ActiveFairfax would improve connections for pedestrians and bicylists
The Fairfax County Transportation Department is seeking community input on a plan to improve transportation access for pedestrians and bicyclists.
ActiveFairfax is a framework for connecting various forms of active transportation facilities, including sidewalks, trails, and bike lanes. It updates and combines the Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan and the Countywide Trails Plan.
The goal is to improve pedestrian safety, reduce crashes, and provide better connections to schools, parks, and commercial areas.
At a community meeting on ActiveFairfax on Nov. 14, Andrew Shelden, of FCDOT, described active transportation as all forms of non-motorized travel plus e-scooters.
A key component of ActiveFairfax is a map highlighting where additional sidewalks, pathways, and bike facilities are needed to improve connectivity.
Residents can submit feedback and comments through Dec. 20. Another virtual meeting will be held Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 12 p.m. Join the meeting here.
The public is invited to take a survey on the draft plan, leave a comment using the interactive network map, or leave a message at 703-890-5898, project code 7268.
Related story: Public input sought on ActiveFairfax plan
Next steps – to be completed in 2025 – include updating the active transportation and trails network; drafting program, policy, and implementation recommendations; completing a final report; and drafting an amendment to the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
The Planning Committee and Board of Supervisors will hold public hearings before the BoS adopts the plan amendment.
There are no funds for implementing the proposed ActiveFairfax improvements, but the plan will serve as a guide for identifying priorities when funds become available.
Once a project is approved for funding, it would take three to five years to implement it.
In urbanized activity centers, Shelden said, the network would include multimodal facilities along major corridors, such as one-way or two-way cycle tracks with enhanced sidewalks and urban trails. A cycle track is a dedicated bike lane adjacent to and separated from a road.
Local streets in activity centers could include cycle tracks with enhanced sidewalks, urban trails, on-street bike lanes, and neighborhood greenways.
Trail network routes along key transportation corridors could include multi-use hard-surface trails and one or two-way cycle tracks with sidewalks.
Trail network routes through open spaces and between neighborhoods could include natural surface trails and multi-use hard surface trails.
The network would provide improved access to park entrances but doesn’t encompass trails within Fairfax County parks, said active transportation planner Nicole Wynands. Those trails are managed by the Park Authority. Individual parks have their own master plans.
Putting some of the improvements in place will require coordination with VDOT and developers.
The Comprehensive Plan is a recommendation not a mandate, Wynands said. The county can waive certain requirements for developers, but having the plan in place gives the county more leverage in asking developers to make roadway improvements.
FCDOT also drafted an Active Transportation Toolkit to provide guidance for the selection of transportation facilities, design, and best practices.
