Tuesday, Feb. 16

• Bean-efit (4-6 p.m.) – On Mardi Gras, get a free meal from a local restaurant if you work in the hospitality industry. Organized by local restaurateurs (including Bayou Bakery’s David Guas), 25 restaurants across D.C. and Northern Virginia are providing a free bean dish to the first 100 restaurant workers to show up at each location. Among those participating is Taco Bamba in Vienna and Sonoma Wine Bar in Alexandria.

Wednesday, Feb. 17

• The Black Arts Movement (7 p.m.) – Join Fairfax’s Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter for an online discussion of the Harlem Renaissance and Black Arts Movement. The event is sponsored by the Fairfax County Public Library.

Thursday, Feb. 18

• Girl Power! (7 p.m.) – Celebrate the launch of author Jen Petro-Roy’s new book Life in the Balance along with Reston’s Scrawl Books. Then, on March 25, join Scrawl Books and Petro-Roy to ask questions and discuss the book after reading it.

Friday, Feb. 19

• Animal Predators (6-7 p.m.) – Owls, coyotes, bears, oh my! Learn about all the animal predators stalking the local woods. Afterwards, sit around the campfire at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly and roast up some s’mores.

• The Places We Forgot (Anytime) – Inhabit once-abandoned locations at this new virtual exhibit from Workman Art Center in Lorton. Photograph artist Brendan L. Smith has taken pictures of abandoned places across the country and the results are enchanting.

Saturday, Feb. 20

• Raising Ivy (11 a.m. to noon) – Local author Greg Manora details a family’s true story of coming from poverty, slavery, and segregation to football field and the halls of the Ivy League. This event is part of the Fairfax County Library’s series of Black History Month events.

Sunday, Feb. 21

• Virginia is for Comedy (9 p.m.) – Laugh at locals as the Comedy Roadshow, a 30-minute virtual stand-up show every Sunday, makes its way to Virginia. This Sunday will feature only VA-based comedians, including funny people from Sterling, Arlington, and Richmond.

Photo courtesy of Bayou Bakery

COVID-19 case rates in Fairfax County have leveled off over the past week after appearing to trend downward since mid-January, when a record 1,485 cases were reported in a single day.

As of today, the county’s seven-day average is at 312.4 cases and has been hovering between 290 and 337 cases since Feb. 4. While the anticipated post-winter holiday surge seems to have tapered off, case levels are still higher than the pandemic’s initial spring peak, when the highest recorded seven-day average was 303 cases on May 31.

With 194 new cases today, the Fairfax Health District has now reported 64,950 COVID-19 cases, 3,482 hospitalizations, and 849 deaths, according to data from the Fairfax County Health Department.

Today also marked the launch of Virginia’s new statewide COVID-19 vaccine registration system, though Fairfax County is not participating for the time being.

Based on a registration data dashboard that went live on Feb. 12, Fairfax County has made slow but discernible progress in its efforts to vaccinate older adults, some groups of essential workers, and other eligible populations.

The Fairfax County Health Department has whittled its waitlist of people who have registered but haven’t been given an appointment yet down to 105,268 people, as of 10 a.m. The list had around 180,000 registrants as recently as last Thursday (Feb. 11). In total, 229,185 people have registered with the county to get the COVID-19 vaccine so far.

The health department is currently making appointments for more than 42,000 people who registered on Jan. 18, which saw particularly high demand since it was the day when the county expanded eligibility for the vaccine to people between the ages of 65 and 74 as well as people with high-risk medical conditions.

People who have registered for an appointment through the county health department can now see where they are in the queue with a registration status checker, though the rollout of that tool was not without its challenges.

Fairfax County has delivered 110,098 of the 114,923 vaccine doses that it has gotten from the Virginia Department of Health so far. About 68% of those doses were adminstered by the county health department, while the remaining 31% were distributed to other providers, like Inova.

According to the VDH, 48,404 people in Fairfax County have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and 163,200 total doses have been administered in the county. That number includes residents and staff at long-term care facilities that have been getting the vaccine through the federal government rather than the local health department.

The Virginia Department of Health launched a new, statewide registration system for the COVID-19 vaccine today, but Fairfax County won’t be taking part.

