The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors wants to refresh the Tysons Corner Metro station name and move forward the rebranding of Tysons without the “Corner.”
The name debate over Tysons — including #dropthecorner on social media — has been around for several years. The U.S. Postal Service agreed to the name “Tysons” for the 22102 and 22182 zip codes in 2011, and the U.S. Census Bureau changed the designation of Tysons Corner to Tysons in 2015.
As high-rise developments sprout in the urbanizing area, Tysons is still grappling with its identity tied to suburbia and the Tysons Corner Center mall.
“Renaming the Metrorail station to Tysons would also help with local rebranding efforts,” county staff wrote.
The board is set to vote tomorrow (Tuesday) on recommending name changes for the West Falls Church and Tysons Corner stations to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA).
The West Falls Church-VT/UVA station would have “UVA” dropped because the University of Virginia (UVA) alerted the Department of Transportation staff this spring that it plans to relocate its campus, which is currently near the Metro station, according to county documents.
The Board of Supervisors wants the changes adopted in time for new signage timed with the opening of the second phase of the Silver Line, according to county documents.
Combining these two changes with the upcoming changes for adding Silver Line phase II stations reduces the estimated net cost to Fairfax County to approximately $670,000,” county staff said. “Funding held in trust at the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission for Fairfax County will be used to fund these name changes.”
People can provide feedback on Fairfax Connector’s proposed service changes for this fall, which include expanded service from the McLean Metro stop.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is asking people to submit input via an online survey, email ([email protected]), phone (703-339-7200, TTY 703-339-1608) or mail, according to the county’s website.
“FCDOT normally conducts several community input meetings on proposed changes to Fairfax Connector service, but as a result of current public gathering restrictions due to COVID-19, transit staff recorded a presentation which is available online for viewing instead,” the website said.
The proposed service changes include several routes — the existing 334, 340/341 and 721 routes and the new 722, 350 and 351 routes.
More about the proposed changes to the Tysons-area routes:
Route 721: Chain Bridge Road – McLean Metrorail Station – Includes expanded weekday midday service every 30-minutes from the McLean Metrorail Station to the George Bush Center for Intelligence (GBCI) facility in Langley, Virginia. The buses will operate with 30-minute headways.
Route 722: McLean Metrorail Station – GBCIÂ – Includes new weekday express service every 15 minutes during morning and afternoon peak hours between the McLean Metrorail Station and the GBCI facility in Langley.
People can submit comments until Friday, June 5. A presentation on the proposed changes on YouTube, the routes’ draft schedules and a PowerPoint presentation are available online.
FCDOT plans to present the final proposed changes to the county’s Board of Supervisors in July and, if the board approves them, the changes will go into effect by or before Oct. 31, the email said.
Tysons Company Gets Millions to Scale Up — “Qrvey, the next-generation analytics platform built to change the way companies interact with their data, today announced the close of a $7.5 million Series A investment round to scale up its revenue operations.” [PR Newswire]
Fundraising for Firefighters — “The Woman’s Club of McLean on May 4 donated $5,000 to the McLean Volunteer Fire Department, representing some of the proceeds from the club’s 2019 Holiday Homes Tour.” [Inside NoVa]
Uncertain Reopening Date for Nine Metro Stations — “Metro will only say that it will end in the fall, but is no longer promising it will end the day after Labor Day as originally expected…Â Metro says the closed Silver Line stations will not reopen until the Orange Line stations are able to reopen also.” [WJLA]
Local News Outlet Honors High School Seniors —Â Virginia Patch is celebrating graduates by publishing mini-profiles of them from forms that families can fill out. [Patch]
The McLean District Station recently received a kind surprise from a neighborhood in their district – Residents lined up in their yards & driveways, with posters & signs, to thank the first responders for their service. We are grateful to serve in such a great community! #FCPD pic.twitter.com/woyS6rgjkJ
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 6, 2020
Work on a new ramp linking eastbound I-66 to the West Falls Church Metro station is expected to start today (Monday).
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said in a press release that the work, which is a part of the I-66 Eastbound Widening Project, will connect two existing ramps.
“This direct access will save time for motorists on I-66 East who are headed to the West Falls Church Metrorail station and reduce traffic on Route 7,” Mark Gibney, VDOT’s design-build project manager, said in the press release.
More from VDOT:
When the project is complete, drivers will exit I-66 East for Route 7, stay left to connect to the ramp from Route 7 East to I-66 East, then stay right to reach Falls Church Drive and the West Falls Church Metrorail station.
All improvements will be performed within existing VDOT right-of-way.
Construction activities will begin with shoulder strengthening on the left side of I-66 East approaching the Route 7 interchange and along the left side of the Route 7 East ramp to I-66 East so traffic can be shifted to the left.
The two existing ramps will remain open during construction, although traffic shifts and occasional overnight traffic stoppages will be required. Construction will occur during daytime and nighttime hours.
VDOT expects the new ramp to open later this year.
Map via Google MapsÂ
Metro is gearing up for work this summer that will close all of the Orange and Silver line stations west of Ballston.
Last week, Metro announced it is expanding its work from just platform reconstruction at several Orange Line stations to include connection of the upcoming Silver Line Phase II stations, which run from Reston to Ashburn.
Low Metro ridership and severely reduced highway traffic due to Virginia’s stay-at-home order prompted the additional work, Metro officials said.
Starting Saturday, May 23, nine stations will be closed through the fall. Free express and local shuttle buses, along with Fairfax Connector routes, will help connect riders traveling around Northern Virginia.
Let Tysons Reporter know if the expanded summer work will impact you.
Due to ridership plummeting and a need to conserve cleaning supplies during the coronavirus pandemic, Metro plans to temporarily close two Tysons stations.
