August 27, 2025

Some bad news and some good news in this issue. We are number one again – in traffic congestion; however, congestion relieving projects continue in the Springfield District. Also in the good news category, the County’s proposed takeover of trash services has been indefinity deferred due to the concerns of residents, HOAs and trash haulers.

Before the pandemic, the DC region was consistently ranked as one of the most congested metropolitan areas in the United States. Now a new report from Consumer Affairs shows we have officially regained our title as home of the worst traffic in the country.

How are DC area leaders and the Board majority handling the news? By pushing a new transportation plan that increases total regional hours of delay by 70% by 2050.

In its newsletter from late July, the Northern VA Transportation Alliance shared: “that is not just an increase over today’s horrific traffic, it is also a significant increase from the transportation plan that regional leaders approved just three years ago. When compared to the region’s current transportation plan – Visualize 2045 – DC area residents will see a 22% increase in total hours of delay and a 13% increase in delays per trip.”

They went on to explain why the dramatic increase: “…because the Transportation Planning Board has made a concerted effort to remove roadway improvements from the region’s long-range transportation plan with the goal of reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMTs). As a result, roadway lane miles across our region will only increase by 3% over the next 25 years while the total population increases by 21%. This lack of investment in our transportation infrastructure will have real consequences for our community.”

“For example, DC area residents will see a 5% drop in the number of jobs accessible within a 45-minute drive. That translates into 50,000 fewer jobs that will be accessible on average. And according to the most recent State of the Commute Survey, 61% of Greater Washington residents with household incomes under $60,000 rely primarily on driving to get to work. That means fewer jobs and opportunities will be accessible for DMV residents who need them the most.”

As typically happens when “leaders” pursue political agendas instead of common-sense, congestion relieving solutions, NVTA pointed out that the plan did not really achieve the goal of reducing VMTs and that we “traded a 0.4% decrease in VMTs for a 22% increase in delays and a 5% decrease in job opportunities for DC area residents who rely on automobiles to get around.”

While staff are evaluating my request for the breakdown of utilized transportation methods from ten years ago compared to today and projected into the future, it is evident that the only significant change in commuting has been the shift to telework related to the pandemic. The vast majority of commuters (90%) get to work by car or carpooling and that is not expected to change significantly despite the effort to take roadway improvements off of the map.

What can you do - Contact the Transportation Planning Board TODAY to let them know a 70% increase in regional delays is unacceptable and to add more multimodal transportation improvements that reduce congestion, promote job growth and allow residents to spend more time with their families instead of being stuck on the road.

What I am doing: Since taking office, improving our transportation network and relieving traffic congestion for Fairfax County residents have been main priorities of mine. Early in my time in office this included solutions to I-66 and I-495 congestion, including HOT lanes for their congestion relieving, carpool promoting and express bus capabilities. We just wrapped up a project to widen Route 28 to the Prince William County line, which relieves some congestion on the western end of Springfield district. However, I am disappointed that the project to continue widening Route 28 on the Prince William County side has been delayed, resulting in increased cut-through traffic in the Occoquan Watershed. I have continued to work on congestion relieving and safety improving road projects. These are in addition to a reasonable number of trail, bike, and pedestrian projects. 

Some important projects that we currently have or soon will be underway include:

Route 29 between Union Mill Road and Buckley’s Gate Drive

Construction is underway on this $97M project that will widen the last section of four-lane Lee Highway between I-66 and the City of Fairfax to six lanes. The project will improve capacity along this 1.5 mile corridor which includes work to complete a continuous 10’ wide shared use path on both sides of the road as well as modifications to four intersections and drainage improvements throughout. Construction should be complete in the Spring. For more information, visit VDOT’s project webpage at https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/projects/northern-virginia-district/route-29-widening-in-fairfax-county/  

Rolling Road between Viola Street and Old Keene Mill Road

The 1.3 mile stretch of Rolling Road from Viola St. to Old Keene Mill Road has been planned to be widened several times over the last 25+ years, each time having its funding pulled before construction. A project to widen this section of Rolling Road has been approved and funded via local, federal, state, and regional sources at approximately $78.4M. The project was split into two phases:

Phase 1 (Complete): Construction of an additional turn lane from northbound Rolling Road to westbound Old Keene Mill Road and the addition of a dedicated right turn lane from northbound Rolling Road to eastbound Old Keene Mill Road. The signal was upgraded and the alignment of the intersection improved.