The county is encouraging residents to continue using its own registration system. Local health districts have been directed to close their existing registration forms so that data can be cleaned up, consolidated, and transferred to the new system.

The FCHD says it will not participate in the statewide system at this time and will instead continue to manage vaccine appointments for everyone in the Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, and the towns of Vienna, Herndon, and Clifton.

“For those already on the waitlist, do not register again on the new statewide system,” the county health department said.

Fairfax County’s vaccine call center at 703-324-7404 will also continue to be operational, even with the state launching a new call center.

Fairfax County decided to stick with its own registration system because officials believed it would be less confusing for residents, and because the county has “invested a lot of resources” into the system, Fairfax County Health Department spokesperson Tina Dale said.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay also noted that the county invested resources and time into working out the kinks of its current system.

“At this point, I am glad we can maintain our system that residents are familiar with to cut down on confusion. We will continue to have conversations with the state about registration as the vaccine process rolls out,” he said.

The news comes as Fairfax County’s promised dashboard with COVID-19 vaccine and registration data goes live.

So far, the county is currently making appointments for people registered on Jan. 18. Residents can verify if they are registered to receive the first dose of the vaccine online.

Roughly 228,145 people have registered for the vaccine in the Fairfax Health District and 106,371 people remain on the waiting list as of data released Sunday night.

The health department cautions that it may take several weeks to schedule appointments for registered residents due to limited vaccine supply. The county has received 114,923 doses from VDH.

FCPS to Host Annual Special Education Conference — The school system’s sixteenth annual special education conference will be held virtually on Saturday, April 17th. [FCPS]

Local Town Halls Set for This Week — Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is hosting a town hall tonight and Thursday. The first meeting is with the Reston district police station commanders and the second is with Alcorn. [Fairfax County Government]

Northern Virginia Returns to In-person Schooling — ”The case numbers of the new variants in Virginia are increasing as some school systems in Northern Virginia prepare to resume in-person instruction this week. The counties are returning to in-classroom learning before all teachers have received their COVID-19 vaccine.” [Reston Patch]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

A 20-year-old Reston man has been arrested and charged with killing a former classmate from South Lakes High School, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

Police arrested Jalenn Maurtiece Keene on Friday night in the shooting death of Samuel Onyeuka. The 20-year-old was killed near the 2300 block of Branleigh Park Court after 2 p.m. on Feb. 11. The suspect fled the scene immediately after the shooting, according to FCPD.

Keene was charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was arrested hours away in Newport News. Local police worked with the Newport News Police Department to coordinate his arrest. He was found based on a review of financial records and surveillance footage.

Police also believe they found the Nissan Rogue that they believe the suspect fled the scene in. A gun was found in the car, but it is currently unclear if that gun was used to kill Onyeuka.

He will be extradited to Fairfax County and currently remains in custody in Newport News.

This is the first homicide of the year in Fairfax County.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to use the following means to contact FCPD:

Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 2. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411, and by web – Click HERE. Download our Mobile tip411 App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest.

Photo via FCPD

Before we head off into another weekend with COVID-19 abound, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.

1. Fairfax County to Launch Queuing System Tomorrow, Improve Vaccine Rollout
2. BREAKING: Suspect At-Large in Reston Homicide
3. CVS to Offer COVID-19 Vaccine in Fairfax County Starting This Week
4. Two New Restaurants to Open at Reston Station by May
5. Frustrations Boil Over As Lake Anne Residents Grapple With No Hot Water Since Dec. 1

If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.

Feel free to discuss these topics, your social distancing plans, or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.

Eight Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Service infrastructure projects have received awards from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the American Public Works Association.

Five of those projects were named “project of the year” in their respective categories, including the renovations done at the Reston Community Center Aquatics Facility and the Innovation Center Metro Station parking garage in Herndon.

Three other projects were named as “honorable mentions.”

DPWES received more accolades from APWA than any other municipality in the Mid-Atlantic Chapter.

Renovations at RCC’s Aquatic Facility (Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center) were completed early last year. They included the installation of a new lap pool, warm water pool, zero entry pool with water features, mosaic artwork, updating ADA accessibility, and a new roof.

In total, the project cost about $5 million.

The work earned the department an award for “project of the year” for structures costing between $5 million and $25 million.