Metro announced last night (Tuesday) that the Greensboro and McLean stations are a part of the 17 stations that will close tomorrow (Thursday).
“While Metro increased its on-hand warehouse inventory of essential supplies,… other items used by Metro’s frontline employees, suppliers are experiencing delivery delays,” the announcement said. “Metro is taking action to make its current 2-3 week warehouse supply stretch until massive orders placed in late January are received.”
Metro has been urging people recently to only use the public transit system for essential trips. Last week, Metro closed the Smithsonian and Arlington Cemetery stations to discourage people from visiting the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin.
“The 19 stations will remain closed until further notice and trains will pass through without stopping,” Metro said.
Map via WMATA/Twitter
Ahead of its opening in Tysons, Wegmans is looking to hire people for 180 full-time positions now — and employ roughly 480 people in total.
The grocery chain announced today (Wednesday) the number of positions for hire, noting that the store is expect to open this falls at 1835 S. Capital One Drive.
Wegmans said it expects to hire roughly 480 people, “most of whom will be new to the company and hired locally,” according to the press release.
“These jobs offer competitive pay and benefits, flexible scheduling, and a fun workplace with caring people,” Tysons Store Manager Kevin Russell said in the press release.
People interested in the jobs, which range from entry-level management to line cooks, can look online or call 571-423-0707 for more information.
“Interviews are conducted by appointment only and hiring for part-time jobs will begin at a later date,” according to the press release.
The upcoming 80,000 square-foot store will be a part of Capital One’s campus next to the McLean metro station.
The store will include a Market Café with indoor and outdoor seating, The Burger Bar and a 1.2-acre rooftop park atop the building that will house the store, residential units and parking.
Photo courtesy Wegmans
Come March 15, some or all of the parking options will be closed at three Metro stations in the Falls Church and Vienna area.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced on Friday that pre-construction ahead of summer work will impact parking at three Orange Line stations.
While the summer work on the Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church and East Falls Church stations doesn’t start until May, the parking changes are set to start on March 15.
“Due to the stations’ location and extreme space limitations, construction crews will need to utilize surface parking lots to stage heavy equipment and tons of material,” according to a press release from WMATA.
Here are the planned changes:
- surface parking lots at the East Falls Church, West Falls Church and Vienna stations will be closed for seven to nine months
- parking at the Dunn Loring station will not be impacted
- Kiss & Ride lot will remain open for pick-up and drop-off only at East Falls Church station
- West Falls Church station parking garage will remain open
- Vienna station Parking Lot 1 will be temporarily closed beginning March 15
- Vienna station’s parking garages and Parking Lot 3 will remain open.
The changes mean that parking won’t be available at the East Falls Church station.
Metro expects that the parking will fill up at the West Falls Church station before 7 a.m., according to the press release.
“Vehicles parked in closed lots after 12:01 a.m. on March 15, 2020, may be subject to towing,” the press release says.
Not only is Metro closing East Falls Church, Dunn Loring and Vienna stations this summer, but starting next month the surface parking lots of East F.C., West F.C. and Vienna will be closed for UP TO THE REST OF THE YEAR. https://t.co/G3X3Mu4NS2
— Jody Fellows (@FCNP_Jody) February 14, 2020
To get ready for summer platform work, WMATA is closing several Orange Line stations this weekend, affecting riders in Vienna, Falls Church and Merrifield.
Riders can expect trains every 16 minutes between the West Falls Church and New Carrollton stations with additional trains between Ballston and New Carrollton from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 8), according to WMATA’s website.
Free shuttle buses will replace trains at the Vienna, Dunn Loring and East Falls Church stations.
The bus routes will be:
- between East Falls Church and Ballston
- between Vienna, Dunn Loring and West Falls Church
- express bus between Vienna and West Falls Church
Riders can expect trains to single track through the East Falls Church station. The West Falls Church station will stay open.
“Customers on Ballston-bound Orange Line trains who are continuing on to West Falls Church should exit the train at Virginia Square for a same platform transfer,” according to the website.
As WMATA looks ahead to summer Metro repairs, more details have been revealed about the Orange Line closures that will impact riders in Northern Virginia.Â
Beginning May 27, the Vienna, Dunn Loring and East Falls Church stations will be closed, according to a WMATA presentation at a Falls Church City Council meeting earlier this week, which added that the Silver Line from McLean to Wiehle-Reston East will also be affected.Â
Crews will update slip-resistant tiles, LED lighting, add new large digital displays and build new shelters on the platforms during the closures, WMATA representatives said at the meeting.
WMATA representatives also said free buses will replace trains at each of the affected stations and riders can expect the closures to last through Sept. 7.
Summer was chosen as the ideal time for the project because ridership is down slightly during that time of the year, the representatives said.
“We found it was really much more efficient when we use longer extended periods (of closures),” one representative added, compared to completing updates at night or over weekends.
During closures, four bus routes will offer riders alternative options:
- from Vienna to West Falls Church
- from Dunn Loring to West Falls Church
- from East Falls Church to Ballston
- from Rosslyn, then to Courthouse before stopping at Ballston and finally to Vienna
There will also be added on-demand shuttles from Vienna to Dunn Loring and West Falls Church to East Falls Church.
The presentation also mentioned that Silver Line trains from McLean to Wiehle-Reston will stop at each station but run on a reduced schedule.
Riders can expect the West Falls Church station to remain open but with single-tracking and for trains to go through — but not stop at — the East Falls Church station.
There will also be a variety of Metro Buses, ART Buses and Fairfax Connector Buses that will also be affected, according to the presentation.
Image (2) via City of Falls Church
