The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved $500,000 to cover preliminary engineering for interim improvements at the intersection of Fairfax County Parkway and Sunrise Valley Drive.
Planned upgrades include lane reconfiguration, signal optimization and improvements to pedestrian and bike facilities.
Depending on the option selected by individuals, the project is expected to cost between $2.2 million and $4.3 million. The board approved intersection improvements as part of Reston’s transportation funding plan in late February last year.
The timeline of the project was not immediately available.
Photo via Virginia Department of Transportation
Fairfax County Department of Transportation officials are seeking public input on nearly 300 transportation projects that are vying for roughly $100 million in funding.
Local residents can provide feedback on proposed projects at a public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 12 from 7-9 p.m. at the North County Governmental Center (1801 Cameron Glen Drive). The meeting will include a formal presentation about unfunded projects and a question-and-answer session.
Residents can also take an online survey by Nov. 9 to indicate preferred projects, or mail a printed copy of the survey to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (4050 Legato Road, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22033).
Feedback will allow the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation to prioritize unfunded transportation projects in line for funding through fiscal year 2023, according to the county’s website.
Unfunded projects in Reston include those listed below:
Lake Anne Concert Series Ends Tonight — The “Take A Break” concert series at Lake Anne Plaza will wrap up tonight with a show from Texas Chainsaw Horns, an R&B group, from 7-9 p.m. [Lake Anne Plaza]
Reston Association Budget Meeting Tonight —Â Sridhar Ganesan, treasurer and RA Board at-large director, will facilitate a budget-development community meeting tonight from 7-9 p.m. at Reston Association headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). According to information provided by Reston Association, members “are invited to share their thoughts and comments on issues related to next year’s budget.” [Reston Now]
Meeting on Fairfax County Parkway Trail Crossing Tonight — The County Department of Transportation has slated a community meeting to discuss options for improving safety at a trail crossing of a Dulles Toll Road ramp. The meeting is tonight from 6:30-8 p.m. in the cafeteria of Dogwood Elementary School (12300 Glade Drive). [Reston Now]
Changes Coming to South Lakes Bus Route — To address crowding associated with South Lakes High School ridership, Fairfax Connector will shorten headways on some afternoon trips on Route 551 beginning Sept. 30. [Fairfax Connector]
2017 Virginia Tax Amnesty Program Begins — Until Nov. 14, delinquent individual and business taxpayers can pay back taxes with no penalties and half the interest. [Gov. Terry McAuliffe]
No More ‘Wiley’-Reston East? — In a tweet responding to a rider’s question, Metrorail says it is “exploring ways” to fix automated voice announcements that mispronounce the name of the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. [Metrorail Info/Twitter]
File photo courtesy Karen Raffel
Public Safety Forum Set for Tonight — The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station will hold a community public safety forum tonight from 7-9 p.m. at McNair Elementary School (2499 Thomas Jefferson Drive, Herndon). Police leaders will discuss the “State of Reston,” pedestrian safety initiatives and crime prevention, and they will introduce the community to valuable resources. [Supervisor Cathy Hudgins]
Morning Crash Causes Traffic Delays — At about 6:15 a.m. today, FCPD reported a crash on Sunrise Valley Drive in the area of Fairfax County Parkway that caused “significant traffic delays.” All lanes were reported open again before 7 a.m. [Fairfax County Police Department/Twitter]
Supervisors Approve Budget Carryover — At its meeting Tuesday, the county Board of Supervisors approved $59.6 million in FY2017 carryover funding, to be used in part to fund reserves and infrastructure needs, along with other projects including the demolition of the Massey Building. [Fairfax County]
Review: ‘Disgraced’ Challenges and Chafes Audiences — The play about Muslim assimilation and identity in America, now being performed at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon) left a reviewer “examining [his] own life experiences and [his] own long-time, deeply-held progressive values and beliefs.” [DC Metro Theater Arts]
Looking to improve conditions it sees as hazardous for pedestrians and bicyclists, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation is considering options for altering a crossing of the Fairfax County Parkway Trail in the area of the Dulles Toll Road.
At the location in question, the trail crosses the eastbound on-ramp for the Dulles Toll Road. FCDOT, as part of its Reston Metrorail Access Group (RMAG) II improvements project, says that is a problem spot. In its analysis, FCDOT has presented two options for making the crossing safer: making at-grade improvements including a signalized crosswalk, or constructing a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over the ramp.
The options have a huge difference in cost. The at-grade improvements would cost about $633,000 to implement, according to FCDOT, while the cost of the bridge would near $7 million.
“Cost estimates consider construction mobilization, clearing and grubbing, earthwork, pavement, incidentals, drainage, erosion [and] sediment control, maintenance of traffic, and bridge construction,” the FCDOT report reads. “Engineering design cost and construction engineering inspection cost are also included in each cost estimate.”
