FAIRFAX SEEKING REGIONAL FUNDS FOR BIKE-SHARE, OTHER PROJECTS: The Fairfax County government is hoping funds collected from tolls on Interstate 66 inside the Beltway will be made available to support expansion of bike-share operations in the central part of the county.
County officials are seeking $510,000 for the effort in the latest round of funding through the I-66 Commuter Choice initiative, which funnels some of the toll revenue to congestion relief.
The funding would be used in support of 18 additional bike-share stations close to I-66 between the Vienna Metro station and the Fairfax Centre Shopping Center at the interchange of U.S. Routes 29 and 50.
It is one of four projects submitted by Fairfax officials for the latest round of funding. Since the overall total amount being sought by jurisdictions across the region is less than the anticipated $40 million to $50 million in available funding, the BikeShare proposal almost is assured approval by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and, ultimately, Commonwealth Transportation Board.
A decision on funding will be made in the spring.
Also requested by the Fairfax County government:
• $2,952,444 to support operations of Fairfax Connector Route 699, which provides peak-period express-bus service between the Fair Oaks area and Foggy Bottom.
• $1,506,053 to support operations of Fairfax Connector Route 698, which provides peak-period express-bus service between the Vienna Metro station and the Pentagon, with an expansion of the route to the Stringfellow Road Park-and-Ride.
• $2,130,488 to support operations of Fairfax Connector Route 697, which provides peak-period express-bus service between the Stringfellow Road Park-and-Ride and the L’Enfant Plaza area.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO MARK N.VA. TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MILESTONE: Fairfax County supervisors voted to prepare a resolution honoring the 60th anniversary of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) and its contributions to Fairfax County and the region, which will be presented in July the board’s July 19 meeting.
“Throughout NVTC’s 60 years of leadership and transit-system development, expansion and funding, current and former board members and staff have played an integral role in building and operating the transit network that sustains our regional economy,” said Supervisor Dalia Palchik (D-Providence), who moved for the resolution’s creation.
The General Assembly created NVTC in 1964 as an initial district of 11 elected officials from five jurisdictions – Arlington and Fairfax counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church – plus the State Highway Commission chairman, she said.
NVTC’s membership since has grown to include Loudoun County and now has 21 commissioners, including two state senators, four House of Delegates members and soon will include six General Assembly members and a designee of the Virginia Secretary of Transportation. The commission, which also includes five alternates, currently is chaired by Arlington County Board member Matt de Ferranti.
The NVTC’s district now covers 1,000 square miles with a population of about 2 million people “connected by a robust transit network providing residents with 1.5 million transit trips each week,” Palchik said. That transit network generates more than $1.5 billion annually in revenues for the state, she added.
NVTC on Sept. 5 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. will celebrate its 60th anniversary at Marymount University’s Ballston Auditorium in Arlington and showcase the premiere a documentary featuring comments from current and past board members.
In addition, the group will hold a Transit Innovation Summit on June 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at George Mason University’s Schar School/Van Metre Hall in Arlington.
FAIRFAX DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION LAUDED BY BICYCLE-ADVOCACY GROUP: The League of American Bicyclists has recognized the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) with a silver-level “Bicycle-Friendly Business” designation.
The recognition was awarded after an extensive review of FCDOT’s facilities and programs to support its two-wheeled commuters, along with how the agency works to encourage bicycling in the community. The award lasts four years until 2028.
FCDOT joins this year’s list with 1,480 Bicycle-Friendly Businesses across the country, including other government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, museums, hospitality establishments, bike shops and other employers. It currently is the only Bicycle-Friendly Business in Fairfax County; Fairfax County itself is designated a bronze-level Bicycle-Friendly Community and George Mason University is a silver-level Bicycle-Friendly University.
“There are so many employers who have worked to make alternate modes of commuting possible for their employees,” said Gregg Steverson, FCDOT’s acting director. “The Bicycle-Friendly Business designation helps our community become more bike-friendly for everyone, and our goal is to get more companies on the list.”
FCDOT will encourage bicycle commuting on Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 17. Registration now is open at https://www.biketoworkmetrodc.org/.
