The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday  authorized a $100 million transportation bond referendum for this fall.

This means the county can petition the Circuit Court to order the referendum. It will be on the Nov. 4 general election ballot if so ordered.  Fairfax County voters will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” on the proposed bond that will improve roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails.

If approved by voters, the money will be spent as follows:

• Spot road improvements to increase roadway capacity, reduce congestion, improve safety, and improve transit access ($16 million)
• Pedestrian improvements to improve capacity, enhance safety and complete missing pedestrian links that connect neighborhoods, and improve access to schools, Metrorail stations and activity centers ($77.5 million)
• Bicycle improvements that include developing new bicycle facilities, constructing trails, adding bicycle parking and enhancing accessibility ($6.5 million)

Several Reston projects are high on the priority list for the county, but funding has not yet been secured. Those include:

• Dulles Toll Road /South Lakes Drive Overpass — $82 million.  Construct a four-lane overpass over Toll Road from Sunrise Valley to Sunset Hills.  Identified ed in Reston Comprehensive Plan Draft as significant way to alleviate traffic. Contingent on development.
• Dulles Toll Road/Town Center Parkway Underpass — $157 million. $6.1 million already in place as part of Silver Line Phase 2 funding. Construct four-lane divided roadway under Town Center Parkway from Sunrise Valley to Sunset Hills. Identified in Comprehensive Plan amendment as significant way to alleviate traffic. Contingent on development.
• Dulles Toll Road/Soapstone Overpass — $91.75 million.  Construct a four-lane roadway over toll road from Sunrise Valley to Sunset Hills. Includes pedestrian and bike access. Identified in Comprehensive Master Plan Draft as major way to alleviate traffic.

The $100 million bond is one of many funding sources that will be used to pay for more than $1.4 billion in transportation priorities during the next six years, the county officials say. Due to the flexibility of bond funds, projects like spot roadway, pedestrian and bicycle projects can be funded and implemented efficiently and expeditiously, said Fairfax County Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova. The projects proposed for bond funding were identified through extensive public outreach and engagement in the Countywide Dialogue on Transportation.

The county has the highest credit rating possible for any government: triple-A from Moody’s Investors Service Inc.; from Standard & Poor’s Corp.; and from Fitch Ratings. Currently, Fairfax County is one of only eight states, 37 counties, and 32 cities to hold a triple-A rating from all three rating agencies. For this reason, Fairfax County’s bonds sell at relatively low interest rates compared to other tax-free bonds, a county spokesman said.

If you are planning on attending South Lakes High School’s 2014 Commencement Wednesday night at George Mason University’s Patriot Center, plan to avoid taking Route 123.

Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) was shut down in both directions near Nutley Street in Fairfax about 3:30 p.m. due to a gas main break. It is expected to remain closed for several hours, which could cause major traffic backups, Fairfax County officials said.

SLHS commencement begins at 7:30 p.m.

A good alternate route to GMU from Reston is the Fairfax County Parkway to Braddock Road.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday to endorse the hybrid alternative for the Soapstone crossing to connect Sunset Hills Road and Sunrise Valley Drive.

The Supervisors’ endorsement would enable the crossing to go into the preliminary design phase, getting Reston one step closer to an additional way to cross the Dulles Toll Road and alleviate traffic.

In February, Fairfax County Transportation Department staff and the County Executive recommended that the Board of Supervisors endorse the Recommended (Hybrid) Alternative. That alternative is a combination of several alternatives for the crossing presented to citizens in 2013. 

The Soapstone extension will create a direct connection between Sunrise Valley Drive, Soapstone Drive and Sunset Hills Road; reduce traffic on Wiehle Avenue; increase connectivity across the Dulles Toll Road; and enhance access to Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station, county officials said.

Without major road improvements — including several more toll road crossings — traffic could be a disaster, development-watchers say.

Transportation staff developed four options in a report in February of 2013. The hybrid combines two of them: a direct extension of Soapstone that crosses slightly northwest and ends at a new intersection at Sunset Hills.

The plan would impact several properties on both side of the toll road, including Solus and Musica on the north side and the National Association of Secondary School Principals on the south.

Additionally, there would be a four-way intersection with traffic signal at Sunrise Valley, as well as another four-way intersection with no signal, or perhaps a traffic roundabout, on the Sunset Hills side, planners said.

Earlier this year, the Board of Supervisors included $2.5 million for the preliminary design of this project as part of its Six Year Transportation Project Priorities. Funding is currently programmed for fiscal year 2015 in Fund 40010, County and Regional Transportation Projects, the county says.

A Soapstone crossing (at a cost of $91.75 million) has already been identified on the county’s list of high-priority projects for 2015-20.

An exact price tag won’t be known until the connector is farther in the planning process. An environmental impact study will also be forthcoming.

To see graphics and other details of the hybrid alternative, see this Fairfax County proposal.

Photo: Reston traffic/Credit: Reston 2020

Stuck in traffic? Some major transportation improvements are on the way for Fairfax County in general and Reston in particular.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a long priority list of more than 225 road, transit, trail and sidewalk projects that will receive funding from 2015-2020. The $4 billion in in the next six years, thanks to an unprecedented infusion of tax revenue dedicated to transportation.