The parking garage at the Innovation Center Metro Station was also completed in the first quarter of 2020 and was a more expensive project.

Costing $52 million, the eight-level, 2,100 space parking garage was built with the intention of serving the Innovation Center Metro Station in Herndon. That station is part of Silver Line Phase 2 which is not yet operating due to delays.

The project actually came about 10% under budget despite the garage having problems with it “sinking” back in 2018.

It won “project of the year” for structures costing between $25 to $75 million.

Other Fairfax County projects to win awards include Scott’s Run Trail in McLean, a sewer emergency construction project at Backlick Run in Springfield, and Tertiary filter rehabilitation project at the pollution control plant in Lorton.

Photo courtesy of Fairfax County

Presidents Day is just around the corner on Monday, Feb. 15, and with the federal holiday comes a few closures in the area to be aware of.

Fairfax County Government:

• County government offices will be closed on Feb. 15.

Fairfax County Courts:

• The Fairfax Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District courts will be closed all day on Feb. 15.

Reston Community Centers:

• RCC Hunters Woods is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Feb. 15.
• RCC Lake Anne is closed all day on Feb. 15.

 Public Schools:

• Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed on Feb. 15.

County Libraries, Recreation Centers, Parks:

• All Fairfax County library branches will be closed on Feb. 15.
• All Fairfax County RECenters will operate at their regular hours.
• Colvin Run Mill and Sully Historic Site will be closed on Feb. 15.
• The E.C. Lawrence, Hidden Oaks, Hidden Pond and Huntley Meadows nature centers as well as the Riverbend Park visitor center will be open from noon until 4 p.m. on Feb. 15.
• The McClean Community Center will be closed Feb. 15.

Town of Herndon government and services:

• Government offices will be closed on Feb. 15.
• The Herndon Community Center will be closed on Feb. 15.
• The Town of Herndon will not collect recycling on Feb. 15. Recycling normally collected on Monday will be collected on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Public Transit:

• Fairfax Connector buses will operate on a Holiday weekday service plan on Feb. 15. Check here for operating routes.
• Fairfax CUE service will operate on a modified weekday service.
• WMATA Metrorail service will operate from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturday. Metrorail will operate from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Sunday. And it will operate from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Monday
• WMATA Metrobus will operate on a Saturday service schedule.

County Trash and Recycling:

• There will be no change in the county’s trash and recycling collection on Feb. 15
• County Public Works and Environmental Services administrative offices will closed on Feb. 15.
• The recycling and disposal centers at the I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will be open.

Photo via Jon Sailer/Unsplash

Plans to develop a new luxury brand hotel in Reston were revealed today.

Comstock Companies made the announcement that one of its managed companies, CRS Hotel, LC, entered a franchise agreement for the development and operation of a JW Marriott and Residences Reston.

The hotel is expected to be in Phase I of the Reston Row District at the Reston Station development. It will take up 8.4 acres of space at the intersection of Reston Station Boulevard and Wiehle Avenue near the Wiehle Reston-East Metrorail Station.

“We are excited to partner with Marriott to bring Virginia’s first JW Marriott to Reston,” Chris Clemente, CEO of CHCI, said in a press release.
“We look forward to adding this incredible brand to Reston Station and expect that the unrivaled amenities and meeting spaces will attract business and social functions from around the Washington, DC area, while meeting the needs of our corporate office clients, including Google, Rolls Royce of North America, Neustar, ICF Global, and others.”

In addition to an expected 250 guestrooms, the proposed 26-story tower will provide 90 luxury branded residences. The residences will include a separate residential lobby entrance and will be located on the upper floors of the JW Marriott tower. The residences will also have dedicated spaces and amenities such as an owner’s lounge, fitness center, outdoor area and dog park.

Two restaurants on the site are also included in the current plans for the hotel.

“We are thrilled Comstock Companies has chosen to bring the JW Marriott brand to Reston, in the heart of the Dulles Technology Corridor,” Noah Silverman, Chief Development Officer, North America Full-Service Hotels at Marriott International said in a press release. “This project will serve as a signature component of the exciting Reston Row development, offering both guests and owners a welcoming luxury experience.”

The expected timetable for the hotel’s opening is in 2024. The Comstock press release lists the project’s price tag at approximately $250 million.

