(Updated 11:30 a.m.) The busy intersection of Idylwood Road and Cedar Lane is about to get a little less scary.
A new traffic light is under construction at the intersection. A manager at the construction site said the concrete base was poured yesterday (Wednesday) and will be putting up the pole once the concrete sets. The manager said he expects construction to be finished sometime within the month.
In the meantime, the sidewalk on the southeast side of Cedar Lane is closed and there are periodic lane closures, reducing traffic along the busy street to one lane.
Neighbors stood at the street corner and watched the construction. One woman who lived nearby said the street is often backed up during rush hour.
“It’s a difficult intersection,” she said. “It’s a bad angle. It can be hard to see around.”
The woman said that construction crews had been in the area in late 2018 installing equipment in the area for the new light. She said while most of the neighbors were happy and excited for the new light, some were concerned that, when combined with the other light north, it could make traffic in the area even worse.
Free Connector Rides for Unpaid Feds — “Beginning Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, Fairfax Connector will provide free rides system-wide for federal government employees affected by the government shutdown who are still required to report for work. You must show your federal photo ID to the bus operator when boarding to ride free.” [Fairfax County]
County: Lend a Hand with Shoveling — “While snowstorms are exciting for many of us, for neighbors who are older, injured or have a disability, snowstorms can cause a great deal of anxiety and pose a threat to their well-being. If you are willing to help shovel out a neighbor in need, consider adding a discussion to your Nextdoor neighborhood, Facebook group, email list or HOA site letting your neighbors know you are willing to help.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
Group Still Pushing for New Potomac Bridge — “Traffic congestion continues to be a major thorn in the region’s side and Jason Stanford of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance said state and local officials are seeking several possible solutions. The alliance’s top priority is advocating for construction of a new Potomac River crossing north of the American Legion Bridge.” [InsideNova]
Bitter Cold Coming Next Week — “Weather models project the onset of a severe and punishing winter weather pattern… A blast of a bitter Arctic air is forecast to plunge into the eastern U.S. late this week and this weekend, the coldest of the winter so far.” [Capital Weather Gang]
A new bus route will connect the Vienna Metrorail Station to the Pentagon via I-66, starting on Jan. 22.
The new express Route 698 will operate during weekday rush hours only, with ten trips in the morning and evening. The route, approved by the Board of Supervisors in November, will be supported by the Commuter Choice Program and I-66 toll revenues.
The first bus will leave Vienna at 5:40 a.m. and the last bus will arrive in Vienna at 6:46 p.m.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation also announced the Fairfax Connector’s holiday schedule. While most Fairfax Connector buses will not be operating on Christmas Day, the following bus lines in the Tysons area will not operate on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Day:
- Route 422: the Tysons Circulator
- Route 461: Flint Hill-Vienna
- Route 494: Lorton-Springfield-Tysons
- Route 495: Burke Centre-Tysons
- Routes 624, 634: Stringfellow Road-Fair Lakes via Vienna Metro Station
- Routes 640, 642, 644: Stone Road – Centreville North via Vienna Metro Station
- Route 724: Lewinsville Road via McLean Metro Station
Photo via Facebook
Nine months after morning prayer service was cancelled, the McLean Islamic Center (MIC) won approval from the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals last week for extended hours and the cap on worshippers was removed.
Originally, the MIC was restricted to ten worshippers in attendance at prayers before 9 a.m. An anonymous complaint earlier this year led to an inspection that found the facility in violation of that cap.
The changing regulations now base attendance on the the 92 parking spaces available in the lot, which were not completed when the first regulations were implemented. The center can also offer morning prayers between 4-9 a.m.
“We were very excited that the county was able to come to the decision that they were on Wednesday,” said Sultan Chaudhry, president of the MIC Board of Directors. “This was something that our congregation had been looking forward to for more than nine months now. We’re happy that they were able to look at all of the data and analysis from county staff and come to a decision that allows us to freely practice our religion in Fairfax County.”
