Traffic calming is the placement of devices in or along the roadway with the intent of reducing vehicle operating speeds to the posted speed limit.

• Traffic Calming General Operating Procedures

• Placement of physical measures in the roadway to decrease vehicle operating speeds (e.g. speed humps, speed tables and pavement markings). 

The road must:

• Be in the state system of highways owned and maintained by VDOT.
• Be classified as a local, residential collector or residential arterial road.
• Function as a residential street.
• Have a speed limit of 25 miles per hour (MPH).
• Have a traffic volume between 500-6,000 vehicles in a 24-hour period.
• Have an 85th percentile speed of at least 35 MPH in at least one direction.

Qualification Phase

1. The community sends its request to the District Supervisor, who forwards it to FCDOT.*
2. FCDOT performs a study to determine if the road meets the qualification criteria.
3. The community forms a task force to work with FCDOT on plan development.

Plan Development Phase

1. The task force works with FCDOT and VDOT to develop a traffic calming plan.
2. The task force obtains concurrence from property owners directly adjacent to proposed measures.
3. FCDOT determines the ballot area based on the task force’s proposed plan.
4. The task force and FCDOT hold a community informational meeting.  Notification is provided to all residents in the ballot area.
5. The task force determines whether to conduct a vote via ballot or revise the plan.

Plan Approval and Installation Phase

1. A vote via ballot is held.  The task force provides a ballot to all properties in the primary use area identified by FCDOT.
   • To pass, greater than 50% of the issued ballots must vote in favor of the plan.
2. FCDOT requests endorsement of the traffic calming plan from the Board of Supervisors.
3. The Board of Supervisors resolution is sent to VDOT for review.
4. FCDOT sends traffic calming plan to Department of Public Works and Environmental Services for installation.

*_{A request shall be made to the District Supervisor either by the Homeowners Association (HOA) or Civic Association (CA) for the neighborhood. If there is no HOA or CA, then a request shall be made by either 10 residences or 10% of residences along the street (whichever is less). For neighborhoods where there is an association, the District Supervisor may also choose to accept a request made by 10 residences or 10% of residences along the street (whichever is less).}

Cut-through mitigation attempts to decrease non-local through traffic in residential areas.

• Access restrictions or route modifications.

• The road must have a speed limit of 25 miles per hour.
• The road must be a local residential street. Local residential streets provide direct access to a residential area and are intended only to provide mobility within that area.
• A minimum of 150 cut-through trips in one hour in one direction and 40% or more of the total one hour, single direction volume must be cut-through traffic.
• A reasonable alternate route must exist.

Qualification Phase

1. Request: The community sends its request to the Board of Supervisor’s (BOS) office:

• A request shall be made to the District Supervisor either by the Homeowners Association (HOA) or Civic Association (CA) for the neighborhood. If there is no HOA/CA, then a request shall be made in the form of a petition by either 10 residences or 10% of residences along the street (whichever is less).

If the BOS office agrees to pursue cut-through traffic measures, they request the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) to conduct a study to determine the eligibility of the street and identify appropriate traffic control measures.

2. Conduct study: FCDOT conducts a study to determine the eligibility of the street proposed for cut-through measures and potential cut-through measures to address the issue. The study addresses the following components:

• Verifying road type and speed limit
• Performing a study to ascertain the volume of cut-through traffic.
• Identifying a reasonable alternate route
• Selecting cut-through traffic measures
• Consulting with local officials
• Preparing study documentation including primary use area

VDOT confirms interim study findings and conclusions and may assist with the study.

3. Concurrence with study and recommendations: VDOT approves the study results and recommendations for proposed cut-through traffic measures and their relative impacts.

4. Determination of community support: The locality presents the results of the study and the recommended cut-through traffic measures at a community/public meeting. Afterwards, the locality conducts a ballot to determine if the required level of community support for implementation of the proposed cut-through measures is met.

• At least 2/3 of the occupied residences on the streets identified in the “primary use area” must support the measures.