In addition to the proposed hotel, the Reston Row District at Reston Station will eventually include various mixed-use buildings, two office towers and a 350-unit multi-family building. It will also include more than 65,000 square feet of retail, service and fitness spaces that will surround a 1.2-acre park.

Images courtesy Comstock

Local police have identified the victim who was killed in a shooting on Wednesday in Reston. <

Samuel Onyeuka, 20, of Reston, was killed after he was shot multiple times in his upper body, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

Police believe Onyeuka was deliberately targeted as he was walking on a sidewalk near his home on the 2300 block of Branleigh Park shortly after 2 p.m.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy ruled the death a homicide yesterday.

The suspect reportedly left the area in a silver SUV moments after the shooting. Police believe the suspect is a light-skinned black male, slim, roughly six feet tall, and has dark hair in braids or twists.

Authorities also believe he was likely driving a vehicle similar to a Nissan Rogue.

Anyone with information is encouraged to use the following methods to contact FCPD.

Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 2. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411, and by web – Click HERE. Download our Mobile tip411 App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest. 

A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for the region this weekend.

The National Weather Service says that heavy ice is possible from Saturday morning through Sunday morning.

More from the alert is below.

* WHAT…Heavy icing possible. Total snow accumulations of up to one inch and ice accumulations of one quarter of an inch possible.

* WHERE…The District of Columbia, portions of central and southern Maryland and northern Virginia.

* WHEN…From Saturday morning through Sunday morning.

* IMPACTS…Power outages and tree damage are possible due to the ice. Travel could be nearly impossible.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.

A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for Saturday and Saturday night for locations where significant icing from freezing rain is most likely. Outside of the watch, lesser amounts of ice will still likely result in travel difficulties. Check the latest at https://t.co/5RyZgoXicj pic.twitter.com/HxZ9M2tUNd

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) February 11, 2021

Photo by Marjorie Copson

Updated at 4:35 pm to clarify information about the board election

Since Dec. 1, Robin Jordan warms water in two large stock pots, waits for the water to heat up, and crouches over the pots in her shower to give herself a bath with a washcloth.

“We have no idea what’s going on,” Jordan, said.

That’s because between 20 units — twelve condominium units and eight commercial units — — haven’t had hot water since Dec. 1. Some go to local gyms to take showers while others turn to relatives and friends for help.

The aging building, which was built in 1963, is losing roughly 300 gallons of water per hour. And it’s unclear where the water is going, although recent assessments by maintenance staff suggest it is pooling underground. Pipes are corroding and leaking in multiple areas.

After weeks of attempting to address the issue with the Lake Anne Reston Condominium Association (LARCA), residents’ frustrations are boiling over.

Jordan, who has lived at the condominiums for eight years with her husband, hung a sign above her balcony alerting the public about the issue. Others question where condominiums fees of around $1,000 are going.

LARCA has been consumed by political in-fighting after the results of an election for board president were disputed by two groups within the board. Board President Jason Romano and owner of the Lake Anne Brewhouse was certified as the winner over George Hadjikyriakou, the owner of Kalypso’s. But the results of the election are still contested by board member Senzel Schaefer and others on the board.

Romano says resolving the hot water issue is the board’s top priority. Last night, the board approved a plan to install a $35,000 hot water heater by the end of next week. Residents can also shower at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods, if needed.

“You would think that you can replace a hot water heater and you’re back up and running. But that’s just not the case. It has taken a long time to troubleshoot the problem and find out what the actual cause is.”

But that fix is only a band-aid. Recent engineering and structural analyses have shown that a major replacement — likely of the building’s underground trunk line — is needed as soon as possible.

The latest water heater replaces one that was installed roughly a month ago. That heater was not powerful enough to service the entire building, which has leaking and corroding pipes in multiple areas.

“We’re looking for a creative solution that will be the most cost-effective and least impactful for the community,” he told Reston Now.

The hot water issue is emblematic of maintenance issues that are popping up all over Lake Anne Plaza — often at the same time.

“We have a situation where we’re really trying to replace and fix the aging infrastructure all around us. It’s had a wonderful lifespan until this point and we want it to continue for another 50, 100 plus years and keep this community going,”Romano said.