Chaudhry said MIC is committed to being respectful and courteous to the neighboring Carrington subdivision, who during the Board of Zoning Appeals meeting reiterated concerns about early morning noise from the center, particularly from cars locking and unlocking in early hours.
According to Chaudhry, morning prayer service resumed the day after approval was granted.
“It was great,” said Chaudhry. “We had about 20 vehicles come and about the same number of worshippers. There was a feeling of energy and relief, and there was a feeling of gratefulness to god, to the county, and to our interfaith partners and supporters that stood with us.”
Photo via Facebook
(Updated at 11 a.m.) Enjoy the free street parking in Tysons while it lasts, because its days may be numbered.
At a Fairfax County Transportation Committee meeting on Tuesday, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) discussed plans to hire a professional parking consultant to explore parking management in Tysons and nearby Reston.
“The intent is to pilot parking management in these areas and expand to other areas as appropriate,” said Henri Stein McCartney, a transportation planner with FCDOT
McCartney said the goal of the study is to determine whether to implement on-street parking restrictions in Tysons and if so, what form those restrictions will take.
“The goal is timely turnover of spaces to encourage space availability,” said McCartney. “Numerous studies show motorists will circle [the] block searching for free on-street parking. [Parking restrictions] reduce number of cars searching for on-street parking. If paid for parking implemented, revenues could enforce parking rules.”
The study would also look at whether to implement paid parking or time restricted parking. Paid parking could take the form of a mobile kiosk or an app, like ParkMobile.
The second option would be time restricted parking, which could either be free or paid. However, McCartney said timed parking often requires more intensive enforcement efforts, with officers needed to monitor timed parking zones.
McCartney said FCDOT had not yet determined how much revenue paid parking could generate in Tysons.
FCDOT staff said the first area of study will be Tysons. Both the county’s comprehensive plan and urban design guidelines call for some form of “managed parking on future grid streets” in Tysons. FCDOT is apparently eyeing the new streets constructed at Boro development as some of the first “managed streets” in Tysons.
Implementation of paid parking in areas like the Reston Town Center has been controversial, to say the least.
McCartney said the study will have to also make sure the parking restrictions don’t push cars into the neighborhoods surrounding Tysons.
“This is inevitable, but it’s something we need to walk into very carefully,” said Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity. “Parking fees drive behavior. We have the real life example of Reston when they implemented those fees and all the angst it created… and loss of revenue.”
Herrity emphasized that any study of paid parking will have to involve close communication with the business community.
“The mistakes made in the past can be a helpful learning process,” said Supervisor Cathy Hudgins.
Hudgins said one of the biggest lessons from the Reston Town Center parking fiasco that should be applied to Tysons is specifying the goals of parking management, like whether the paid parking is a way of raising revenue or managing transportation.
Even before the recommendations come in, the committee seemed supportive of some form of paid or timed parking restrictions. From Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova:
“Tysons is an urban area that is being developed. It’s important that we manage the parking. In most urban areas that is done. The last thing you want to happen would be people to park on the streets all day long as employees and then customers and people doing business in Tysons don’t have a place to park for a relatively short period of time. It is a complicated issue and we’re doing the right thing starting with a consulting study.”
The study will be measuring on-street and off-street parking supply and demand and model future demand based on approved development plans. In the end, it will recommend appropriate strategies and an implementation plan.
FCDOT staff said an update on the study will be given between six to nine months later, but the recommendations won’t be available for at least another year.
The estimated cost of parking study is $100,000.
Image via Fairfax County Department of Transportation
(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) McLean could be going through some significant changes, and next week is the final meeting to weigh in on those plans.
After nearly a year of collecting feedback and holding community meetings, the final vision plan meeting for the McLean Commercial Business Center (CBC) will be held on Monday, Dec. 17 from 7-9 p.m. in Longfellow Middle School (2000 Westmoreland Street).
