4.24.25

Dear Neighbor,

Today is the third and final day of public hearings on the Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. While we've had some late nights, I want to thank the hundreds of residents who have provided testimony in person, by video, by phone, or via email.

As I told Fox 5 earlier this week, your voice matters. Our budget process is a community effort and each year we work to balance the diverse and varying needs of our community. That balancing act is particularly difficult this year given the underfunding of education by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the looming economic impacts of the Trump Administration's actions.

The Board will mark up the budget beginning May 6. You can still submit your comments and feedback before then using these methods:

Submit comments online
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Leave a voicemail at (703) 890-5898, project code 7574
Email FY26Budget@publicinput.com

Scam Jam 2025

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AARP Virginia and Fairfax County’s Silver Shield Anti-Scam Campaign's Scam Jam is next week!

I hope you'll join me in attending to learn more about how to protect yourself from scammers and how to protect older adults from fraud, abuse, and exploitation.

With the rise in artificial intelligence and automated scams, it is important to learn how to spot scams and where to report them.

Scam Jam 2025 is Wednesday, April 30, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Northern Virginia Community College’s Richard J. Ernst Community Cultural Center (8430 Center Drive, Annandale). Registration is required.

April is Autism Acceptance Month

At this week's meeting, the Board recognized April as Autism Acceptance Month.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, one in 31 children has autism. Autism can occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and is more than three times more common among boys than girls.

Neurodivergent people bring unique strengths to our community, but many also face challenges, including navigating systems and social environments not designed for them. They may have different ways of learning, communicating, interacting, or paying attention.

Last week, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services made comments about people with ASD that were misleading and harmful. Autism does not destroy families and is not a preventable disease, it is a developmental condition that can present in a wide variety of ways. Individuals with autism, their families, and loved ones deserve acceptance, support, and resources, not dehumanizing rhetoric.

In Fairfax County, we believe that all people provide value, and we're committed to building a truly inclusive community with resources for parents of children with Autism and community resources for people with autism.

Yours in service,

Supervisor James R. Walkinshaw

Please share this newsletter with your friends and neighbors. If this email was forwarded to you, consider subscribing to receive Braddock District news and updates.

Continue reading below for more information on:

Braddock Road Traffic Advisory
Fairfax County Parkway Widening Construction Underway
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Environmental Events
ECHO Events
Fairfax Founders Fund
Apply to the Board of Zoning Appeals
Upcoming Job Fairs
Braddock Bark 2025
NOVA Launches Training Opportunity for Recently Unemployed Federal Workers and Contractors
Resources for Federal Employees and Contractors

Braddock Road Traffic Advisory

George Mason is hosting Mason Day, a large, on-campus event on Friday, April 25. The program begins at 3:00 p.m. but closures for on-campus parking facilities are already underway.

There is expected to be increased traffic on and around the Fairfax Campus. Please allow additional time as you travel near campus along Braddock Road.

Fairfax County Parkway Widening Construction Underway

Construction is underway on the widening of about two miles of Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) between Route 123 (Ox Road) and Nomes Court/Ladues End Lane, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

The Fairfax County Parkway widening south project also includes:

Installing concrete median barriers along tight curves and raised grass medians elsewhere.
Constructing a 10-foot-wide shared-use path along Fairfax County Parkway between Route 123 and Burke Centre Parkway.
Adding a grade-separated bicyclist and pedestrian crossing just north of Burke Centre Parkway.
Making improvements at the Fairfax County Parkway and Burke Centre Parkway intersection, including a new westbound Burke Centre Parkway free-flow right-turn lane.
Improving the Route 123 interchange by widening the southbound Fairfax County Parkway ramp to Route 123 from one lane to two and adding a third left-turn lane to southbound Route 123.
Enhancing the sound wall along southbound Fairfax County Parkway between Clara Barton Drive and Route 123 (pending community input).

The project aims to reduce congestion and improve safety, operations and bicyclist/pedestrian accessibility and mobility.

Traffic impacts

Throughout the construction phase:

Daytime lane closures outside of peak travel hours on weekdays and overnight lane closures will be scheduled along Fairfax County Parkway and Route 123.
Daytime lane closures outside of peak travel hours on weekdays and overnight lane closures will also be scheduled on Burke Centre Parkway between Fairfax County Parkway and Fairview Woods Drive, and Route 123 in the area of the southbound Fairfax County Parkway ramps/Robert Carter Road intersection.
The Fairfax County Parkway Trail will remain open to bicyclists and pedestrians.

Beginning Sunday night, April 27, and continuing through Friday night, May 30, weather permitting, overnight single-lane closures will occur along northbound and southbound Fairfax County Parkway and along northbound and southbound Route 123 within the project area for shoulder-strengthening work. The work is occurring under a Fairfax County noise waiver.

“Pardon our dust” meeting

VDOT will hold a “pardon our dust” meeting Wednesday night, May 14, in the VDOT Northern Virginia District Office (4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax). A presentation regarding the project’s construction phase will begin at 7:00 p.m. and the project team will answer questions after the presentation.

The $126 million project, scheduled for completion in mid-2027, is financed with federal, state, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and local funding.

The project area is adjacent to the Fairfax County Parkway widening north project, which began construction in June 2024 and is scheduled for completion in mid-2027, and is also near the Fairfax County Parkway and Popes Head Road interchange project, which began construction in December 2023 and is expected to be complete in late 2026. Once all three projects are completed, Fairfax County Parkway will have six continuous through lanes on the approximately eight-mile stretch from Route 123 to Rugby Road (Route 750), and the current choke point at the Popes Head Road (Route 654) traffic signal will be relieved.

Drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians are reminded to use caution when traveling in active work zones. Be alert to new traffic patterns and limit distractions.

