Attendees of an upcoming event will have a chance to sneak a peek at the future Tysons.
Tysons 2050 will allow people to explore what community leaders have in mind for Tysons for the year 2050 through numerous keynote speakers divided into three categories — work, play and live.
The event will take place at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner (920 Jones Branch Drive) from 4-7 p.m. on (Thursday) Oct. 24.
Speakers and moderators include guests from Leadership Fairfax, Industrious, Fairfax County Park Authority and several developers invested in the area.
“Through their lenses, panelists will share the challenges, opportunities, and exciting developments that are on the immediate and distant horizon,” the event page said.
General admission tickets are $95 if participants register online beforehand, but will increase to $115 for walk-ins.
Sponsorships for the event are still available and start at $500.
People interested in brainstorming ideas for how to make Lee Hwy (Route 29) safer can attend a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) night.
Local businesses and Virginia Tech planning students are planning to share ideas for improvements along the highway from Graham Road to Tinner Hill Road.
The meeting is set to take place from 6:30-8 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (601 S Oak Street).
Nearby, a study is underway to consider changes to Route 50.
Map via Google Maps
Design work is set to start at the end of the year to look for ways to reduce flooding in a McLean neighborhood.
The Tucker Avenue Neighborhood Stormwater project aims to reduce flooding and erosion, while improving stormwater drainage.
The area was reportedly damaged from severe flooding in July, along with several spots in McLean.
The project, which is located in the Pimmit Run Watershed, will look at the current drainage and stormwater infrastructure in the neighborhood and within a 67-acre drainage area that leads to Pimmit Run. The project is divided into three areas.
“All three areas have inadequate drainage systems that result in street, yard and/or house flooding during certain storm events,” according to Fairfax County. “Additionally, portions of lower Tucker Avenue are in a FEMA floodplain along Pimmit Run that creates further drainage problems.”
Fairfax County has teamed up with the Virginia Department of Transportation on the project, according to the county.
“A concept design is currently scheduled for late December or early January,” Dranseville District Supervisor John Foust said in an email.
So far, Foust was able to share that the project will upgrade the conveyance system and propose a new stormwater management system.
Foust has said that this is one of several projects meant to address flooding issues in McLean.
“Coordination with homeowners including [the] acquisition of additional storm drainage easements will be required prior to final design and construction,” according to Fairfax County.
Construction costs are expected to total $3.7 million and will be funded through Fairfax County’s Stormwater Service District fee.
New systems will be installed along VDOT’s right of way based on the neighborhood drainage pattern, Foust said.
Map via Google Maps
After a Tysons entrepreneur set out to rethink the soap industry, he ended up attracting the attention of thousands of Kickstarter backers for a new product.
Sud Stud is a cover for a bar soap that supposedly conserves soap and acts as a loofah while also being more hygienic than other products, Dale Lin, the products creator and CEO of Silli.Co, told Tysons Reporter.
Within the first fundraising period on Kickstarter, Lin managed to raise more than $57,000 in 36 days from supporters internationally.
“As an alternative to the notoriously filthy loofahs we all use, Sud Stud’s innovative design uses less soap and creates a frothier lather for a deeper clean while also eliminating bacteria build-up while awaiting its next use,” Lin said.
His product is designed to fit any type of soap bar no matter the shape. Users can simply wet the bar and slip it into the silicone sleeve, according to the website. When it comes to cleaning, users can either microwave it or stick it in boiling water.
He began developing the product about a year ago and launched his funding campaign in June.
Lin said runs the company Silli.Co, under which he created Sud Stud, by himself, with occasional packing assistance from his mom. He works in e-commerce full time and is developing the company on the side.
While he said he named the company Silli.Co because he liked the play on words with “silicon company,” he doesn’t put too much effort into product names. He chose the name “Sud Stud” because it was “straight to the point” and summarizes the product well.