5. Public meeting: The locality holds a public meeting to provide for public input on the study recommendations. Thirty days prior to the public meeting, a notice of the public meeting is made to the community.

6. BOS endorsement: After appropriate consideration of the public comments received, the BOS submits a resolution to VDOT indicating their endorsement for the implementation of cut-through measures.

7. Implementation: FCDOT and VDOT coordinate the installation of the approved measures.

8. Review: After installation, FCDOT and VDOT begin evaluating the effect of the installed measures on the road network.

*_{A request shall be made to the District Supervisor either by the Homeowners Association (HOA) or Civic Association (CA) for the neighborhood. If there is no HOA or CA, then a request shall be made by either 10 residences or 10% of residences along the street (whichever is less). For neighborhoods where there is an association, the District Supervisor may also choose to accept a request made by 10 residences or 10% of residences along the street (whichever is less).}

• $200 Additional Fine for Speeding signs underneath speed limit signs.

• The road must be a local road, a collector road, or a minor arterial.
• The road must have a speed limit of 35 mph or less.
• The road must have at least 6oo vehicles per day.
• The 85th percentile speed of vehicles is at least 10 mph over the speed limit in at least one direction.

1. The community sends its request to the District Supervisor, who forwards it to FCDOT.*
2. FCDOT conducts a traffic count and speed survey of the road.
3. FCDOT determines whether the road meets the qualification criteria.
4. If the road meets the qualification criteria, the District Supervisor confirms community support for $200 Additional Fine for Speeding signs.
5. The Board of Supervisors endorses the installation of $200 Additional Fine for Speeding signs.
6. FCDOT sends request to VDOT for the installation of the signs.

*_{A request shall be made to the District Supervisor either by the Homeowners Association (HOA) or Civic Association (CA) for the neighborhood. If there is no HOA or CA, then a request shall be made by either 10 residences or 10% of residences along the street (whichever is less). For neighborhoods where there is an association, the District Supervisor may also choose to accept a request made by 10 residences or 10% of residences along the street (whichever is less).}

• Watch for Children signs where appropriate in the community.

• Eligible locations are limited to community entrances, playgrounds, daycare or community centers, and other areas of concern.
• Community support.

1. The community sends its request to the District Supervisor, who forwards it to FCDOT.
2. FCDOT reviews the neighborhood to determine locations that meet the qualification criteria.
3. If FCDOT finds eligible locations, the District Supervisor confirms community support for Watch for Children signs.
4. The Board of Supervisors endorses the installation of Watch for Children signs.
5. FCDOT schedules installation of Watch for Children signs.

• Prohibits use of a road by trucks that are not making stops in a neighborhood.
• The prohibition applies to any truck, truck and trailer, or semi-trailer combination, except a pickup or panel truck.

• The road must be either:
  • a local or collector road in a residential neighborhood or
  • a minor arterial or primary road with at least 12 dwellings per 1000 feet of roadway.
• A reasonable alternate route must exist.
• A safety concern or a history of crashes indicates a need for the prohibition.
• The restriction must be enforceable.

1. The community sends its request to the District Supervisor, who forwards it to FCDOT.*
2. FCDOT conducts a preliminary analysis of the road to determine if the prohibition would be enforceable and if a reasonable alternate route exists.
3. If the road meets the preliminary criteria, the Board of Supervisors conducts a public hearing to approve a resolution for the through truck restriction.
4. The resolution is forwarded to VDOT.
5. VDOT conducts a comprehensive engineering review of the road.
6. VDOT publishes a notice of proposed restriction for additional public comment.
7. Based on its engineering review and public comments, VDOT determines whether to advance the restriction to the Commonwealth Transportation Board for approval.
8. If the restriction is approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, VDOT installs “Through Trucks Prohibited” signs and enforcement of the restriction will begin.

