The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last week approved $1.4 billion to fund transportation projects for FY 2015 to FY 2020. Among them were two road projects in Vienna, plus one transit project in the local area.
In fall 2012, Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) staff held nine public meetings countywide regarding county residents’ transportation needs. It also conducted an online survey.
With the passage of House Bill 2313 by the Virginia General Assembly in spring 2013, Fairfax County was designated to receive an infusion of state transportation dollars. So FCDOT held additional public meetings in fall 2013 to garner community input to prioritize the unfunded transportation projects residents had requested in 2012.
The Supervisors’ approval of these and other transportation-project priorities, last Tuesday, Jan. 28, culminated a nearly two-year outreach called the Countywide Dialogue on Transportation. The Board’s action will move many of these much-needed transportation improvements from the planning stage to the construction phase over the next six years.
Below are the Vienna projects that will now move forward:
- Electric Avenue and Cedar Lane, northbound left-turn lane
This project is a spot improvement to add 250 feet of left-turn lane on northbound Cedar Lane at Electric Avenue. It includes curb and gutter, plus drainage improvements on the east side of Cedar Lane, a 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalk, crosswalks, and a new mast-arm signal. Amount approved: $1.61 million.
- Old Courthouse Road and Besley Road
This project will improve the alignment of the Old Courthouse Road S-curve at Besley Road. The work includes raising the road elevation to improve drainage and limit flooding. It addresses safety issues for vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles and reduces flooding problems. Amount approved: $3.3 million.
- Vienna Metro Feeder Bus Service Expansion
The money allocated includes funds for route-level planning. This project is to be implemented in four phases. The entire project will eventually entail purchasing buses, adding new routes and improving service levels on the existing routes that serve the Vienna Metrorail station. Amount approved: $46.8 million.