Though this isn’t Lin’s first successful Kickstarter campaign, he was surprised how quickly people picked up on his idea. (In the past, he also ran a Kickstarter for specialized fidget spinners, which are still for sale on Amazon.)
“My goal is to develop fun and unique products that solve problems, big or small,” Lin said.
One of his largest challenges so far has been knock-off products that people are trying to sell online. Kickstarter has a policy where entrepreneurs must put almost exact plans and dimensions for the project, which Lin says puts innovators at a disadvantage.
Now, Lin is preparing to ship the product out to customers in December.
After the initial round of Sud Studs gets sent out, Lin told Tysons Reporter that he wants to expand Silli.Co, along with his product line with silicon pillows and a soap brand.
Image via Sili.Co
(Updated 10/26/19) MarginEdge, a Merrifield-based restaurant software startup, has raised millions of dollars in a recent funding round.
The company recently raised $5 million in Series A funding — bringing their total funding to $10.4 million, according to a press release.
“Osage Venture Partners led the round, with participation from In Good Company… and other restaurant owner investors,” the press release said.
Headquartered at 8315 Lee Hwy, MarginEdge processes invoices for restaurants. Restaurant employees send pictures of receipts and invoices to the company, which then processes them and connects the restaurant to point of sales partners.
“We’re excited to see this approach resonating, with a dozen of our clients investing in the company and a 12-month customer retention rate of 94%,” the company’s CEO Bo Davis said.
The company said in the press release that it plans to use the money to expand geographically and add new partnerships.
MarginEdge also recently signed its 1,000th restaurant, according to the press release.
Some of the restaurants the company works with include District Taco, Chef Geoff’s, South Block and Hank’s Oyster Bar.
“MarginEdge allowed our team to go from being an accounting department to being more of a finance department,” Javier Retamar, the chief financial officer of Maple Street Biscuits, said. “Now, it’s not just about inputting things after the fact; we have the time and tools to analyze.”
Photo via MarginEdge/Facebook
Fairfax County is looking to scrutinize Fairfax Connector routes for riders around the Tysons area starting next year.
The county plans to start looking at five-year route optimization next year for riders in the Vienna and Merrifield areas next year, FCDOT officials told the Board of Supervisors during the Transportation Committee meeting today (Tuesday).
Then, the county would turn to Tysons, McLean and Falls Church areas in 2021.
Currently, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is seeking the public’s input on proposed service changes to routes in Herndon and Reston.
FCDOT is looking at Fairfax Connector routes because overall ridership is below targetted levels, according to the presentation. Additionally, shifting demographics and job opportunities have changed travel patterns.
Restoration recently finished on a stream in McLean as part of Fairfax County’s larger efforts to improve water quality and reduce flooding.
Restoration started at Bull Neck Run, a stream just north of Tysons, in 2018 and included improving the ecological function of the stream and extracting nitrogen and phosphorous from the soil.
Before the project, the banks of the stream were eroding and the stream bed was identified as instable.
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust celebrated the project’s completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday (Oct. 21).
“Projects like this will help ensure the health of our watersheds for generations to come and I look forward to continue working with the community on these improvements,” Foust said in a press release.
The project cost $1.6 million and was funded through the county’s stormwater service district.
Lewinsville Coalition, a local advocacy group, provided input during the project’s design and construction, along with pushing for trails to stay open while work was underway, according to a press release from Foust.
“The work involved restoration of approximately 2,000 linear feet of Bull Neck Run and several tributaries and will remove 800 pounds of nitrogen and 71,000 pounds of suspended solids per
year,” according to the press release.
Work to restore the native trees along with other landscaping is expected to wrap up next month.
The project is the latest stormwater project completed.
Upcoming projects include the restoration of Dead Run toward Georgetown Pike and work on Tucker Avenue in Falls Church.
Photo courtesy John Foust
Fairfax County officials are set to consider changes to the intersection of Swinks Mill and Lewinsville Roads in McLean later this fall.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is currently studying the intersection.
