since February 1996.

Still unclear is the ultimate fate of Coomber Hall, a dairy barn county documents say date back to 1850. It was remodeled in 1968 to serve as a school of music and dance. However, since April 2017 the Hall has been classified as an unsafe structure due to significant damage to the roof and walls.

In response to public discussion on Sept. 20 concerning the historic buildings at an earlier meeting, attorney Shane Murphy said historic preservation measures on the site would include the hay barn.

“In my view, the overall revisions are appropriate and important revision steps [that address] the concerns raised by the Planning Commission,” said John Ulfelder, a planning commissioner representing Dranesville District.

But Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, a planning commissioner representing Providence District, said state legislation limiting discussion of rezoning conditions left him unable to fully question the development proposal’s plans for historic resources on the site.

“The norms and practices of this commission are to freely, openly and transparently ask questions of staff, applicant and speakers,” said Niedzielski-Eichner. “I was not confident… I could craft questions without running afoul of new proffer laws. I was disturbed staff and colleagues both referenced proffer law as constricting our ability to engage applicant on land use matters.”

Niedzielski-Eichner abstained, but the remaining eleven planning commissioners voted to approve the rezoning. The rezoning application now goes to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors but has not been docketed for a meeting.

Photo via Newmark Grubb Knight Frank