The Virginia Department of Transportation is now soliciting public input on its draft proposals for potential safety and operational improvements on Route 50 until Oct. 30.
The Route 50 Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions (STARS) study centers on the three miles of Arlington Boulevard between Jaguar Trail and Wilson Boulevard (Route 613) in the Falls Church area of Fairfax County.
Released in an online presentation on Oct. 13, the proposed improvements include:
- Pedestrian enhancements at Jaguar, Allen Street, Graham Road, Woodlawn Avenue, Annandale Road, the area between Marshall Street and East Tripps Run Road, and the Thomas Jefferson Library area
- Turn lane improvements at Allen, Graham, and South Street
- Access management improvements throughout the corridor, including a widened median in the Thomas Jefferson Library area, and extended medians at Allen, Graham, Annandale, and the area between Marshall and East Tripps Run
VDOT says its proposed improvements are primarily designed to reduce pedestrian crashes and improve safety without making significant changes to the roadway. Possible costs range from $2.5 million to $12 million depending on whether they would require any construction.
VDOT launched the Route 50 STARS study back in June 2019 and held a public information meeting on Oct. 21, 2019. An online survey conducted last October drew 962 participants, who identified traffic congestion, pedestrian safety, and travel time reliability as their top three issues with Route 50.
According to VDOT, Route 50 sees over 50,000 vehicles a day on average, and drivers often experience delays during peak hours, especially at the Graham Road and Annandale Road intersections. It also features 10 pedestrian crosswalks and 12 bus stops, while accommodating 60 Metro buses per day during the work week.
The annual crash rate on Route 50 is 32% to 43% higher than the average rate for the other primary highways in Northern Virginia.
“While they were not a large percentage of the reported crashes, pedestrian crashes accounted for many of the fatal crashes and severe-injury crashes in the corridor,” VDOT said in its video presentation.
VDOT had planned to present its initial draft recommendations this past spring, but limitations on large in-person meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic led the department to delay the presentation and deliver it virtually instead.
Community members can provide input on the recommendations by taking an online survey or sending comments to VDOT by email at [email protected]. They can also be mailed to VDOT traffic engineer Bobby Mangalath at 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.
A report with the study’s final recommendations is expected to be released this coming winter.
VDOT emphasizes that the purpose of the study, which has a cost of $280,000, is to give Fairfax County options to consider when making funding requests and developing its comprehensive plan, but no decisions will be made on which projects, if any, will be implemented.
Staff photo by Catherine Moran, image via VDOT
Fairfax County’s Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) community centers are scheduled to reopen beginning today (Tuesday). The nine community centers that are reopening include three in the Falls Church area:
- Bailey’s Community Center (5920 Summers Lane)
- James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Road)
- Willston Multicultural Center (6131 Willston Drive)
The other reopening community centers are Gum Springs and Huntington in Alexandria; Mott, David R. Pinn, and Providence in Fairfax; and Southgate in Reston.
Because of space limitations, community members must make reservations and sign a waiver in advance to visit a community center, according to a press release from the NCS.
The centers will be open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m., offering self-directed activities, technical support and the Parent Connect program only. Organized sports and activities will not be permitted, according to the release.
Children who are under 9 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
The community centers will be holding temperature checks and health screenings upon arrival. They will also be requiring masks and social distancing, and they will be frequently cleaning high touch surfaces.
To make a reservation, participants can call their local NCS community center. More information is available on the reopening website.
Image via NCS
Outdoor screenings of movies, whether drive-ins or out on a lawn, have come a hit during the coronavirus pandemic. The Eden Center near Seven Corners is keeping that tradition going with an outdoor viewing of Ghostbusters this Saturday (Oct. 10) at 6:30 p.m.
The screening will take place in the Eden Center parking lot and will be free.
“Enjoy a delicious dinner at Eden Center then stay and watch the movie from your car,” the Facebook post for the event said.
Free popcorn and candy will also be provided. Guests are encouraged to come in costumes for a costume contest and trick or treat stations will be set up around the Eden Center.
Photo via Eden Center/Facebook
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) unveiled suggestions for ways to address speeding and safety concerns on Shreve Road in Falls Church during a virtual public information meeting on Oct. 7.
Possible improvements range from minor alterations, such as optical speed bars and vegetation management, to potentially complex projects, like Shrevewood Elementary School roundabouts.
Led by VDOT and the consulting firm Kittelson & Associates, the Shreve Road Corridor Study team emphasized that its goal is to give the City of Falls Church and Fairfax County options to consider, not to make decisions on funding or construction.
“This is a planning-level study,” VDOT transportation planning manager Amir Shahpar said. “The purpose of this study is to develop proposed improvements for localities to apply for funding for some or all of the recommendations.”
VDOT launched the Shreve Road Corridor Study on Mar. 25 in response to the advocacy efforts of the Shreve Road Community Working Group, which formed after a woman was killed in a hit and run at the intersection with Hickory Street in August 2019.
The study focuses on the two-mile section of Shreve that connects Route 29 with Route 7. That stretch averages up to 10,000 vehicles a day, according to VDOT, raising concerns about traffic speed and pedestrian and bicycle safety in the surrounding neighborhoods.
To address the Hickory Curve, the study team proposed adding optical speed bars, enhanced signage, and other means of slowing traffic ahead of the curve; moving the pedestrian pathway; clearing vegetation to improve visibility; or creating a barrier curb and gutter.
VDOT also considered installing additional guardrails to shield pedestrians from motorists but found that they are “not warranted” for that particular location, Kittelson engineering associate Amelia Martin says.
