VRE
The Virginia Railway Express is gaining popularity as a commuting option every year. Mark Roeber, VRE spokesperson, noted the increased ridership from April 2002 and April 2003.
"If you look at April last year and April this year, you see a 16 or 17 percent growth," he said.
One thing VRE is planning to do on the Manassas Line, which services the Burke and Springfield at the Rolling Road and Burke Centre stations, is put in more bi-level cars, according to Roeber.
"In June [2004], we'll be bringing more of the Pullman Gallery's. On each train, it will give you a couple of hundred extra seats," he said. VRE will incorporate the bi-level cars in the train and put the single seat cars on the end of the train.
Last spring, Gov. Mark Warner (D) laid out plans for several quick-fix solutions, including Burke Centre shuttles for the Virginia Railway Express at both the Burke Centre and the Rolling Road stations. Warner's directive included 26 projects, totaling $9.9 million for Northern Virginia and $9.3 million in Hampton Roads.
According to information released by the governor's office, "each project is designed to reduce traffic congestion, enhance air quality, and be implemented within twelve months from the date of funding availability."
Burke Centre has no map etched out for the shuttles yet, according to VRE spokesperson, Mark Roeber.
"We're looking at putting in shuttles at both locations. Fairfax County is working with us to make it more direct. The hope is to free up spaces at the stations," he said.
Long Branch Stream Valley Park
Work started this summer 2003 on a trail at the Long Branch Stream Valley Park in the Braddock District. The project, which was held up by the rain of May and June, entails 6,500 linear feet of trail, according to Fairfax County Park spokesperson Judy Pederson.
"It's part of the cross-county trail," Pederson said. "It ties in different sections. Eventually, you'll be able to travel from one end of the county to the other."
New West Springfield Station
After months of renovations, the Springfield Supervisor, Elaine McConnell (R) and the West Springfield District Police station have returned to the same building. The $10,840,000 renovation updated and reconfigured the police, fire and supervisor’s offices, adding about 18,000 for a total of 41,500 square feet. Funded by a 1998 bond, the renovation includes increased facilities for the police and supervisor as well as the fire department, which is gaining another truck bay long enough for a hook-and-ladder unit, which will be an addition as well. The new station breaks down into 49 percent for police facilities; 34 percent for fire; 10 percent dedicated to lobby, community room and public facilities; and 7 percent going to the supervisor’s office.
At the same time, the county added another station to it's police arsenal called the Sully Station in western Fairfax.
Burke Lake Road
Although funding has been cut back on the statewide level, a few road projects around the area have been spared. These include the widening of Ox Road and Burke Lake Road. While the contract was recently awarded for the last phase of the Ox Road project, which runs from the Lorton Prison land to the Occoquan River, the final phase of Burke Lake Road is not as far along. The final stretch of Burke Lake Road runs from the intersection with Lee Chapel and Burke Centre Parkway to the Fairfax County Parkway.
Burke Fire Department Improvements
The recently rebuilt Burke Volunteer Fire Department is scheduled to get a couple of pieces of equipment this year, adhering to its "specialty station" status. The cave-in unit is scheduled to get an improvement, which includes a bigger trailer so it can carry more equipment to the sight of a cave-in. Chief Don Melick noted the new equipment.
"The cave-in unit is a replacement unit," he said. "It's just a bigger trailer to carry more stuff."
It should be furnished to the station in the coming fall or winter.
The station presently has a Boston Whaler boat for water rescues and officials are looking at replacing that with a "Zodiac" boat, which is a rigid pontoon boat, according to Melick. The Zodiac, which resembles the type of boat used by the Navy SEALS, is for swift water rescues such as river rescues but not necessarily for the lakes in and around Burke.
"There's some talk about it," Melick said, but the boat is not a sure thing. Stations 35, 32, 28, 12, and 20 currently have Zodiac units.
Parkway Enforcement
The wide-open roadways and 50 miles per hour speed limit make the Fairfax County Parkway a haven for speeders. A number of fatalities have occurred on the roadway, making it a target for police as well. In the past year, the Fairfax County Police Department incorporated LIDAR into its arsenal of speed enforcement. LIDAR uses a laser, pointed directly at the car and uses digital readout when the officers notify the drivers of the speed limit.