Phase 2: Widening Rolling Road from 2 to 4 lanes along the corridor, including a grass median in sections, adding pedestrian and bike facilities, a new traffic signal at Greeley Boulevard, noise barriers, and improvements to access management. The pedestrian and bicycle facilities include an 8' asphalt path on the west side and a 5' concrete sidewalk on the east side.  Initially VDOT and FCDOT had planned for the trail to be 10’ wide and sidewalk 6’ wide; however, I pushed for these to be decreased in width, in order to reduce the cost and minimize the impact to residents’ properties. The bike/ped facilities will be more than sufficient. Construction is underway on this project and should be complete in 2027.

View the presentation from the public hearing in 2018 for information on the different road sections and improvements for each. Visit the VDOT website for this project for more information.

Improving the Fairfax County Parkway between 29 and 123 and a New Interchange at Popes Head

Since receiving valuable feedback from the community after hosting my Fairfax County Parkway Town Hall in 2012, I have pushed for improvements to this road which is one of Fairfax County’s ‘main streets.’ This much needed project will widen the road from four to six lanes between Route 29 and Route 123 (Ox Road) and construct an interchange at Popes Head Road. It has been split into three phases and the first phase of the project will construct an interchange with Popes Head Road that allows for a future tie in with the planned extension of Shirley Gate Road from Braddock Road to the Parkway that will include access to Patriot Park. The community and VDOT both supported roundabouts instead of signals at this interchange. This interchange project is funded at a total cost of $82.8M. Work has been progressing quickly on this project—it should be finished late next year. For more information, visit the project webpage.

The second and third phases entail the actual widening of the road from Route 29 to Nomes Court and from Nomes Court to Route 123 with the bulk of the work taking place in the median and the addition of trail where needed. (Phases are discussed in more detail below.)

The widening of the southern section of the Parkway between Lee Highway and Route 123 will increase the number of lanes from four to six and relieve congestion and improve safety and traffic flow while maintaining bicyclist and pedestrian accessibility and mobility. Plans initially showed the Burke Centre Parkway intersection as right-in right-out at the Parkway but much like the Popes Head Interchange design, due to citizens’ advocacy and innovative ideas, left turns will be permitted from the southbound lanes Parkway to Burke Centre Parkway during certain hours.

Phase 1: North Section Four-mile section from Route 29 to Nomes Court: $109.7M

Work is underway and will wrap up in mid-2027. For more information, please visit the project website.

Phase Two: South Section Two-mile section from Nomes Court to Route 123 (includes improvements to the interchange with Route 123): $128.8 M

Construction began earlier this year and will wrap up in mid-2027. Visit the project website for more information.

Shirley Gate Road Extension

Since 1991, an extension of Shirley Gate Road from its current termination at Braddock Road to the Fairfax County Parkway has been identified on the County’s Comprehensive Plan for Transportation. This 68.5M project is currently in design and consists of a 4-lane divided roadway with pedestrian and bicycle facilities that will run roughly from Braddock Road down Mendell Street, through parkland (with careful consideration towards homes on Meath Ct.) down to connect with the Parkway via a new roundabout. 

Burke Road Realignment

Utility relocation is wrapping up on the project that will eliminate the hazardous curve on Burke Road between Aplomado Drive and Parakeet Drive. This $9.0M project includes raising the road to improve safety and minimize road flooding, as well as replacing the storm drainage facilities in the vicinity of the curve to improve water flow underneath the road. Included in the project is a sidewalk on the north side of the road and an asphalt, multi-use path on the south, and the existing bike lanes will be extended from their current termination at Meadow Brook Drive to Mill Cove Lane. Land acquisition delayed the project, but construction will soon begin on this project and should be completed late next year.

Lee Chapel Road Safety Improvements

The safety improvement project for the section of Lee Chapel Road between Route 123 and the Fairfax County Parkway is moving forward. These improvements will remove the severe hills and bring the road up to current safety standards. The project also includes both wider shoulders and a wider 'clear zone,’ (the area between the edge of a travel lane and trees or other obstructions) which will also provide a larger area for drivers to 'recover' an errant vehicle and help reduce the severity of crashes in the corridor. This project was accelerated after the deaths of two girls with the help of State Senator George Barker who obtain a portion of the funding needed.

Fairfax County DOT staff are wrapping up intermediate design work on this $11M project, and once that is complete in late September, will be scheduling another public meeting and update the project schedule.

For more information on visit the Fairfax County project website.

At the August 26th Board of Supervisors meeting, the decision was made to indefinitely defer the Unified Sanitation Districts Public Hearing that was originally scheduled for October 14th. Residents, HOAs, and private haulers have continued to raise many concerns with the County taking over trash collection. County staff will now be looking at alternatives and will need to follow up on the concerns raised before any public hearing occurs. As the only Supervisor who voted against proceeding with the original June Public Hearing date, I was happy to see the Board make this decision.

