Here at Tysons Reporter, we’re thankful to have you as a reader.
This Thanksgiving, as we take the long four-day weekend off after a busy two months since our launch, we have just one request: as you gather with friends and family this holiday season, tell any fellow locals about Tysons Reporter. We greatly appreciate all email referrals as we work to deliver professional, daily local news coverage to the community.
Whether you’re traveling or staying in town — our poll suggests it’s about 50/50 among readers — we hope you stay warm, eat well (or not) and have a very happy Thanksgiving.
We’ll see you back here on Monday.
Long Lines at Local Whole Foods — If you ordered turkey or anything else for Thanksgiving dinner from the Whole Foods Market in Idylwood Plaza, expect long lines this morning. [Instagram]
County Offices Closed for Holiday — Fairfax County Government offices will be closed Thursday and Friday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Also, the Fairfax Connector will be running on a modified holiday schedule both days. [Fairfax County, Fairfax County]
Turkey Frying Safety Tips — “Using a turkey fryer this year to cook your Thanksgiving dinner? Please make sure you fry the turkey and NOT your home!” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]
‘Political Transformation’ in Fairfax Co. — “A group of younger candidates is gathering in the wings, frustrated by crowded classrooms, traffic congestion and the rising cost of living in the county of 1.1 million — Virginia’s most populous jurisdiction and its undisputed economic engine.” [Washington Post, Erika Yalowitz]
Holiday Stroll Planned in Vienna — “The 22nd annual Church Street Holiday Stroll is slated for Monday, Nov. 26 along historic Church Street in Vienna. Santa is expected to glide into the area on a 1946 fire truck at 6:15 p.m., then help Mayor Laurie DiRocco light the holiday tree at 6:20 p.m.” [InsideNova]
Big New Development for West End of Falls Church — “The development team of EYA, PN Hoffman and Regency Centers was chosen by the Falls Church City Council Monday night to orchestrate a dense and diverse $500 million development of 10.3 acres of City-owned land where its George Mason High School currently sits,” near the West Falls Church Metro station. [Falls Church News-Press]
The day is here — the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest car travel days of the year.
More on just how bad traffic will be from AAA Mid-Atlantic:
Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. is virtually “Zero Hour” if you are traveling clockwise on the Capital Beltway when traffic speeds will be down to about 7 miles per hour (mph), as you crawl toward your Thanksgiving destination, according to projections by INRIX, in collaboration with AAA. Tuesday, the eve of Thanksgiving Eve, is also the absolute worst time to be caught on the Outer Loop of the Capital Beltway, especially during the evening rush hour at 6:15 p.m. Here, travel delays will increase nearly 100 percent and travel speeds will drop to 23 miles per hour, as holiday travelers and commuters co-mingle and converge at one of the biggest bottlenecks in the Washington metro area.
Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday November 21, is the worst day and time to travel for holiday travelers taking Interstate 95 North, Interstate 270 North, and U.S. 50 East, according to data from INRIX. There are 15 freeway segments to eschew. Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic. Then there are the hotspots to circumvent and circumnavigate during the getaway period. […]
“With 1.2 million Washington area residents hitting the highways for the holiday, travel delays will become a contagion on area freeways and highways on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving Eve, as virtually everyone experiences a significant increase in travel times and traffic congestion,” said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs. “Holiday traffic, and any poor soul caught up in it, will creep, crawl and slither along. Given this, holiday travelers will be forced to add ‘extra buffer time’ to their trips to reach their Thanksgiving destinations on time.”
That brings us to our poll question: we’re wondering if Tysons Reporter readers will be heading out of town for holiday, despite the big traffic rush, or staying here. Also, while we’re at it, what about Christmas travel?
Regardless of whether you’re driving, flying or otherwise, let us know if you’re heading out of town for the holidays.
Table via AAA Mid-Atlantic
‘Fish Taco’ Coming to Boro in Tysons — “Fish Taco, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant with three locations in Maryland, plans to open its first Virginia store at the Boro development in Tysons… by June next year. A rep for Fish Taco tells Eater the new location in the mixed-use development will have space for 60 customers to consume taco platters, salads, rice bowls, burritos, and quesadillas — all utilizing local and seasonal ingredients.” [Eater]
Mall Hours for Black Friday — “Tysons Corner Center… will be open for 28 hours straight. This year, the mall opens at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 22 and will remain open Friday, Nov. 23 from midnight-10 p.m. Across Chain Bridge Road, Tysons Galleria will be closed on Thanksgiving. On Black Friday, hours will be 8 a.m.-9 p.m.” [Patch]
Dulles Toll Road Rates Going Up — “The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board of directors voted Nov. 14 to increase rates on the toll road again, starting this coming January. Drivers of two-axle vehicles, who now pay $2.50 at the main toll plaza, will see that rate jump to $3.25, and those entering or exiting tolled ramps will pay $1.50, up from the current $1.” [InsideNova]
Herndon Site Still in the Running for Apple — Though Apple is “seriously” looking at a site in Tysons for a large new East Coast office, the company is also eyeing some other locations, like the 26-acre, state-owned Center for Innovative Technology in Herndon and sites in Raleigh, N.C. and Atlanta, Georgia. [Washington Business Journal]
McLean Blood Drive Was a Success — “With the holiday season quickly approaching, hospitals are continuously using blood products faster than donations are replacing them. With an urgent blood drive, sponsored by McLean Dermatology and Skin Care Center, volunteers and staff aimed to reach a goal of getting 40 donors during this Sunday’s drive — in which the goal was met.” [WJLA]
Parks Dept. Riffs on Facebook Outage — A tweet this morning from Fairfax County Parks: “Facebook and Instagram are down. Seems like a great excuse to take a walk and enjoy some face-to-face conversation in a park.” [Twitter]