*_{A request shall be made to the District Supervisor either by the Homeowners Association (HOA) or Civic Association (CA) for the neighborhood. If there is no HOA or CA, then a request shall be made by either 10 residences or 10% of residences along the street (whichever is less). For neighborhoods where there is an association, the District Supervisor may also choose to accept a request made by 10 residences or 10% of residences along the street (whichever is less).}

The Residential Cut-Through Permit Program issues vehicle permits to residents of Permit Zones associated with turn restrictions implemented through the Cut-Through Mitigation Program.  

Only neighborhoods that already have established cut-through restrictions and a designated permit zone can join the program. Right now, this program is only available in two neighborhoods in Fairfax County, both in the Mason District, as shown below.

Resident vehicles that display a Resident Cut-Through Permit decal or a temporary dashboard placard are allowed to make turns onto restricted neighborhood streets during the hours when turns are otherwise restricted.  

Any vehicle that makes a restricted turn during hours of restriction without a permit decal or temporary dashboard placard may be subject to enforcement resulting in traffic citations.

Verified residents of an address in a designated Permit Zone are eligible to apply. Resident addresses and vehicle registrations are verified through the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Residents may apply for a permit for vehicles registered in their name at the permit eligible address. 

Residents new to Virginia who have not yet obtained a Virginia driver's license and vehicle registration are eligible to receive a temporary new resident permit, valid for 60 days, to allow time to comply with Virginia law which requires residents to hold a Virginia driver's license and register their vehicles in Virginia. Upon expiration of the temporary new resident permit, residents may apply for an annual permit decal.  

Residents who drive a vehicle owned by another party, such as a government-owned or company-owed vehicle, may apply by providing supplemental documentation. The required form that must be completed by the registered owner of the vehicle may be downloaded here:

• Resident Driving Government or Company Vehicle Form

Residents who are not required by Virginia law to register their vehicles with Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, such as full-time students present in Fairfax County to attend a Virginia college or university, active-duty military members present in Virginia on active-duty orders, and members of the foreign mission community whose driver’s license and vehicle registration has been issued by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Motor Vehicles program, may apply by providing supplemental documentation.  

Full-time students who drive a vehicle owned by another party, such as a parent or family member, must provide a vehicle specific form in addition to other required documentation. The required form that must be completed by the registered owner of the vehicle may be downloaded here:

• Student Driving Other’s Vehicle Form

The fee for each annual vehicle permit is $24.  Permits are valid Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of each calendar year.  Residents who apply after Jan. 31 of any calendar year will pay a prorated fee of $2 per month remaining in the calendar year.

Permits issued in any month of calendar year 2025 will be valid until Dec. 31, 2026, and the permit fee will not be prorated. Fees for permits applications after Jan. 31, 2026, will be prorated as stated above. 

Online: Eligible residents may visit our Permit Portal to apply online.

• A fee of $24 per vehicle permit is payable by credit for debit card for online applications.  
• A $2.50 online payment processing fee will be applied to each transaction.  

In Person: Eligible residents may apply in person at FCDOT:

• Office Address: 4050 Legato Road, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22033
• Office hours are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays
• When applying in person, residents are required to present:
  • A valid driver’s license, and
  • The vehicle registration for each vehicle for which a permit is being requested
• The fee is $24 per vehicle permit and must be paid by check only.
• Please make checks payable to: County of Fairfax, Virginia.

By U.S. Mail: Eligible residents may apply by submitting a completed paper application to FCDOT by US Mail. 

• The fee is $24 per vehicle permit and must be paid by check only.
• Please make checks payable to: County of Fairfax, Virginia.
• Checks must be included with applications received by mail to ensure prompt processing.

 Paper applications may be downloaded below or requested by emailing staff or by calling 703-877-5600 (TTY 711). 

• Each resident of a permit eligible address must submit a separate application for vehicles registered solely in their name
• Download Resident Cut-Through Permit Application (coming soon)

Have questions for staff? Please contact program staff by telephone at 703-877-5600 (TTY 711) or by email.