Dockless electronic scooters are coming to Fairfax County.

Lime scooters will soon be released on the streets of Vienna, Merrifield and Falls Church, according to a press release.

“We’re thrilled to expand our footprint in the DMV area and to begin serving Fairfax, providing accessible, affordable mobility options to riders across the city,” Sean Arroyo, Lime’s regional general manager, said in a press release. “We couldn’t be more excited to integrate ourselves into the community and to begin working with local leaders to help achieve their sustainability and accessibility goals.”

Users can use the Lime app to locate the nearest scooter, then scan the QR code on the handlebars or baseboard to use it. Users are encouraged to ride in bike lanes and wear helmets.

Scooters cost $1 to unlock and 15 cents per minute to ride. Rides are finished in the app to be parked at a street curb or bike rack. Riders must be 18 years or older.

E-scooters are popular in major cities D.C., and are already ubiquitous in close-in suburbs like Arlington, but the hoards of abandoned scooters left haphazardly strewn across the streets has also drawn some criticism or even dramatic acts of vandalism.

In addition to Vienna, Falls Church and Merrifield, Lime says it is also bringing scooters to George Mason University and the City of Fairfax.

Photo via Facebook

In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Tysons Corner Center mall, a space that offers a moment of calm has opened up.

On the first floor of the mall, “The Lounge” is a free respite from the noise and consumerism of the rest of the mall. Five chair swings are scattered across the room with boxes providing outlets for charging. The chairs are fairly secluded, offering privacy for work or a quick mid-day respite.

The lounge is part of Brandbox, a suite of rotating stores which opened in November.

The location is still working out some kinks, like spotty wi-fi and an occasionally glitchy TV. There was also no staff available at the location today and the reaction from most passersby was confusion, with several wandering into the back of the facility by accident.

In addition to the free relaxation, one Brandbox retailer is offering an experience this week that promises to be an alternative to the usual mall hubbub.

On Thursday (March 21), cosmetics store Winky Lux is scheduled to host a demonstration event. Admission costs $10, but attendees are given a $10 Winky Lux gift card and other goodies.

“We’ll be offering product demos from 5-7 p.m.,” the online-oriented retailer said on the event page. “Matcha themed refreshments from Kung Fu Tea and Lolli & Pops and goodie bags to the first 25 attendees!”

(Updated 9 a.m.) — Metro ridership may be in free fall overall, but at least in the Tysons area ridership is continuing to climb.

Three of the four stations in the Tysons area saw increased ridership in the last few months of 2018 as compared to the year before.

The McLean Metro station saw the largest increase in ridership, rising 18.6 percent over the last year. The station is located close to the Capital One headquarters, which opened late last year.

The Greensboro Metro station, meanwhile, saw an increase of 10.8 percent, while ridership at the Tysons Corner station increased 3.9 percent. The stats, compiled by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, compare ridership in October, November and December of 2018 with the same period in 2017.

The Wiehle-Reston East Metro station saw the highest overall ridership among Silver Line-only stations, with over 1 million rides during the three-month period. The station is the furthest point west on the Silver Line.

The only Tysons stop with a decline in ridership was the Spring Hill station, which declined 2.9 percent. There is very little in walkable proximity to the Spring Hill station, though plans are in the works for several new developments east of the site and a few to the west.

Stations on the Orange Line did not fare as well. While the West Falls Church Metro station saw a 4.1 percent increase in late 2018 as compared to late 2017, Dunn Loring and the Vienna Metro stations saw a 1.1 and 1.4 percent respective decrease in ridership.

Professor Frank Shafroth, director of the Center for State and Local Leadership at George Mason University, told Tysons Reporter earlier that the high Metro ridership in Tysons is likely a result of the area’s notorious traffic, though car remains the more popular for commutes than Metro.

Photo via Twitter

At least according to one real estate broker, realtors looking to expand outside Tysons, Reston or Arlington County should be looking into commercial redevelopment in Vienna.

In an article published by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, Frank Dillow, a senior commercial broker in Long & Foster’s Commercial Division, pointed to 2014’s approval of Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) zoning as a step towards flexible zoning to attract new developments.

“Vienna’s interest in rethinking its downtown comes as suburban communities throughout Northern Virginia react to residents and developers seeking to transform existing retail outlets into more modern lifestyle community centers featuring restaurants and entertainment,” Dillow said.

The approval of MAC zoning regulations are part of an effort by the Town of Vienna to combat rampant vacancies throughout the town. The new regulations allow buildings up to four stories tall and greater density than usual to be considered for Maple Avenue, a primary thoroughfare in Vienna.

But the MAC zoning has also come under fire, from the public and members of the Town Council, for what is seen as too quickly and too radically altering the character of downtown Vienna. Controversy over MAC zoning led to a moratorium on new proposed developments until a review process for the ordinance can be completed. That review is currently ongoing.

But Dillow said in his article that local residents are increasingly understanding the necessity of added density.

“Increasingly, people understand that to achieve their community goals and create a vibrant place to live, the community needs different types of development — different types of density,” Dillow said. “As Northern Virginia continues its rapid commercial transformation, realtors should be looking beyond the current well-publicized developments in Tysons, Reston or Arlington County, to expanded opportunities in the commercial redevelopment occurring in older, more established communities such as Vienna.”

If the roads have seemed a little rougher than normal, it’s not just you.

According to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) officials at a meeting earlier this month, the past year has been one of the worst years on record for potholes. The pothole problem is also prevalent in D.C.