The plan is to transform downtown McLean, the CBC, from a clump of intersections linked by gas stations to a more pedestrian friendly community destination. At earlier community meetings, ambitious comparisons were made to Maple Avenue in Vienna or Old Town in Alexandria.
At the most recent meeting, on Nov. 19, consultant Streetsense announced that the plan would recommend closing Center Street to vehicles and developing it as a pedestrian route. The plan recommends more off-street trails and on-street bike lanes be added throughout McLean, connecting the downtown area to the community center and library.
The five-way intersection at Old Dominion and Chain Bridge Road is recommended to be replaced with a roundabout.
At next week’s meeting, the CBC website says Streetsense will present the compiled and analyzed community input from the open houses and the final plan for the downtown area. The next steps following the plans completion will also be discussed at the meeting. For those unable to attend the event, it will be recorded and available on the project webpage.
Most of those who spoke at the open houses said their big goal was to make the downtown area walkable. Residents said they often wind up driving from one business to the other rather than cross busy streets. Community amenities like the McLean Central Park are cut off from the rest of the downtown by the busy Dolley Madison Blvd.
The study found that the CBC is mostly ranked as a “high stress” area for bicycling. Plans for future bike improvements would relieve some of that stress for cyclists, particularly along Chain Bridge Road.
Graphic via Fairfax County Department of Transportation
Skepticism About McLean Intersection Plan — “While there were a few who expressed their overall approval for Fairfax County Department of Transportation’s (FCDOT) recommendation for improvements to the Balls Hill Road and Old Dominion Drive intersection in McLean, the majority of those who attended the meeting at Cooper Middle School on the evening of Nov. 28 were less than satisfied with the outcome of more than two years of study and analysis.” [McLean Connection]
Disruptive Restaurant Employee Arrested — “Vienna police on Nov. 20 at 3:01 a.m. dispatched officers to Amphora Restaurant, 377 Maple Ave., W., after receiving a report that an employee, who appeared to be intoxicated, was yelling at customers.” [InsideNova]
Starbucks Customers Threatened in Falls Church — “Police responded for a report of an unknown subject approaching customers and threatening physical harm. Following an investigation, the suspect was identified, and the victim declined prosecution.” [City of Fall Church]
Flu Shots at Grocery Stores — “Giant Food announced today that flu shots are once again available at all of its in-store pharmacies for both adults and children. The vaccinations are administered by Giant’s certified in-store pharmacists and are often covered in-full by most insurance plans.” [FairfaxNews]
The latest in a series of proposed sidewalks to make McLean more walkable is a pair of quarter-mile long sidewalks along Kirby Road near Chesterbrook.
One project, north of Chesterbrook, is planned to add a roughly 5-6 feet wide sidewalk with a curb and gutter along the south/east side of Kirby Road between Chesterbrook Road and Mori Street. A crude path currently exists along the roadside, though in parts it blends with the right shoulder lane.
A community meeting on the northern extension is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. in the Chesterbrook Elementary School cafeteria. The meeting will feature a presentation of the project’s preliminary design and offer the public a chance to ask questions and provide input.
The new sidewalk improvements will also include a pedestrian crossing and median refuge at the intersection with Mori Street, connecting the sidewalk to the shared use trail on the west side of Kirby Road.
To the south, the sidewalk will connect with an existing path separated from the road that leads into Chesterbrook neighborhood and shopping center along Old Dominion Drive. To the north, the new sidewalk won’t quite reach the Marie Butler Leven Preserve, but the park is accessible from the trail on the west side of the street.
A new sidewalk is also currently planned for Kirby Road on the other side of Chesterbrook, connecting Chesterbrook Elementary School to Halsey Road. Like the northern sidewalk, the southern extension covers a quarter-mile with a proposed 5-6 foot width.
At a Nov. 9 meeting on the southern Kirby Road sidewalk improvements, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation presented a plan that would include new concrete infrastructure improvements along the roadside. The white painted fences along Kirby Road may be removed and replaced during the construction.
The construction schedule for the north project is unknown, but the southern sidewalk extension is scheduled for final design in early 2019 and construction later that year.
