703-877-5600
TTY 711
Tom Biesiadny,
Director
(Update: January 2023) Public hearings for PA No. 2021-CW-T2, and the associated PA No. 2019-III-T1 are tentatively scheduled for the Planning Commission on March 8, 2023, at 7:30 p.m., and the Board of Supervisors on March 21, 2023, at 4 p.m. View the study's Final Report.
On July 27, 2021, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (Board) endorsed the final recommendations that make up the preferred alternative from the Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways Alternatives Analysis and Long-Term Planning Study. The Board authorized Comprehensive Plan Amendment (PA) No. 2021-CW-T2, directing staff to consider the incorporation of the final recommendations into the Comprehensive Plan Transportation Plan Map.
Study Background
Over the last several years, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) has worked to identify current deficiencies and future needs along the nearly 35 miles of Fairfax County Parkway and Franconia-Springfield Parkway corridors stretching from Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) in Herndon to Route 1 (Richmond Highway) at Fort Belvoir, and to Beulah Street in Springfield. As part of the Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways Alternatives Analysis and Long-Term Planning Study, FCDOT developed improvement strategies, assembled and tested a set of alternative recommendations, and established a new, updated set of long-term multimodal transportation recommendations for the Comprehensive Plan.
The goals of the Study included creating a more efficient option for commuters, while serving local residents; minimizing impacts to property owners and the environment; and optimizing and determining demand for high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.
FCDOT held three rounds of community meetings with opportunities for feedback and public comment in person and through online surveys. FCDOT gathered feedback during the meetings; via comments submitted online, via mail or by phone; and a post-presentation survey.
Based on this feedback, FCDOT developed and tested these alternative recommendations in its transportation models to ensure that the recommended improvements address future demand/commuter needs. FCDOT presented the final recommendations to the Board of Supervisors, who endorsed the plan in July 2021.
Burke Centre Parkway
On September 24, 2019, while FCDOT was conducting the Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways Alternatives Analysis and Long-Term Planning Study, the Board authorized PA No. 2019-III-T1, directing staff to consider the potential for a partial interchange (overpass/underpass) at the intersection of Fairfax County Parkway and Burke Centre Parkway.
Public Hearings
The Board authorized the consideration of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment on July
25, 2021, to incorporate the final recommendations. Public hearings are tentatively scheduled at the Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 7:30 p.m., and at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at 4 p.m.
Prioritization
FCDOT has met with the Board to discuss prioritization of study recommendations, to determine which recommendations may be implemented in the short-term, mid-term and long-term futures (as funding allows). This will be utilized with the next, and all future, Transportation Priorities Plan (TPP) updates, where the Board allocates funding to transportation projects within the County.
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.
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 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:
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) and Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk held an online community meeting on Thursday, March 11, 2021, to highlight the long-term, draft recommendations such as number of lanes, HOV facilities and interchange locations being considered for the Franconia-Springfield Parkway.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) held three virtual community meetings over Summer 2020 for the Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways Alternatives Analysis and Long-Term Planning Study:
Meeting Materials:
Feedback was accepted through Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, and used to create the final Summary of Public Outreach Summer 2020 (Oct. 9, 2020).
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:
A second online survey was open for two months with nearly 1,400 survey responses. Meeting materials from the Spring 2019 outreach efforts, along with the summary of public input from the meetings and survey, are available:
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:
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:
The anticipated schedule of the Long-Range Planning Study includes:
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: