Funding for a multi-use trail protecting pedestrians and bicyclists from vehicular traffic along a short but key stretch of Arlington Boulevard is on the wish list of Arlington transportation planners.
But based on where it is placed in a new request headed to state officials, the cash may not be coming through.
County Board members on Sept. 23 included a request for up to $4 million to build the trail, which would run on the south side of Arlington Boulevard from South George Mason Drive (at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center) east to South Glebe Road (where the local Goodwill store is located).
A preliminary design has been completed and a final design is coming. County Board members are being asked to include the item as part of the fiscal 2027-28 revenue-sharing request made to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Arlington is eligible for up to $10 million in funding for the two-year cycle, if the locality agrees to provide a one-to-one financial match.
The trail proposal, however, is positioned third on the county’s list, behind:
• A request for an additional $1.9 million (in addition to $8.1 million already provided) to reconstruct Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn, a $42 million project.
• A request for up to $2.5 million (in addition to $250,000 already received) to improve sidewalks, crossings and bicycle facilities on North Sycamore Street adjacent to the East Falls Church Metro station.
But because the county government’s total request ($8.4 million) comes in below the $10 million threshold, it is possible that all three could receive funding.
