Fairfax Director of Transportation Tom Biesiadny talked to McLean residents about current and upcoming transportation projects in the area. Photo by Reena Singh.
Traffic congestion. Roadway construction. Lack of sidewalks.
All these and more were among the concerns McLean residents had for the Fairfax Department of Transportation director Oct. 14 during McLean Citizen’s Association’s transportation update.
“What is being done or where in the planning process are you to put in sidewalks between central McLean and the community center or on Rt. 7?” asked MCA President Sally Horn. “There is a great deal of frustration that although there is a great deal of projects in Tysons, nothing is being done in the surrounding communities.”
Frustration was the theme of the night as citizens shot questions to Director Tom Biesiadny.
He admitted that sidewalks in McLean are not as connected as FDOT would like them to be. However, there are plans in the Tysons Metro Access Project for a pedestrian and bicycle access project from Chain Bridge Road to the McLean Metro station.
Biesiadny spent the beginning half of the meeting to go over answers to questions that were sent to FDOT days before.
“I appreciate the advance questions that were submitted,” he said.
Bicycle lockers, he said, were filled up within the first two weeks of the Tysons-area Metro stations opening. More racks are planned to be installed soon.
Additionally, bicycle and pedestrian trails are being scoped out on Chain Bridge Road and Scotts Run Stream Valley by the county Park Authority.
He also noted that the “superstreet concept” - where cars turn right and make a U-turn on roads rather than turning left, is coming to Tysons.
“It’s a concept we haven’t seen in Virginia, but it is used in other parts of the country,” Biesiadny said.
These superstreets will be located between the Dulles Toll Road Connector and the Capital Beltway.
Another project currently approved for construction is the Jones Branch Connector, which is slated for completion in 2018.
As Tysons develops into the “Next Great American City” per its motto, a system of grid streets will be constructed to alleviate traffic on Leesburg Pike. The road has become notorious over the years for its traffic congestion at rush hour.
For those who are concerned about the parking at Metro stations, he said, Wiehle-Reston East’s lot is 70 percent full.
“This is actually ahead of schedule,” he said. “We thought it would be at 50 percent at this point.”
The county Board of Supervisors recently approved a private developer to construct a 700 space lot near the McLean station, which already has a plethora of parking spaces.
Additionally, two rezoning applications near the Spring Hill and Greensboro Metro stations may include parking.
Both Dranesville Supervisor John Foust and state Sen. Barbara Favola came to the discussion to find out about the concerns of McLean’s citizens. Foust said the Board of Supervisors recently approved a new transportation plan.
“Since I got on the board, it’s been my priority to bring more pedestrian access to the area,” he said.
The next centennial event is the 10th Congressional District debate at 3 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Alden Theater. For more information, visit http://mcleancitizens.org.