Board members like Schaefer allege their efforts to address the hot water issue have been stalled by intentional efforts to thwart progress.

“The Lake Anne of Reston issue is a microcosm of our national politics, this is why elections matter,’ she said. “Jason Romano who lost in the October 2020 LARCA election refused to respect the will of the members.”

She too has been attempting to address the issue with the help of two other board members.

Basil Shakarchi, a resident at the condominium building, resorted to installing a $2,000 tankless hot water machine in his apartment — an addition that was only possible because he renovated his unit.

Other units in the aging building, which was built in the early 1960s, do not have that luxury. The units simply cannot handle that much electric current.

Shakarchi wants the board and the building’s property manager to find a long-term solution.

So far, it’s unclear what that long-term solution — which would will likely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars — is. Romano says the board has contracted with an engineering firm to explore available options.

He hopes the installation of the new hot water heater will buy LARCA time to find a long-term solution.

Jordan, who recently began washing her hair in the sink of her hair salon in Sterling, says she wants the board to be more responsive and transparent to residents.

“I’ve been here for eight years and we’re all pretty outraged,” Jordan said, noting that the need to replace the building’s aging trunk line did not arise overnight.

Shakarchi has a simple plea for himself and residents: “Please send help.”

Photo via Robin Jordan

As a new wave of snow accumulation is set to fall on Reston and the surrounding areas, Reston Association is clarifying its policies regarding snow removal.

In preparation for potential snow accumulation, the Reston Association (RA) issued a press release noting that “the responsibility for snow removal in Reston is shared” among Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), RA, cluster associations, individual residents and businesses.

Some RA members said they were alarmed that pathways were not cleared earlier this month.

In a letter to RA, Steven Graul, a Reston resident, wrote that Lake Anne Plaza was ‘caked thick with ice’ and remained ‘impassable and dangerous’ for more than a week.

‘It’s simply unacceptable for RA to be excusing their lack of resources for the failure on this issue. This needs to be a community priority and take precedent over other wasteful programs, which provide little or no community benefit, except perhaps to sustain the size and cost of the RA machine itself,’ he wrote.

RA is responsible for plowing snowfall on the 55 miles of pathways it owns and maintains and the access areas to village centers. Members of RA’s Central Services Facilities (CSF) will plow the pathways when snowfall reaches over two inches, according to the association’s site.

Mike McNamara, the Director of Maintenance for RA, will ultimately make the call whether or not to plow the pathways after conferring with CSF crew and mechanics.

On Feb. 3, RA turned to Twitter to explain why snowfall was not cleared from pathways. RA stated that due to a lack of snow, CSF crews could not utilize snowplows because it would risk damaging the pathways and plows. RA did state that hand crews were dispatched to clear snow.

In addition to four plows that can be used, RA’s site advises it has CSF members “to clear walkways, stairs and certain smaller pathways around community buildings and other high traffic areas in the community.”

The association’s site says that each of the four runs of pathways takes between four and five hours to clear.

While RA’s policies are to clear paths as possible, it does not guarantee that pathways will be completely clear after each storm. This is a result of changing temperatures, and hilly areas and heavily shaded locations that are vulnerable to refreezing. Hand crews and other personnel will inspect each area after a storm to address pathways as needed, according to RA.

RA also encouraged residents in its press release to shovel sidewalks and other pedestrian walkways. The association also advised that clusters could hire private contractors to remove snow from parking lots as well as other common areas.

Though RA doesn’t maintain roadway sidewalks, it will work to provide access to schools as much as possible through its pathways.

To report a dangerous section of pathway to RA, members may call the CSF’s main number 703-437-7658 or email [email protected].

VDOT is responsible for clearing snow from all state-maintained roads. VDOT’s road-clearing priority roads include interstates and most primary roads, snow emergency routes and heavily trafficked roads, and other residential roads. The department also offers a virtual map that residents may check to gauge the plowing status of their neighborhoods.

Photo by Marjorie Copson

More than 180,000 people are on the county’s waiting list for the COVID-19 vaccine.

In order to improve transparency, Fairfax County plans to launch a new queuing system that would provide information about vaccine registration status tomorrow.

At a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting earlier this week, County Executive Bryan Hill said the system would be followed by a dashboard with real-time information about vaccine distribution.

