Updated 3/17/2020 — WRAP announced today (Tuesday) that its 2020 St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide campaign is suspended due to concerns about the coronavirus.
Earlier: To keep party-goers safe on St. Patrick’s Day, Lyft teamed up with several businesses and organizations in Northern Virginia to offer free and discounted rides back home.
The promotion will be valid from 4 p.m. on Tuesday (March 17) until 4 a.m. on Wednesday, according to a press release, which added that rides up to $15 will be covered with a code that will be released shortly after the promotion starts.
Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), a local non-profit, is one of the main sponsors of the program. The nonprofit aims to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking, according to its website.
To take advantage of the promotion, users must be over the age of 21 and have the app downloaded on their phones. People can find the code online.
Roughly 40% of all U.S. traffic deaths involve drunk drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Image via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue
Fairfax Connector shared the steps being taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, as more cases are reported in the D.C. area.
Fairfax County’s Department of Transportation announced on Friday (March 6) that contractors are following these steps:
- reviewed and updated cleaning protocols based on guidance from public health officials
- increased vehicle cleaning cycles with a special focus on bus interiors and critical touchpoints such as door handles, handrails and other surfaces.
- initiated regular communication with Fairfax Connector workforce
Fairfax County also has suggestions for passengers to curtail the rapidly-spreading illness:
- wash hands often with soap and water and use hand sanitizer
- avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
- cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing
- avoid contact with people who are sick
- stay home while you are sick and avoid close contact with others
“FCDOT highly values the health and safety of Fairfax Connector customers and personnel,” the county said.
Virginia has three “presumptive” cases of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
The 9th annual Nowruz Festival plans to return to Tysons Corner Center this weekend.
The event will celebrate the Persian New Year with live performances and costumed characters.
Admission is free, and people can expect a bazaar selling Persian food, art and more.
“The Nowruz Festival is the largest event for the Iranian-American community that celebrates the Persian New Year,” according to the Facebook event.
More than 10,000 people usually go to the festival, according to the post.
“It draws people from Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and other countries who celebrate Nowruz as well as Americans who are interested in knowing more about Iranian culture, traditions, arts, crafts and foods,” the post said.
The festival is set to take place on Sunday (March 15) from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Attendees can park on the outside lot between Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom, according to the mall.
Photo via Facebook
Guests at the newly opened Bear Branch Tavern in Vienna have the chance to check out artwork from a Falls Church-based artist.
The restaurant at 133 Maple Ave E. began serving guests in late February, according to David Barr, who designed three individual works of art that now adorn the walls of the restaurant.
Each work is based on local history and helps to encompass the personality of Vienna, Barr said, adding that he worked with Chris Lefbom, one of the eatery’s owners, on the project.
One mural stretches 18 feet across a wall to tell the story of the Battle of Vienna, which took place in 1861 between Union and Confederate troops, Barr said.
The inspiration for the mural came from a square vintage sketch that Leftbom presented to Barr.
Leftbom said he wanted it to look like “something you would find in someone’s closet,” according to Barr. “They wanted it to look weathered.”
Barr took artistic license to add a “pop of color” and expand the scene.
Two other smaller works include a pop-style collage that fits Barr’s signature style but still managed to include historically important aspects of the town, such as the Freeman Store and the Vienna railroad, he said.
One work features old signage from a 1957 Texaco station. “I gravitated toward old signage because I always love working with texts,” Barr said.
The second painting highlights the Freeman Store, which still stands today and serves as the headquarters for Historic Vienna, Inc. People can visit to learn about the area and shop at the gift shop, the museum’s website said.
People who want to check out the artwork for themselves and grab a bite to eat can visit Bear Branch Tavern. A full menu can be found online a well.
Photos courtesy David Barr
Updated at 12:10 p.m. — Normal service has resumed at the Vienna Metro station as of noon, Metro tweeted.
A man has been struck by a train at the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro station.
Firefighters from Fairfax and Arlington counties are currently on scene after the man was struck around 9 a.m.
The man appears to have intentionally “placed himself in the path of the train,” according to Metro Transit Police. He is reportedly deceased.
Riders should expect delays on the Orange line. Train service has been suspended between the West Falls Church and Vienna Metro stations, Metro tweeted.
Shuttle buses are now available at:
- West Falls Church: bus bay B for service toward Vienna
- Vienna: bus bay Q for service toward New Carrollton
- Dunn Loring-Merrifield: bus bay F for service in both directions
Orange Line Metrobus alternatives:
At Vienna – 29N to King St (BL, YL).
At Dunn Loring – 1B to Ballston (OR, SV), 2A to East Falls Church (OR, SV) & Ballston (OR, SV) and 2B to Vienna (OR).
At West Falls Church – 3T to East Falls Church (OR) & 28A to Tysons Corner (SV). #wmata— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) March 9, 2020
Vienna: MTPD and @ffxfirerescue have responded to a person struck by train. Unfortunately, this is a "recovery" operation, as opposed to a rescue. Camera review shows adult male intentionally placed himself in the path of the train. Rail service temp suspended WFC-Vienna. #wmata
— Metro Transit Police (@MetroTransitPD) March 9, 2020
UPDATED: Orange Line Delay: Train service suspended btwn West Falls Church & Vienna due to a person struck by a train at Vienna. Shuttle buses requested.
