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 | | Silver Line Opening Day |
And of course, the main event in transportation was the opening for Phase I of Metro's new Silver Line!
Since opening day on July 26, the Silver Line has been off to a solid start, carrying approximately 15,000 riders per weekday and exceeding expectations. The Wiehle-Reston East Metro station is already surpassing ridership projections, and is one of the busiest Metro stations in the entire system.
The Wiehle Reston Station is a unique, multi-modal, transportation hub, complete with a state-of-the-art bike room. With the recent adoption of Fairfax County's Bicycle Master Plan, our Board is working to provide more infrastructure and opportunities for residents to use bikes for transportation rather than getting behind the wheel of a car.
With the help of the Silver Line, Tysons is continuing to realize its promise as a vibrant, mixed-use, urban center. Work is currently under way on Phase II of the Silver Line, which will extend Metro to Dulles Airport, with stops along the way at three new stations - Reston Town Center, Herndon and Innovation Center - ending in the Ashburn area of Loudoun County. Completion of Phase II is expected by the end of 2018.
 | | Springfield Town Center Now Open |
But it's not just Tysons and Reston. Redevelopment is happening all over the County. Encouraging revitalization of older commercial and industrial properties, especially in areas served by transit, is a great way to spur economic growth and business development in Fairfax County. Real estate that incorporates a variety of uses, such as residential, retail, office and hotel space is in high demand, especially in our area. Recent graduates, young families, empty nesters, our older population, and everyone in between are looking for more lifestyle choices when it comes to housing.
In addition to our traditional suburban neighborhoods, these walkable mixed-use communities offer affordable housing options. Mixed-use developments also help reduce traffic on our roads when workers and residents can walk to ground-floor retail and public transit. Revitalization efforts expand the housing market and business opportunities, and also lead to the creation of attractive entertainment spots, such as Reston Town Center, Fairfax Corner, the Mosaic District, and the exciting new Springfield Town Center.
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Open space and green space is very important when it comes to planning for our future. In Fairfax County, residents place a high priority on spending time outdoors and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. From Lake Accotink, to Huntley Meadows, to Riverbend Park, Fairfax County residents and visitors have many beautiful parks, athletic fields and quality recreation facilities to choose from.
Our park system makes up over 23,000 acres of land, including over 300 miles of trails, skate parks, athletic fields and lakefront parks, historic sites, water parks, playgrounds, golf courses and RECenters. Last year, more than 15 million people visited our parks.
 | | Oak Marr RECenter Ribbon Cutting |
Beyond our great parks, we have great programs too! We are the largest provider of summer camp opportunities in Fairfax County with more than 22,000 registrants this past year. And our system continues to improve and expand. Oak Marr RECenter shines after renovations and the expansion of a new fitness center. Spring Hill RECenter now features an elevated track and the largest, state of the art fitness center in the system. Each of our nine RECenters offers a unique experience providing access to exercise, aquatics programs and a host of different classes.
We also continue to improve the Cross County Trail, and if you love to hike or jog, ride horses or bikes, stay tuned for the creation of the West County Trail, now in the planning stage.
Free concerts, also made possible by the Park Authority and our generous corporate sponsors, are among my favorite things to do here during the summer. For the past two years, I've enjoyed working with the Park Authority to host "Evenings on the Ellipse" every Thursday at the Fairfax County Government Center. Friends, families and kids are able to spread out on the lawn and enjoy outstanding entertainment, along with the Farmers Market and food trucks in the front parking lot.
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With so many families and children in Fairfax County, educating our youth has always been, and always will be, one of our Board's greatest priorities. Our school system is the largest in Virginia and one of best in the Nation. The Board of Supervisors partners with the School Board to provide services for families with children. More than one half of our County's General Fund Budget goes to our school system. Last year, we invested more than $1.9 billion in our Public Schools, the largest expenditure in our $3.7 billion General Fund Budget. I am pleased that the School Board voted last year for full day Mondays for elementary students and to push back start times for middle and high school students starting this fall. Helping our students stay healthy and thrive in an educational environment is one of the greatest gifts we can provide our younger generation.
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In addition to providing our students with quality teachers, facilities and resources, The Community Services Board, or CSB, is available to help students in the area of mental health. Now more than ever, researchers and doctors are recognizing the importance of mental health in children and adults, and its effect on our ability to live a happy and balanced life. The Community Services Board and numerous nonprofit organizations around the County are committed to assisting individuals in need of services related to mental health, disabilities, and substance abuse.
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One of the most important and most difficult things the Board does every year is adopt an Annual Budget. Our economy is very much affected by cutbacks in Federal programs and contracting. Despite our efforts to stimulate business growth, our pace of revenue growth has not returned to pre-2008 levels. We continue to be challenged by reductions in state and federal funding. In preparing for the FY2016 Budget, County agencies were asked to propose cuts and find efficiencies to close a projected $100 million shortfall. County staff are also preparing for a comprehensive "Lines of Business" exercise of County programs and services in an effort to identify re-organizational opportunities that can result in efficiencies and savings. This will be a multi-year effort.
After the County Executive releases his Advertised Budget in February, I plan to host two Community Budget Dialogues (one at the Government Center, and one at the South County Government Center on Richmond Hwy). These dialogues are in addition to traditional town meetings and forums that will be held in each magisterial district. The Budget Dialogues will include presentations from the Schools and the County, and will provide an opportunity for small group discussion on our current economic situation and challenges. I encourage you to attend one of these dialogues, or your district supervisor's budget meetings, and get involved in the FY2016 Budget process. Our budget process is very informative and transparent. You can follow the process online at fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb. When the Board adopts a budget, we are investing in our community's priorities. It is important for the community to be at the table with us during this process and I look forward to working with you.
 On a special note, coming up this year, I am proud to say that Fairfax County is hosting the second largest international multi-sport event in the world. The World Police and Fire Games will showcase the best firefighters, police officers, deputies and first responders from around the world during 10 days of spectacular competitions, games and sporting events. Thanks to our local public safety personnel in the Police, Fire & Rescue, and Sheriff's Departments, Fairfax County is the safest jurisdiction of our size in the nation. I am excited that we have the opportunity to host athletes from 70 different countries, and showcase our County's impressive public safety capabilities. The games will be held June 26 through July 6, this summer. Visit fairfax2015.com to find out how you can volunteer, donate, and get involved.
Finally, 2015 is an election year for the Board of Supervisors. All 10 Board seats, including the Chairman's, are up for election or re-election, as well as members of the Virginia General Assembly and the School Board. There will be many opportunities for you to participate in campaign-related forums, debates and activities.
An informed and engaged community is a well-served community. Thank you for playing an important role in making our community a great place to live, work and play. It is my honor to serve you as Chairman, and I look forward to working with you during the year ahead. It's going to be a great year.
Back to the Byline
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Have you heard about recent proposals to improve I-66 outside the Beltway? The Virginia Department of Transportation is exploring two options to improve travel conditions and reduce congestion on I-66 in Fairfax County and neighboring jurisdictions. Under both proposed options, the 25 miles of I-66 would have three general purpose lanes and two managed lanes in both directions between Route 15 in Haymarket and I-495. A high-frequency bus service with a dependable schedule and increased access to commuter lots is also included in the proposed plans. The extra lanes are projected to better accommodate traffic volume and provide drivers more choices while the bus service will provide a new reliable transit option.