The improvements come after Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn called on the county to move forward with the dashboard and queuing system through a formal board matter.

“They know that the county has information about where they are in the queue and that the county currently is not sharing that information with them. They believe the county should be more transparent. They want to know, and I believe they deserve to know, how many people are ahead of them to be called to be vaccinated,” Foust said at a board meeting on Feb. 9.

While the registration process is relatively smooth, Foust said that residents ought to know where they are in the registration line. Currently, the health department only sends a notification confirming registration.

As of Wednesday, 131,479 in Fairfax County have received the first dose of the vaccine and 31,421 people have been fully vaccinated.

Officials continue to caution that vaccine supply is extremely limited. Roughly 11 percent of the total population has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

The queuing system would confirm if registrants are in the queue, describe progress made so far, and inform registrants of where they are in the line.

The county also plans to launch a self-cancellation form if people receive a vaccine from another health care provider, as well as a registration validation form for residents to confirm their registration and see where they fall in the queue.

Hill said that his staff and the county’s health and IT departments began working on improving the process in early January, but the process was stalled by coordination with the Virginia Department of Health.

“A lot of our delay is predicated on working and talking with the state’s systems,” Hill said, adding that the state’s protocol is the ‘Bible for COVID vaccinations.“

Board Chairman Jeff McKay also noted that coordination with the state has been “frustrating” to the county’s efforts.

“It is not acceptable for someone to register for a vaccination and go an entire month with ought hearing potentially anything from the county,’ he said.

Through improvements to its system, the county determined that roughly 20,000 duplicate registrants on the waiting list. The county was able to weed out duplicates and trim down the waiting list to around 180,000 registrants.

Still, other board members lauded the county for developing a smooth administering system for vaccines.

Penny Gross noted that some residents who were frustrated with the registration process said the actual administration of the vaccine was easy and well-done.

The county’s vaccine dashboard will likely go live on Friday, but it could take up to Tuesday, Feb. 16 to iron out any issues, Hill said.

This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.

In 1998 I chaired a task force of business and community leaders to collectively document what Northern Virginia needed to do to be an “EV Ready Community.” Our work was part of a national effort involving ten communities under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Energy and the Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas to prepare for the introduction of electric vehicles. Our inch-thick report was very comprehensive in detailing the infrastructure needed in charging stations, building and roadways, and other changes that electric vehicles would require.

We were ahead of our time. Within about a year of our report the first commercial electric car, EV1, was no longer available and other manufacturers were not offering electric vehicles. Move ahead less than two decades and electric vehicles are becoming commonplace in many areas. I even own one, and on trips in my community I always see more than one.

What happened in the meantime is a greater awareness of our transportation system’s contribution to greenhouse gases and pollution. In the United States alone in 2017, the transportation sector accounted for 29% of the nation’s total emissions of 6.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, or CO2e (the CO2 equivalent of an individual greenhouse gas). Driven largely by the transportation sector’s emissions of fossil fuels, concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere have risen steadily since the early 1980s, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Interestingly, when there is a recession there is a corresponding dip in emissions.

In addition to the increased awareness of the adverse effects of our conventional transportation on the environment, there has been an increase in the number of entrepreneurs who are willing to make major investments in developing electric cars and other vehicles and increased competition from abroad. A Super Bowl commercial sponsored by General Motors lamented the fact that in Norway 54 percent of the new cars sold are EVs. The president of General Motors announced recently that the company would phase out gasoline vehicles and sell only electric passenger cars and trucks by 2035. Press accounts are that Ford Motor Company is making major investments in electric vehicles and VW that is about to move its US headquarters to Reston will be investing $37 billion in electric vehicles.

In the General Assembly I am a co-patron along with the patron Delegate Lamont Bagby of HB1965 that directs the State Air Pollution Control Board to implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program for motor vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later. The legislation will help resolve the problem of consumers in Virginia who want to buy an electric vehicle but must go out of the state to do so. Along with a rebate program the vehicles will become more affordable for persons of limited income. There have been major investments in charging stations throughout the state enabling travel without the fear of running out of juice. You may have noticed the Wawa in Vienna that sells electric charging only but no gas.

I need to review more carefully that report of two decades ago to make sure we are ready for EVs. Ready or not, here they come!