A community meeting to discuss the options has been slated for Thursday, Sept. 14, from 6:30-8 p.m. in the cafeteria of Dogwood Elementary School (12300 Glade Drive).
Comments on the project can also be made online, by writing the FCDOT Bicycle Program at 4050 Legato Road, Suite 4050, Fairfax, VA 22033; or by calling 703-877-5600. Comments will be collected through Friday, Sept. 29.
An indoor trampoline park plans to open in Franklin Farm Village Center later this year.
In a press release, Rhode Island-based Launch Trampoline Park says it plans to begin work on the facility in the summer. The park will “provide kids of all ages with endless fun, whether it is bouncing on trampolines, playing dodgeball in mid-air or falling into a massive foam pit,” the release states.
According to a permit issued by Fairfax County, the facility will be located at 13348 Franklin Farm Road, off Fairfax County Parkway. That’s the former location of Sears, which closed last year.
A website for the local park doesn’t provide a lot of information yet, but it does say it will be a 35,000-square foot indoor facility with 16,000 square feet of connected trampolines. Information provided by Franklin Farm Village Center owner Rappaport shows the former Sears building at 24,420 square feet.
Launch Trampoline Park was founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Robert Arnold and former New England Patriots cornerback Ty Law.
The Fairfax County Police Department is seeking suspects after they say a woman was intentionally run down by a vehicle.
The incident happened at about 10:16 a.m. in the area of Route 50 and Rugby Road. An adult female was struck twice by the car, police say.
“The woman was crossing Rugby Road,” said Tawny Wright, Fairfax County Police Department public information officer, in a Facebook Live video. “It looks like the car struck her, turned around and then struck her again.”
Rt 50/Rt 286 – UPDATE: Preliminarily this appears to be an intentional act. Suspect struck woman twice with car and fled scene. pic.twitter.com/9KSwBRvaEO
— Fairfax Co. Police (@fairfaxpolice) April 14, 2017
Police are looking for a black or blue Chevrolet or Mercedes-Benz sedan. The car was last seen traveling northbound on Rugby Road.
Rt 50/Rt 286 – Striking car maybe a blue or black chevy or merz sedan with blue & yellow license plates. Car may have front end damage.
— Fairfax Co. Police (@fairfaxpolice) April 14, 2017
Rt 50/Rt 286 – Pedestrian is deceased. Appears to be a hit & run. Looking for driver described as a younger w/m with sandy blonde hair. pic.twitter.com/zkamida6as
— Fairfax Co. Police (@fairfaxpolice) April 14, 2017
The driver is described as being a “younger” white male with sandy blonde hair. The car has blue and yellow license plates, police say, and it may have front-end damage.
Route 50 was closed in both directions in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Eastbound lanes have since been reopened, but may later be closed again during the investigation. Westbound lanes remain closed at Fairfax County Parkway.
“Traffic will be impacted significantly, probably for several hours,” Wright said in the original media briefing.
The Virginia Department of Transportation, in cooperation with Fairfax County, is holding three public information meetings this month on a multimodal study of the 31-mile Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) corridor from Route 7 to Route 1.
The study is assessing existing transportation issues and developing short-term multimodal improvements that can be implemented within the next 1 to 10 years.
This project began in 2014 and is expected to be completed by early 2017. It Includes the following activities:
• Traffic/Safety Data Analysis – Spring 2015
• Identify Issues – Spring 2015
• Analysis of Existing Conditions – Fall 2015/Winter 2015-2016
• Identify & Evaluate Improvements – Winter 2015-2016/Spring 2016
• Public Information Meetings – June 2016
• Finalize Evaluations/Final Project Documentation – Winter 2016/2017
The public is invited to stop by to learn more about the study, view displays and discuss questions with VDOT and Fairfax County staff at one three meetings.
The closest meeting to Reston is on Thursday, June 9 at Oak Hill Elementary School, 3210 Kinross Circle, Herndon.
Other meetings will be held
Wednesday, June 8 at Hayfield Secondary School, 7630 Telegraph Road, Alexandria and Monday, June 13 at Sangster Elementary School, 7420 Reservation Drive, Springfield,
All meeting times are 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., with a presentation at 7 p.m.
Comments maysent to VDOT by July 5.
Visit the VDOT project page for more details.
Photo: Fairfax County Parkway/VDOT
A four-car crash closed the southbound lanes of the Fairfax County Parkway at Sunrise Valley Drive for more than 60 minutes during Friday rush hour.
Police said they did not yet know whether weather was a factor in the crash. Roads around Reston were slippery Friday morning after several inches of snow fell in the area Thursday night.
Officers were on the scene from about 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., when all lanes were reopened.
Two people were reportedly taken to the hospital, but the injuries appeared non life threatening, police said.
