Image courtesy of Fairfax County Department of Transportation
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) recently presented changes to the roadway design for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that will be built along Richmond Highway over the next decade.
The changes could reduce the effects on several business and organizations that were facing a loss of their property (or a portion of it) for BRT development.
The project team has been leading the right of way acquisition process since it held a meeting on the process in October of last year. As many as 225 properties were initially slated to be affected by the construction of the project.
However, FCDOT staff has reported that the effects on several properties have been reduced in the latest roadway designs — including St. Louis Catholic Church’s Walsh Hall, Collard Street, Boswell Avenue and others. Fordson Road will remain open and operate the same as it currently does.
Interested members of the public can view the latest changes to the roadway design on the project webpage through an interactive map which allows users to search for a specific address. Alternatively, designs can also be viewed by specific segments of the roadway.
Designs are not final and will continue to be refined by FCDOT and the design team following approval by the Board of Supervisors.
The potential use of noise walls at Fordson Road and Kings Village Road as part of the BRT project are also under consideration.
Residents have inquired about the use of electric buses and the placement of underground utilities. FCDOT staff confirmed that the use of electric buses and running underground utilities is still being analyzed and evaluated and will likely not be decided until further along in the project.
The public can submit feedback on the designs via a short online survey in English or Spanish, by emailing dotbrt@fairfaxcounty.gov or by submitting written comments to: Fairfax County Department of Transportation, Richmond Highway BRT Project Manager, 4050 Legato Road, Fairfax, VA 22033.
Recordings of previous BRT meetings and related materials can be viewed here.