Photo via Google Maps
The McLean Islamic Center (MIC) will be returning to the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) on Nov. 14 in an effort to overturn earlier restrictions on worship hours and attendance.
The MIC, the only Islamic center in the Tysons/McLean area, was granted a special permit in 2015 to operate as a house of worship at 8800 Jarrett Valley Dr.
But the authorization also came with restrictions to mitigate the MIC’s impact on the surrounding neighborhood. The MIC was prohibited from having more than ten worshipers at its pre-dawn prayer service and no group worship between 4-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Since then, the facility and the roads surrounding it have grown. The MIC has expanded the parking lot from 52 to 92 spaces to facilitate a prayer hall with a 200 person capacity. Route 7 has been widened and its turn lanes lengthened.
Now the MIC is hoping the BZA will amend the conditions to allow 24-hour operation of the facility and lift the restriction on parking.
“[The restrictions] are untenable,” said Dr. Sultan Chaudhry, president of the MIC Board of Directors. “We’re not allowed to have more than ten people for morning prayer service. But sometimes 20 or 25 come… we’ve never had more than 40, but you don’t RSVP for the prayer.”
Chaudhry said the number of attendees to morning prayer spikes during holidays or when there’s a death in the community.
“At the end of the day, we have 92 spots,” said Chaudhry. “So telling the eleventh person they can’t park there when we have 92 spaces, is hard.”
But a staff report from Sept. 26 recommended denial of the application pending further documentation on the site’s impact on the surrounding community. According to the staff report:
“Staff’s review determined that the applicant’s request could negatively impact the surrounding neighborhood in terms of noise and light from the parking area, since the possibility of groups arriving at and leaving the Center at all hours of the day could create incidental noise (such as from car alarms, car locking systems, or conversations held outside).”
A noise study, prepared by MIC, is under review by county staff.
The report also noted that concerns had been raised about access to the property from the congested Jarrett Valley Drive/Leesburg Pike intersection. Fairfax County Department of Transportation reviewed the project and said the overall impact on the intersection would be minimal, while the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) analysis is pending.
The Carrington Home Owners Association had been vocal about the concerns for the increased traffic and light pollution issues at the original MIC approval in 2015. The association could not be reached for comment, but concerns about traffic at the site have been an ongoing issue.
Earlier this year, an anonymous complaint was made to the county that there were more than 10 vehicles in the parking lot during a morning prayer service. An investigation by the County found the MIC in violation, after which the MIC suspended its morning prayer service.
But Chaudhry said that neighbors will have to recognize that the surrounding area is growing. Chaudhry pointed to a VDOT study in 2015 that showed that there as an average of 61,000 cars traveling on Route 7 every day even before the road was expanded.
“This is Tysons,” said Chaudhry. “In the last four years, the four tallest buildings [in the region] have been built.”
Recently, there was a death in the MIC community. Chaudhry said when the MIC was helping to plan a prayer service for the family, he was also working to keep the number of mourners low.
“I had to contact the family and tell them not to publicize it on our listserv for fear that we might have more than 80 vehicles show up,” said Chaudhry. “We had a death and our top concern was traffic.”
Photo via Facebook
Theater for Tysons Galleria? — “We’re starting to get a glimpse of the next round of change coming to the high-end Tysons Galleria, as the mall’s owner may look to replace the Macy’s there with a theater, among other tenants, according to documents submitted to Fairfax County.” [Washington Business Journal]
Sales Tax Receipts Up — “Sales-tax receipts distributed to the Fairfax County government by the state government in September totaled $14.9 million, an increase of 3.7 percent from September 2017, according to new figures from the Fairfax County Department of Management and Budget.” [InsideNova]
Transportation Projects Slowing — “The organization… projects transportation revenue growth to be flat through 2024, and VDOT construction allocations are at their slowest since 2013 when the Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill 2313, legislation intended to generate more revenue for transportation projects.” [Fairfax Times]