Options for improvements outside Shrevewood Elementary include building roundabouts or removing the street median, but the area’s topography, the presence of utilities, and other factors would make those complicated undertakings. Read More
Falls Church police said that three people were sent to the hospital after they were struck by a vehicle on W Broad Street this morning.
The three victims were and adult and two minors, all of whom sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Police said the driver of the vehicle remained on the scene and no charges have been filed at this time.
W Broad Street closed for roughly 30 minutes after the incident but has since reopened.
According to a release from the Falls Church Police Department:
At approximately 11:01 a.m. on October 7, City of Falls Church Police were dispatched to the report of pedestrians hit by a vehicle at the intersection of W Annandale Road and W Broad Street. Three victims — an adult and two minors — were transported to Virginia Hospital Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene until police units arrived.
W Broad Street was closed for approximately 30 minutes after the incident. Police are still investigating the collision, and no charges have been filed at this time.
Photo via Google Maps
The Metro Transit Police are looking to identify a suspect in a report of an attempted rape on a Silver Line train yesterday (Tuesday) in Northern Virginia.
The incident took place at approximately 11:35 a.m. between the McLean and East Falls Church stations, according to a statement from the WMATA. The statement says the suspect boarded the train at the Wiehle-Reston East station and physically assaulted an adult female, exposing himself and attempting to remove her clothing.
According to the statement, the female was able to escape the train at the East Falls Church station, where Metro Transit Police detectives were able to respond. The victim’s child was apparently the only other individual on the train at the time of the incident.
The suspect was apparently wearing a dark-colored shirt with the words “Piranha Joe” on the left sleeve, a logo of a circle and a fish on both the rear and left breast of the shirt, according to the statement.
Tysons Reporter contacted Metro Transit Police this morning for updates but was told police could not discuss the case further.
Anyone with more information can contact the Metro Transit Police detectives at 301-955-5000.
Photo via the WMATA
If you’ve been getting more in touch with your artistic side over quarantine and would like a little feedback, a free artist workshop in Falls Church is meeting virtually to offer feedback.
On Monday, Oct. 5, and the first Monday of every month after, Falls Church Arts is hosting a virtual “cafe” via Zoom to critique and discuss art at all levels of skill or experience.
“It is a free event, an artist cafe and critique group,” said Ruth Altheim, a member of the Falls Church Arts Board of Directors. “We email a picture of the artwork to the facilitator, Pamela Huffman, the day before and when we’re on zoom, Pamela shares the images from her computer screen so all participates can easily see and comment on the artworks.”
The cafe runs from noon to 2 p.m. and invites can be received by emailing [email protected].
“Show a piece of art you’d like feedback on — something new or old, something in progress or complete –and our community of artists will share their thoughts,” Falls Church Arts said in a press release. “The meeting is open to all so invite your artist friends. Feel free to participate even if you don’t have a piece to share this time.”
For the second year in a row, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Falls Church as the third healthiest community in the United States, a slight decline from its number 1 ranking in 2018.
The ranking, which looks at everything from population health to public safety and infrastructure, put Falls Church at the top of the charts in the economy (100 points), population health (98 points) and education (96 points) rankings.
In population health: the Falls Church life expectancy of 81.8 years surpassed the national average of 77.9 years while the smoking rate of 12.8% and the percent of population without insurance of 3.7% were both well below the national average.
For the economy: the median household income of $124,796 was more than double the national average of $49,888. The poverty rate of 2.7% was less than the national average of 14.7% and the unemployment rate of 2.2% was lower than the national average of 3.9%.
Falls Church scored lowest in equity (46 points) and housing (35 points). Under equity, the rankings indicated that Falls Church is significantly less diverse than the national average, along with a higher racial disparity in educational attainment and a higher premature death disparity.
While Falls Church scored highly in housing quality, it was ranked low in both housing affordability and housing capacity. The average person would need to work 54 hours to pay for affordable housing in Falls Church, above the national average of 41 hours. The vacancy rate is also substantially lower, at 0.5%, compared to the national average of 2.4%.
The City of Falls Church announced today (Monday) that they will allocate $44,000 in Arts and Humanities grants.
Five proposals were reviewed by the program and will receive a total of $21,200, with each project being fully funded. Five proposals received operational grants with $27,300 awarded.
Recipients include:
- Creative Cauldron: two grants include $5,000 in funding for “Live at the Cauldron” and an operational grant for administration, utilities, and facility overhead
- Falls Church Arts: the $4,200 grant will increase web capabilities with a new easy to navigate website and an operational grant will help with gallery rental
- Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation: two grants will help create promotional, publicity and marketing materials for the 2021 Tinner Hill Blues Festival along with an operational grant for administrative and general expenses
- The Little City CATCH Foundation: grants include funding for Watch Night and an operational grant for professional services, storage space, office supplies and website costs
- Washington Sinfonietta: two grants include a free holiday concert at Falls Church Episcopal Church and an operational grant to cover their annual insurance premium
Photo via Creative Cauldron/Facebook
Geovanny Alexander Mejia Castro was working his shift as at Diva Lounge (6763 Wilson Blvd.) in the back corner of the Eden Center last Friday when he was shot and killed, police announced today.
Police announced today that they arrested a suspect, Elser Galeano Herrera, 28, at his sister’s home in Mississippi today. Herrera will be transported back to Virginia, according to police.
In the press release, police said the murder was believed to be in retaliation for an earlier assault at the night club that did not involve Castro.
“The death of Mr. Castro is tragic,” said Police Chief Mary Gavin. “I’m proud of the swift and meticulous investigation that lead to the identification and location of the suspect. We are thankful for the assistance of a number of agencies in helping us find and arrest him.”
Full press release below:
