Covering Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia, and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, Virginia

Opinion: The Braddock Road project is not really ‘multimodal’

The following commentary by Annandale resident Michael Perel is a lightly edited version of a piece originally published in the Washington Post. Concerns about Arlington’s “missing middle” zoning proposal resonate with me. The proposal, which would not result in affordable housing for families, demonstrates how misleading and unsupported some public policies can be when they … Continued

2022 has been deadly for pedestrians

In a year when pedestrian fatalities spiked, let’s remember the victims. In 2022, 23 pedestrians were killed by drivers in Fairfax County, a big jump from the 13 pedestrian deaths in 2021. Nine of this year’s fatalities occurred in the Annandale/Mason District area, where heavy traffic, speeding, and insufficient crosswalks and sidewalks created deadly conditions. … Continued

2022: the year in review

JANUARY Fairfax County taxes plastic bagsA new 5-cent tax on disposable plastic bags from grocery stores, convenience stores, and drugstores takes effect. Welcome to Annandale TodayThe former Annandale Blog is relaunched as Annandale Today, with a new platform and a more user-friendly design. Annandale/Mason residents affected by redistrictingUnder a redistricting plan approved by the Virginia … Continued

Pedestrian dies after being struck by car

The 70-year-old pedestrian struck by a car on Nov. 15 on Braddock Road, just west of Annandale, succumbed to her injuries on Dec. 4, the Fairfax County Police Department reports. Ly Tran of Springfield was crossing Braddock Road from south to north within the crosswalk at Kings Park Drive on Nov. 15 when she was … Continued

Petition seeks traffic light where teen was killed crossing Columbia Pike

Following the horrific crash on Columbia Pike Nov. 16 that killed Justice High School student Lesly Diaz Bonilla, local residents are stepping up their advocacy for safer streets.   The Project-Based Initiative for Bailey’s Crossroads and Culmore is publicizing a petition on behalf of the Barcroft View Apartments and the greater Culmore community urging the … Continued

Braddock Road needs traffic calming

A driver crashed into this sign on Braddock Road. [Photos: Richard Zambito] A sign put up on Braddock Road in Parklawn urging drivers to watch out for pedestrians last week was knocked down by a vehicle that jumped the curb just four days later. That symbolizes the dangerous conditions on Braddock Road and the failure … Continued

Driver charged with felony hit-and-run

The driver of a vehicle who struck and killed a pedestrian on Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads on Oct. 27 was charged with felony hit and run, the Fairfax County Police Department reports. Yaraliz Rivera Rosado of Alexandria was driving a 2017 Infiniti QX60 westbound on Leesburg Pike by Carlin Springs Road when she struck … Continued

Pedestrian killed on Route 50

UPDATED Dec. 5: There’s been another pedestrian fatality in Mason District. The Fairfax County Police Department reports MD Kamrul Hassan, 66, of Falls Church was struck on Arlington Boulevard at Allen Street in Falls Church at 7:36 p.m. on Dec. 4. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced deceased. Preliminarily, detectives determined that Hassan … Continued

Teen fatally struck by car on Columbia Pike

Lesly Diaz-Bonilla, the 17-year-old fatally struck by a car in Bailey’s Crossroads, “was a beautiful angel” who dreamed of being successful in school and becoming a nurse, said her father, Fermin Diaz Argueta on a GoFundMe page he set up. The fundraising campaign has already received $20,391, more than double the goal of $10,000. Lesly … Continued

Board of Supervisors approves funds for crosswalk and trail improvements

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 1 approved $5 million for active transportation projects to improve accessibility for pedestrians and bicylists. This funding is part of the board’s $100 million commitment in September to make roads, sidewalks, and trails safer for all users. The $5 million includes $2.7 million for crosswalk projects, including … Continued

Pedestrian killed on Route 7

Updated 3:30 p.m., Oct. 27: A woman is dead after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in the 5600 block of Leesburg Pike at Carlin Springs Road in Bailey’s Crossroads at 10 p.m. on Oct. 26. The Fairfax County Police Department identified the victim as Elise Ballard, age 40. The driver of a 2017 Infiniti … Continued

Transportation officials talk safety

Improving safety on the region’s busiest roadways requires retrofitting an infrastructure built decades ago, cooperation among jurisdictions, and changing drivers’ mindsets. Those were the key points from a discussion among regional transportation leaders at a recent webinar hosted by the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. Annual traffic fatalities in Virginia … Continued