Transportation

Fairfax County, Virginia

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open 8:00 AM-4:30 PM M-F

703-877-5600
TTY 711

DOTInfo@fairfaxcounty.gov

4050 Legato Road, Suite 400
Fairfax, VA 22033

Tom Biesiadny,
Director

Department Resources

Related Resources

Fairfax County & Franconia-Springfield Parkways Alternatives Analysis and Long Term Planning Study

News and Updates

Spring 2019 Community Meetings Held; Public Outreach Summary Now Available

Fairfax County Parkway Reston photo The Fairfax County Parkway and Franconia-Springfield Parkways Study seeks to explore improvements and make recommendations for the 31-mile corridor that stretches from Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) in Herndon to Route 1 (Richmond Highway) in Alexandria. To date, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) has held two rounds of community meetings with opportunities for feedback and public comment in person and through online surveys.

Results from the second round of meetings and public outreach are now available. The team currently is utilizing the feedback received from Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 outreach efforts to develop and test alternative improvements for both Parkways. FCDOT will present preliminary results and recommendations for potential future improvements by segment and intersection at a third round of community meetings, anticipated in early 2020. For specific meeting information from 2018 and 2019, please see the Community Meetings section below.

Stay in touch with the Parkways Study and FCDOT:

Visit this webpage for project updates and meeting notices
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Follow FCDOT on Facebook

FCDOT ensures nondiscrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need this information in an alternate format or would like to request reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact FCDOT at 703-877-5600, TTY 711. Requests for assistance must be received at least 7 business days in advance of an event.

Community Meetings

FCDOT held its first round of public meetings on the Fairfax County & Franconia-Springfield Parkways Alternatives Analysis and Long Term Planning in October 2018. Study input on future corridor enhancements for the Parkways, based on residents’ personal experiences and desires for multimodal access, connectivity and overall operations. Attendees learned more about the study and took part in activities to give feedback on what they envision for the parkways. More than 200 people attended meetings that were held along the corridor:

Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018, at Navy Elementary School, 3500 West Ox Road, Fairfax
Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, at Sangster Elementary School, 7420 Reservation Drive, Springfield
Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018, at Armstrong Elementary School, 11900 Lake Newport Road, Reston

An online survey was open for a month and a half to collect feedback, and strong public participation15,150 responses led to the removal of tolling along the parkway as one of the approved strategies for improvement. A summary of the October 2018 community meetings was presented to the Board Transportation Committee on Feb. 12, 2019. The presentation can be viewed as a PowerPoint file or video below:

Fairfax County & Franconia Springfield Parkways Presentation
Fairfax County & Franconia Springfield Parkways Presentation (Slide Share)
BTC meeting (Channel 16 video on demand - play at 29:45 for Agenda Item #6)

Most recently, FCDOT held meetings in Spring 2019 to present the community with refined improvement strategies based on results from the Fall 2018 survey, and to seek further input on residents' and commuters' preferred alternative for the Parkways. The meetings were held:

Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at Willow Springs Elementary School, 5400 Willow Springs School Road, Fairfax
Thursday, March 28, 2019, at Armstrong Elementary School, 11900 Lake Newport Road, Reston
Thursday, April 4, 2019, at Sangster Elementary School, 7420 Reservation Drive, Springfield

Meeting materials from the Spring 2019 outreach efforts, along with the summary of public input from the meetings and survey, are available:

Study Activities and Schedule

The anticipated schedule of the Long-Range Planning Study includes:

Public Outreach #1 – Identify Future Deficiencies and Needs within the 30+ Mile Corridor (October 2018)
Refine Improvement Strategies (Winter 2019)
Public Outreach #2 – Present Refined Improvement Strategies, Identify Preferences Throughout Corridors (Spring 2019)
Develop and Test Preliminary Alternatives (Summer/Fall 2019) <-- We Are Here
Public Outreach #3 – Present Preliminary Findings and Recommendations (Winter 2020)
Refine and Finalize Study Recommendations, Complete Documentation (Spring/Summer 2020)
Board Endorsement of Final Study Report (Summer/Fall 2020)
Comprehensive Plan Amendment Process (Fall 2020/Winter 2021)

Study Background

The Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways study includes a short-term and a long-term component.

The Long-Range Planning Study, led by FCDOT and in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), will provide recommendations for 2040 and beyond for the FCP/FSP corridor. It will consider whether changes should be made to the county’s current Transportation Plan. Intensive analysis using the County’s Traffic Forecasting Model will be used to determine future network deficiencies. Alternatives to remedy those deficiencies will be developed, and public input will be sought on those alternatives. Final recommendations will be considered for incorporation into the county’s Transportation Plan. Some questions that are to be addressed in this study are:

The degree to which existing intersections should be considered for conversion to interchanges or under/ overpasses
How transit should be integrated into the corridor
Whether tolling and or HOV lanes on the Parkways should be planned.
Bicycle/ pedestrian mobility

Strong public participation, with more than 200 people attending meetings and 15,150 responses to the online survey, informed the formulation of strategies that will be discussed at the upcoming round of public meetings and led to the removal of tolling along the parkway as one of the approved strategies for improvement. Further input and direction from the public will help develop these preliminary alternatives and lead to an FCDOT / VDOT final recommendation in identifying a preferred alternative concept plan.

The Short-Term Study, led by VDOT, was completed in 2017. The study evaluated existing transportation issues and developed recommendations for short-term multimodal improvements that can be implemented within one to ten years. Additional project resources:

Fairfax County Parkway/Franconia-Springfield Parkway: Alternatives Analysis and Long-Term Planning Study - November 2016
Fairfax County Parkway and Franconia-Springfield Parkway Corridor Study (May 24, 2016 Presentation to the Fairfax County Board Transportation Committee)

Frequently Asked Questions

Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) staff have compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions from community members and stakeholders regarding the Fairfax County & Franconia-Springfield Parkways Alternatives Analysis and Long-Term Planning Study. The questions are grouped into the following categories:

Study Purpose and Outcomes
Transportation Funding
Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan
Analysis Considerations
Bicycle/Pedestrian
Location-Specific Questions
Park-and-Rides
Transit
Managed Lanes
Noise Walls
Public Outreach