According to Allison Richter, liaison to Fairfax and Arlington counties for VDOT, fewer than half of the secondary roadways are in good condition. For 2018, interstates were 86 percent in fair or better condition — down from 93 percent in 2016. But secondary roadways were assessed at only 41 percent fair or better condition, an improvement from 2016 but still bumpy for drivers.

“This is possibly the worst year for potholes that I’ve seen,” said Richter.

Richter said many roads throughout the area qualify for paving, but VDOT hasn’t been able to get to all of them. Road repaving is based not just on the condition of the pavement, but on traffic volume, whether the whole neighborhood can be repaved, and various costs.

“Paving funding has gone up and down,” said Richter. “We’re behind, it’s why so much is in the red.”

Total repaving funding for Northern Virginia over the last decade has grown from $58.1 million in 2013 to $140.9 million in 2018, but in 2019 it dipped back down to $105.9 million.

While Northern Virginia generates a disproportionate amount of tax revenue compared to the rest of the state, Richter said road funding is one area where the region uses proportionately more funding than other parts of the Commonwealth.

In addition to years of repaving neglect, Richter said the pothole situation is the result of record high rainfall and dramatic temperature swings.

Richter said repaving is scheduled to get started this month once temperatures are warm enough.

A new Fairfax Connector bus line is scheduled to start later this month, adding another set of connections from Tysons to Vienna and Dunn Loring.

The new bus line bridges the north-south gap between the Tysons Corner Metro station on the Silver Line and the Dunn Loring Metro station on the Orange Line.

Route 467 starts and ends in the same spots as Route 462, but takes a more circuitous route through Vienna, turning at the corner, running from Dunn Loring to the corner of Center Street and Maple Avenue before turning to travel along the western side of Maple Avenue up to Tysons.

Route 467 is scheduled to be active midday and evenings on weekdays and Saturday, starting Saturday, March 30.

Hopeful photographers planning to enter Vienna’s Photography Contest and Exhibit have a narrow window over the next two days to submit their entries.

All amateur photographers throughout the area are invited to participate in the contest and exhibit at the Vienna Community Center. Participants must submit their photos in person with their application either from 5-8 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) or 12-3:45 p.m. on Friday (March 15).

Each participant is allowed a maximum of three photo submissions across seven categories, with ribbons and awards given to top photographs in each category. The total entree fee is $10, which includes three photos per person.

Submissions are set to be displayed from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday (March 16) and from 12-3 p.m. on Sunday (March 17).

The event is hosted with support from the Vienna Photographic Society.

Photo via Vienna Photographic Society

It was fitting that the announcement of Maud Robinson’s death yesterday (Monday) was made public at that night’s Vienna Town Council meeting, a place she and her husband, Charles, had spent decades.

Robinson died at 96 in Inova Fairfax Hospital, one month shy of her 97th birthday.

Robinson had served on the Vienna Town Council from 2000 to 2009. Robinson was also one of the founding members of the town’s board.

At the Town Council meeting, members praised Robinson as a leader in the town and a mentor for many members of the city’s leadership.

“She was a shining example of a lifetime of service,” said Mayor Laurie DiRocco. “She’s been involved in every aspect of life. Her commitment to the town of Vienna unparalleled… I can’t think Maude enough for all she’s done. Her passing is the end of an era.”

Photo via Facebook

The deadline is nearing for the 30-minute Tour de Tysons bike race around Tysons this weekend.

The race is scheduled for Saturday (March 16) and, unlike most races, is ranked by how far the cyclists can ride. Adult races range from 30 minutes to one hour, while the race for children is around 20 minutes.

All of the men’s categories until the 1:45 p.m. time slot are currently filled, but there are still a few spaces at that time and open spaces for women and children throughout the day.

Registration for the race is $35 for adults and $15 for children.

The event is hosted by the Tysons Partnership and the National Capital Velo Club.

Cyclists who are not registered with the Mid-Atlantic Bicycle Racing Association will be required to purchase a one-day license with cash at the race.

The event, featuring 10 races from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., has drawn 300 competitors in previous years.

Photo via Facebook

The Whole Foods in The Boro is officially scheduled for a launch sometime in late summer or early fall, and several restaurants and smaller retailers are waiting in the wings to piggyback off that launch.

The Whole Foods is part of Boro Place, which has commonly been dubbed the retail spine of The Boro.

Furniture retailer Ethan Allen is set to form another entrance to the Boro Place, filling a two-story location at the corner of Boro Place and Westpark Drive.

Caroline Flax, a senior analyst for the Meridian Group, told Tysons Reporter that the restaurants and retail of Boro Place are planned to launch alongside the Whole Foods.

The idea of the development phases being brought online together rather retail than trickling in one-by-one as they were completed is part of a broader strategy to make The Boro feel like a commercial sector to rival the Tysons Corner Center mall.

Flax said a few contracts are still being finalized for the development, but here’s what we know is opening along Boro Place:

• North Italia — A full-service Italian restaurant planned to occupy 6,200 square feet
• Flower Child — A fast-casual restaurant with a focus on healthy food
• Fish Taco — A D.C.-based taco chain
• Tasty Kabob — The brick-and-mortar location for a popular local food truck
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe — A national smoothie chain
• Colour Bar Studio — A second floor of The Loft building on Boro Place
• Akira Ramen & Izakaya — A soba noodle restaurant offering a variety of ramens
• Poki DC — A Hawaiian-inspired cuisine with counter-serve style poke bowls.