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) March 9, 2020
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of self-harm, call 911 or the Department of Human Services’ emergency services line at 703-228-5160. CrisisLink also has a 24-hour crisis hotline at 703-527-4077 or 800-SUICIDE, or text 703-940-0888.
Fairfax County police said they recently arrested a woman for allegedly trespassing with a gun in a truck near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station.
The incident happened shortly before 3 p.m. in the 2600 block of Prosperity Avenue yesterday (Thursday).
“The victim saw a woman inside of his truck and confronted her,” police said. “The woman displayed a gun then left the area and was found by officers a short distance away”
Police charged the 24-year-old woman from South Carolina with brandishing a firearm, concealed carry weapon violation and vehicle trespassing.
File photo
The annual Tour de Tysons has been put on hold indefinitely, the event’s organizers told Tysons Reporter.
Typically, the race is held in early March, but organizers never announced dates for 2020 — leaving fans and past participants confused.
Tysons Reporter reached out to the National Capital Velo Club, who is in charge of planning the race, to find out what happened and was told that the race will be suspended indefinitely due to safety concerns for participants.
A spokesperson noted the rapid development in Tysons and the recent increase in traffic.
“As weekend traffic in that part of Tysons has increased, we decided that seeking road closures for a full day wasn’t a tenable solution,” the spokesperson told Tysons Reporter.
At last year’s fifth annual competition, cyclists raced down Westpark Drive before turning onto Jones Branch Drive and then Westbranch Drive.
Several days ago, a Tour de Tysons Facebook page admin posted a short message about the news:
Unfortunately, due to safety concerns, NCVC will not be able to host the Tour de Tysons at its most recent location and will not promote it in 2020. Should a nearby venue become available in the future, we will consider reinstating it on the MABRA road calendar.
Going forward, the NCVC spokesperson said that they’d be interested in hosting the event again, given the right conditions.
“We’re looking for new locations in the region for future editions of the race that will have less of an impact on neighbors and ensure participant safety,” the group said.
Photo via Tour de Tysons/Facebook
The McLean Citizens Association (MCA) is supporting a recent request for federal funding for work on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
MCA sent a letter on Feb. 17 to the Department of Transportation, urging support for the National Park Service’s grant applications.
The funding from the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant program would help rehabilitate 8 miles of the parkway from Spout Run Parkway to I-495.
NPS is looking to:
- repave the road
- repair stormwater management systems and walls
- rehabilitate two historic, scenic overlooks
- replace guardrails
- construct new curbs
- build emergency turnarounds along the north end
“The condition of this stretch of the GW Parkway has been deteriorating, and urgent action is needed to perform reconstruction of this portion of the road system,” the letter notes.
More than 33 million vehicles per year travel on the GW Parkway, according to Fairfax County. Last year, emergency work had to fix the cause of a sizable sinkhole on the GW Parkway, disrupting traffic for months in the area.
Noting that the grant program is “highly competitive,” the letter goes on to say that the work will also improve the “historical and cultural characteristics that make the Parkway one of the most scenic roadways in the country.”
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors is also backing the federal funding ask.
Image via Google Maps
Vienna police are investigating reports of indecent exposure at the Vienna Presbyterian Church and the Estate Market.
Both indecent exposures happened last Thursday (Feb. 27). The first incident happened shortly after 10 a.m. at the church (124 Park Street NE).
A female resident said “she was in a room of the Church for a prayer meeting when a man approached the door exposing himself,” according to the police report, adding that the man left the church in an unknown direction.
Then, at 10:30 a.m., an Estate Market employee told police that a man asked her a few questions and briefly walked around the store (134 Maple Ave E.) before exposing himself to the employee the report said.
“When the employee screamed, the man fled the store,” the report said. “Officers searched the area but did not locate the man.”
Image via Google Maps
A currently vacant spot along Maple Avenue will soon be selling alcohol instead of armoires.
Virginia ABC is planning to relocate in the Town of Vienna to move into the former home of Posh! (419B Maple Ave. E.) in the Maple Avenue Shopping Center.
The relocation will let ABC expand, Dawn Eischen, a Virginia ABC spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter.
“This location will allow us to provide a wider selection of products, meet market demands and better serve our customers,” Eischen said.
Eischen said that the current store (436 Maple Ave. E.) is 4,600 square feet, while the former Posh! space is 6,000 square feet.
Posh!, a furniture retailer, left its longtime Maple Avenue home early last year, with the owner partially blaming traffic, parking and development woes. The store moved to 200 Dominion Road NE late last year.
The prominent storefront was one of several vacant spaces that the Town of Vienna has been working to fill with tenants, along with new efforts to help support small businesses that are already in the town.
It will still be a few months before shoppers can step foot in the space.
“Virginia ABC is in the permitting phase and we expect to open the new location in May or June,” Eischen said.