The total estimated cost of the priority list is roughly $4 billion. The county expects to receive $1.4 billion through 2020 to get the work going.

The county said there are many additional sources of revenue to help fund the remaining projects. Among them: HB 2313 funds including Northern Virginia Transportation Authority local and regional funds ($902 million), and additional state aid ($376 million) for roadway construction and transit. Also included in this total are general obligation bonds and commercial and industrial property taxes for transportation that have not been previously allocated by the Board, the Board of Supervisors says. There is no impact to Fairfax County’s General Fund.

Good news for critics of changes to the Reston Master Plan, which will determine how density and development will happen close to Reston’s three upcoming Silver Line stations. Some studies have shown waits of up to five minutes at many traffic lights, giving the traffic a failing grade.

Several of the proposed projects will be aimed at helping alleviate that congestion.

Here are some of the planned Reston-area projects:

HIGH PRIORITY

• Dulles Toll Road /South Lakes Drive Overpass — $82 million.  Construct a four-lane overpass over Toll Road from Sunrise Valley to Sunset Hills.  Identified ed in Reston Comprehensive Plan Draft as significant way to alleviate traffic. Contingent on development
• Dulles Toll Road/Town Center Parkway Underpass — $157 million. $6.1 million already in place as part of Silver Line Phase 2 funding. Construct four-lane divided roadway under Town Center Parkway from Sunrise Valley to Sunset Hills. Identified in Comprehensive Plan amendment as significant way to alleviate traffic. Contingent on development
• Dulles Toll Road/Soapstone Overpass — $91.75 million.  Construct a four-lane roadway over toll road from Sunrise Valley to Sunset Hills. Includes pedestrian and bike access. Identified in Comprehensive Master Plan Draft as major way to alleviate traffic
• Hunter Mill/Lawyers Road — $51 million. Replace intersection with roundabout and provide shared-use pedestrian access
• Fairfax County Parkway — $396 million. Countywide corridor improvement study

LOWER PRIORITY

• Lake Fairfax Drive/Baron Cameron Avenue — $250,000. Signalized crosswalk of Lake Fairfax
• Fox Mill Road Walkway — $2.4 million. Construct walkway on north side of Fox Mill Road from Fairfax County Parkway to Reston Parkway
• Glade Drive Walkway — $200,000.  Construct walkway on north side of Glade from Middle Creek Drive to Glade Bank Way
• Glade Drive Walkway — $400,000.  Construct walkway on north side of Glade from Colts Neck to Reston Parkway
• North Shore Drive Walkway — $1.4 million. Construct walkway on north side of North Shore from North Shore Court to Sycamore Valley Court
• South Lakes Drive Walkways — $3.65 million. Complete missing links on South Lakes from Greenskeepers Court to Sunrise Valley Drive
• Sunset Hills Road Walkway — $350,000. Construct walkway on south side of Sunset Hills from Old Reston Avenue to Reston Parkway
• Reston Metrorail Access Group (RMAG) — $25 million. Improvements in sidewalks, pedestrian access, bike access trails and bike facilities near future Reston Parkway Metro station

Reston Town Center — $40,000.  Road diet to add bike lanes

PROJECTS ALREADY FUNDED

• Improvements around Wiehle- Reston East Metro, including bus bays, signage, bicycle and pedestrian improvements
• Walkways on Sunrise Valley and Soapstone Drive
• Intersection improvements along Sunrise Valley

To see the entire list of planned improvements, visit the Fairfax County website. The list begins on page 424 of the Board of Supervisors packet.

Hitting the road for the holidays? The American Automobile Association says you will be among 2.7 million Virginians who will be traveling this week.

On average, travelers will move 965 miles to celebrate with friends and family as compared to 765 miles last year — a 26 percent increase in total miles traveled. Additionally, spending is up by five percent as Virginians will spend $842 this year versus $801 last year, AAA says.

“Gas prices will clearly not impact holiday travel plans as nine out of 10 Virginia travelers will drive nearly a thousand miles for upcoming holiday celebrations,” said Martha Mitchell Meade, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Says AAA:

Gas prices have been somewhat of a see-saw in recent weeks within the commonwealth with latest trends showing gas prices going down as we approach the new year.  Over 2.4 million Virginians, or 91 percent of holiday travelers, will choose to drive to their holiday celebrations. Gas prices in Virginia today average $3.14, three cents higher than the average last year.

Air travel in Virginia will decrease by 1.6 percent, as just over 150,000 (150,149) holiday travelers will take to the skies. Those traveling by air will find lower airfares according to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index.  During Christmas week the average lowest round-trip rate is $199 for the top 40 U.S. air routes compared to $204 last year.

Caught in airport delays or road blocks Monday or Tuesday? Help out your fellow travelers by tweeting us reports @Restonnow or adding your thoughts in the comments below.

Traffic was snarled during Friday rush hour as Fairfax County Police were called to the scene of an accident on Fairfax County Parkway Southbound over Sunset Hills Road that injured several people and has caused traffic to be rerouted onto Spring Street.

The accident occurred shortly after 6 p.m. Two people were trapped in the cars and had to be removed by police, officials said. Their injuries were not serious, but both roads were closed so police could assist.

Traffic was still being rerouted as of 6:35 p.m. but police said the scene should be clear soon.