Keeping the Parkway From Becoming a Parking Lot - Parkway Town Hall Meeting Scheduled

There is an old riddle that goes "Why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways?" Unfortunately the Fairfax County Parkway, one of Fairfax County's "main streets", is quickly becoming a parking lot and challenging this age old riddle.

We have had some successes in improving parts of the Parkway but I believe we need to get in front of the problem and establish a vision for its long-term future now. Below is information on a Town Hall meeting on the future of the Parkway that I will be holding on October 23 - I look forward to your participation. 

Improving the Fairfax County Parkway has been one of my priorities since being elected Supervisor. We have had some successes to date including:

•             I led the successful effort to have the Parkway reclassified in the state system from a secondary road to a primary road to make it eligible for more state maintenance and construction funding. As a result the route numbers have changed from 7100 to 286 and from 7900 to 289. More info here.

•             Working with Dominion Power and VDOT, I was able to shave one to two years off the construction schedule for the Fair Lakes and Fairfax County Parkway grade separated intersection by accelerating utility relocation. Through traffic on the Parkway will be able to cross over this intersection unimpeded by the end of this year. More info here.

•             After several crossover fatalities Delegate Albo and I requested VDOT commission a safety study that will result in safety improvements beginning this summer (including installation of guardrail and median barriers) on dangerous sections of the Parkway. The full study is available here.

•             I led the successful effort to obtain funding for the two-lane North Loop of the Parkway at Rolling Road so traffic travelling from the NGA and continuing northbound on the Parkway doesn't back up onto the main road. The Governor funded the improvements at this critical bottleneck last year. More info here.

•             I was a leader in the effort to make finding the funds for repaving the Parkway you have seen this summer a priority. Hats off to VDOT for creatively securing the funding.

•             I worked with VDOT to extend the green time for the Parkway at Popes Head Road. This is reportedly the longest green light in the state.

•             The Fairfax County Department of Transportation will be adding an additional lane to the Parkway southbound between 29 and Braddock Road as part of the Board of Supervisors Second 4-Year Transportation Program; construction should begin in Fall 2013.

•             VDOT, Federal Highway and the Army will complete the last phase (the Rolling Road interchange) of the missing link of the Parkway later this year.

 Even with these improvements, the Parkway is experiencing significant congestion.

I believe we need to get in front of the problem and establish a vision for its long-term future now before we wake up and find the Parkway as congested as I-66. That is why, along with VDOT and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, I will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the future of the Parkway on October 23rd. 

Specifically it will:

•             Share the history of the Parkway

•             Give current and projected levels of traffic

•             Explain improvements that are currently planned

•             Discuss possible future solutions and plans that should be considered

•             Provide an open forum for residents to give their views and offer their own visions for the Parkway

The meeting has been set for:

October 23rd

7 p.m.

James W. Robinson Secondary School

5035 Sideburn Road, Fairfax

I hope to see you there!

Pat Herrity
Springfield District Supervisor
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/springfield
703-451-8873
www.facebook.com/pat.herrity
springfield@fairfaxcounty.gov