You can get traffic, work zone, and incident information online at 511.vdot.virginia.gov, via the free mobile 511Virginia app, or by calling 511 in Virginia anywhere, anytime.

View this information online.

National Prescription

Drug Take Back Day

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 26, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at several locations across Fairfax County.

This event offers the community an opportunity to safely dispose of any prescription drugs. The closest sites to the Braddock District are:

Fair Oaks District Station (12300 Route 50, Fairfax)
Mason District Station (6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale)
West Springfield District Station (6140 Rolling Road, Springfield)

Additional safe disposal sites can be found on the DEA's website.

Can’t make it to Drug Take Back Day? No problem. Learn about year-round prescription and over-the-counter medication disposal (including those prescribed by veterinarians) on the Health Department's website.

Environmental Events

Spruce Up North Springfield

Join the North Springfield Civic Association on Saturday, April 26, from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the North Springfield Swim Club Parking Lot (5604 Earlehurst Street, Springfield) for a neighborhood-wide Earth Day event filled with eco-friendly activities, community spirit and great perks!

Activities will include free paint recycling, a neighborhood cleanup, garden plant swap, junk hauling discounts and free coffee, tea and pastries!

Earth Day Festival

Fairfax County Park Authority's (FCPA) Earth Day Festival is on Saturday, April 26, from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Sully Historic Site (3650 Historic Sully Way, Chantilly).

Learn how you can make a positive impact on the planet through exciting, interactive activities and games! Enjoy:

Outdoor Discovery Activities
Interactive Nature Exhibits
Earth-Friendly Vendors
Food Trucks
Craft Beer Garden
Local Bands and Live Entertainment
Free Giveaways
Furry Farm Friends

Admission is free, parking is $10 per car. Learn more on the FCPA website.

Long Branch Stream Valley Park Clean-Up and Scavenger Hunt

If you are looking for a fun, family activity on Saturday, April 26, the Friends of Long Branch Stream Valley Park Volunteer Team will host a cleanup and scavenger hunt inside the Long Branch Stream Valley Park from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

They ask for everyone to meet at 9:00 a.m. at one of these meeting locations:

Canterbury Woods Swim Club (5101 Southampton Drive, Annandale)
Pickett Road Bridge (at the corner of Pickett Road and Twinbrook Road)

They will provide gloves and bags for participants, plus prizes for the scavenger hunt participants. Sign up online or email Bryan Campbell with questions.

ECHO Events

Shred and Share

ECHO is hosting a Shred and Share Event this Saturday, April 26, from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (or until the trucks are full), at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church (8336 Carrleigh Parkway, Springfield).

This event offers secure paper shredding plus electronics recycling and asks only that you bring a donation of non-perishable canned or boxed foods or personal hygiene items for ECHO’s Food Pantry.

Apply to the Board of Zoning Appeals

The Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) has an upcoming opening for one member. Interested candidates must apply to the Fairfax Circuit Court by Friday, May 9. The Circuit Court appoints BZA's members.

Applicants should send their resume to Chief Judge Penney S. Azcarate, Fairfax Circuit Court, by email entitled “Board of Zoning Appeals Application” or by first-class U.S. mail to:

Chief Judge Penney Azcarate

4110 Chain Bridge Road

Fairfax, VA 22030.

Applications should only be sent via one form of correspondence.

The appointee for this position will complete the remainder of the term, effective through April 15, 2028. Members of the Board of Zoning Appeals are appointed for staggered five-year terms, are compensated at a bi-weekly rate of $357.69, and serve as private citizens, not as County employees. Applicants must be residents of Fairfax County.

For more information, contact Brent Krasner; Zoning Evaluation Division, Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development, at (703) 324-1280, TTY 711.

NOVA Launches Training Opportunity for Recently Unemployed Federal Workers and Contractors

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is stepping up to support recently unemployed federal workers and contractors with the launch of NOVAnext - a $1 million scholarship initiative designed to help individuals transition into their next careers.

This program provides access to free courses, including IT certifications, program management, HR, entrepreneurship, and Generative AI. Participants will also benefit from resume writing and job search workshops to better equip them for the job market.

Key Details:

✅ Up to $1 million in scholarships available

✅ 14 courses designed to build skills for industry-recognized certifications

✅ Self-paced, online entrepreneurship courses

✅ Free resume & job search workshops

This is an incredible opportunity for individuals affected by recent employment disruptions to upgrade their skills and secure new career paths.

Eligibility:

🔹 Must have been laid off after February 1, 2025

🔹 Reside within the NOVA service area

🔹 Complete an online application

Apply today or learn more.

Resources for Federal

Employees and Contractors

Fairfax County Resource and Service Website

Thousands of County residents and their families will likely be affected by the federal government’s plan to significantly downsize the federal workforce and budget. The County has a variety of resources and services that can help former federal employees, contractors, and anyone else affected by job loss.

Federal Representatives

Each member of Fairfax County's Congressional Delegation has provided access to resources, including the opportunity for federal employees to anonymously report abuses of power, review employment rights/civil service law, and understand whistleblower protections. If you or someone you know is a federal employee, review and share these resources, and subscribe to your federal representatives’ newsletters to stay informed.

Senator Mark Warner

Senator Tim Kaine

Congressman Don Beyer

Congressman Gerry Connolly

Fairfax County Economic Development Authority

As the employment landscape is shifting in the Greater Washington region, find a job in Northern Virginia – your skills and experience are valuable, and companies are looking to hire YOU.

Actions to take to find a job and get hired:

Browse 45,000+ open positions with companies looking to hire in Northern Virginia.
Visit your local Virginia Career Works Career Center or make a virtual appointment.
Connect with Fairfax County’s One-stop Employment Resources Center services.

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