The study “included survey, operational analysis, intersection concepts and collaboration with Fairfax County,” Jenni McCord, a VDOT spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter.
A traffic signal, a traffic signal with intersection modifications and a roundabout are under consideration, she said.
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said that the intersection would need more than a traffic signal to improve congestion and safety.
“Given the layout of the current intersection, installing a traffic signal is not straightforward,” Foust said. “Even though the intersection meets the VDOT warrants for a traffic signal, VDOT is required to evaluate other measures to make the intersection safer.”
Foust said that he plans to meet with VDOT and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation in late fall to discuss the options and funding.
“The final report is being drafted and should be completed later this fall, and will include high-level cost estimates for all three concepts being analyzed,” McCord said.
Map via Google Maps
A nail salon is set to open in The Boro around early November.
Tysons Nail Lounge (1640 Boro Place, Suite 205) will be located near Whole Foods and offer customers waxing services and nail treatments. The location is expected to open next Friday, Nov. 1, according to Kieu Nguyen, a co-owner of the business.
“Our philosophy focuses on healing, wellness and relaxation with an emphasis on natural ingredients. All of our treatments are quality spa experiences,” Nguyen said.
The location will use products that are free of formaldehyde, DBP and toluene, according to Nguyen.
“Our salon is extremely focused on strict hygiene standards,” Nguyen said.
Tysons Nail Lounge will operate Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Image via Facebook
Commuters and residents want to see more bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements along Route 50 in the Falls Church area.
At a meeting hosted by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) last night, VDOT officials and residents discussed different ideas for improving the route, which has up to 51,000 vehicles travel daily, according to VDOT.
The meeting coincidentally happened a day after a 40-year-old man was struck and killed at the intersection of Route 50 and Graham Road. On a map of reported crashes since 2013, that intersection had two reports of fatal crashes, along with dozens of other crashes ranging in severity from property damage to serious injuries.
A study is underway to evaluate potential safety and operational changes for three miles of Route 50 between Jaguar Trail and Wilson Blvd.
VDOT officials said that the study is looking at data showing crash hotspots, speed and traffic count from January 2013 to the spring of 2019 and projections out to 2030.
“We don’t go into a study with the solutions already in hand,” Allison Richter, the liaison for Fairfax and Arlington counties, said.
The possible improvements VDOT is looking at include:
- traffic signal timing/operations
- turn lane
- turn restrictions
- access management
- pedestrian enhancements
- “innovative intersections“
Richter said that bike and pedestrian safety improvements are under consideration.
About 50 people showed up for the meeting, including Fairfax County police, Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross, School Board Member Dalia Palchik and Tom Biesiadny, the director of Fairfax County’s transportation department.
Many of the people who lined up to provide feedback to VDOT pointed out specific problem areas — urging for time-restricted turn lanes, signal timing changes — and more focus on bicyclists, pedestrians and people using mass public transit.
“This area is becoming more urban over time,” one attendee told VDOT officials, adding that VDOT should focus on safety over speed for drivers.
Added safety measures could include two-way bike lanes on one-way service roads and more lighting, attendees said.
Sonya Breehey, a bike safety advocate, suggested traffic calming on the frontage roads.
“Arlington Blvd scares me,” Breehey said.
A handful of people called for VDOT to lower the speed limit from 45 miles per hour, with one person suggesting a new speed limit of 35 miles per hour.
One man who provided feedback urged VDOT to not forget about drivers, who might face slower speeds and longer travel times.
“Better late to dinner than dead,” someone from the audience shouted after the man finished commenting.
“Please be respectful,” the man responded.
People can take an online survey — which allows respondents to mark problem spots on a map and rank the six possible improvements — and submit comments to Bobby Mangalath, at 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, Va. 22030 by next Thursday, Oct. 31.
VDOT plans to hold another information meeting when the study wraps up in the spring.