We can look forward to a future public forum between residents, haulers, HOA representatives, and county staff. I want to extend my thanks to those who participated in my recent Town Hall on USDs (viewable here) and those who emailed and called my office to discuss this proposal.

My initial newsletter on this topic detailed my two sets of concerns about a county-run trash service. First, the impacts of the decision to start the five-year waiting period as well as going to countywide districts – reduced competition, elimination of choices, the potential for reduced services after approval, impact on HOAs, etc. The second, mandatory recycling and composting, establishment of enforcement mechanisms (“trash police”), and a new Zero Waste Fee (“trash tax”). It is my hope that this added time to look at the pros and cons of different waste management solutions in the county will answer outstanding questions and address these concerns.

As we receive more information from staff, I will share more updates with you. 

• Free Concert by the Gotcha Covered Band (August 27)
• George Mason Resources for Displaced Federal Workers
• Upcoming Free Shredding Events
• Clear the Shelters (August 29-30)
• Fair Oaks Business Park and Fair Ridge Plan Amendments Community Meeting (September 4)
• Fair Lakes Study Community Meeting (September 10)
• Stuff The Bus (September 13)
• Help Scouting America Troop 1176 Conserve Rolling Forest Park

Free Concert by the Gotcha Covered Band (August 27)

Join us tonight at 7 PM at Burke Lake Park for the final concert of my Free Concert in the Park Series with the Gotcha Covered Band, covering a variety of genres across the decades. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, the kids and/or dog and a sweater or light jacket as the weather is forecast to be fall like. Joining us tonight will be food trucks Kaziville Hot Dogs and Babu-Ji as well as regulars 2 Silos Beer and Kona Ice. 

George Mason Resources for Displaced Federal Workers

George Mason University has launched comprehensive support resources for displaced federal workers. They are offering a broad range of career, educational, and community resources to assist affected federal workers and their families. For more information and access to these resources please see Here.

Upcoming Free Shredding Events

Marian Homes will be hosting 10 free community shredding events over the next few months. Please see below for the dates and locations of each shredding event.

Clear the Shelters (August 29-31)

Fairfax County’s Animal Shelter will be participating in the national “Clear the Shelters” campaign from August 29th to August 31^st where they will be waiving adoption fees. This initiative is designed to place pets in loving homes and raise awareness about the importance of adoption. Please click here for more information on this important initiative.

Fair Oaks Business Park and Fairfax Ridge Road Plan Amendments Community Meeting (September 4)

Share your thoughts on potential Comprehensive Plan Amendments that would impact Land Unit K in the Fairfax Center Area. Land Unit K includes older office buildings adjacent to the I-66 and US-50 Interchange. Bounded by I-66 to the North, US-50 / Fairfax Boulevard to the South, the interchange to the West and the City of Fairfax / H Mart Fairfax to the East. See map below.

The meeting will include the latest updates on site designs, community impacts, and draft plan text, as staff prepares its final recommendations ahead of the public hearings.

Mark your calendar for this virtual meeting on September 4th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.  Link for the Meeting:

Zoom Link: https://tinyurl.com/FairOaks-FairfaxRidge

or Dial +1 301- 715 - 8592, Passcode: 760419

Fair Lakes Study Community Meeting (September 10)

Fairfax County will be holding a virtual community meeting on September 10th at 7:00 pm where Fairfax County residents are invited to voice their opinions on the Fair Lakes Study. The goal of this study is to work on guiding the development needs of the area for the future. For more information on the study please see here.

To participate in the online meeting please use this link: Virtual Meeting - Zoom

Meeting ID: 815 3033 0788

Passcode: 687672

Stuff the Bus (September 13)

Help fight hunger in our neighborhoods and Stuff the Bus with food to refill our local nonprofit food pantries on September 13th at various grocery stores across the Springfield District and County from 10 am until 3 pm including the Huntsman Giant. Please see here for more information and a list of all participating locations.

Help Scouting America Troop 1176 Conserve Rolling Forest Park

On July 12th, Scouting America Troop 1176 officially adopted Rolling Forest Park as part of a vital, long-term conservation project. This initiative was sparked after two trees fell on nearby homes, prompting the park's owners, users, and impacted residents to collaborate with Troop 1176. Their goal is to conserve this beautiful park, enhance safety for both park users and residents, and improve the park's overall health.

In the first year, Troop 1176 will lead efforts to remove fallen branches and leaves. This crucial step will reduce year-round saturation at the base of trees, a factor that contributes to their instability. Following this, the Troop and community will focus on invasive species removal, trail clean-up, and eventually, the construction of an outdoor classroom

pavilion for both Scout and community use.



Please see the flyer below for more details and join them to help preserve Rolling Forest Park!