The Connection

It was such a nice day to walk along the Georgetown Pike and enjoy the majestic fall foliage. The leaves are turning yellow, the air is brisk and fresh. Signs of autumn are popping up all around.

“That's the beauty of being in Great Falls,” said Julie Ben-Achour, president of Great Falls Trail Blazers. “You feel the difference every time you return to Great Falls from traveling. The air is clean here. It is very important for people to be able to walk around this wonderful area.”

Fairfax County officials and Great Falls residents gathered Wednesday, Oct. 23, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the segment of the asphalt paved pedestrian walkway from Falls Bridge Lane to Seneca Square along Georgetown Pike. This trail now gives the residents a continuous trail to Seneca Plaza from the neighborhoods located along the Georgetown Pike. The segment is part of the larger project of the 4.2-mile continuous path from River Bend Road to Seneca Square.

THE PROJECT is funded by a combination of federal and local funds. The whole program has been in the works for fourteen years. Thanks to the hard work of many people including the Great Falls Citizen Association (GFCA), the first four trail segments finally become a reality.

“You guys never give up and you worked so hard to find a compromise,” Dranesville Supervisor John Foust said at the ceremony.

Although the project took longer than initially estimated, the segment was completed on time and within budget. Because of federal funding for one of the segments, and because Georgetown Pike is a historical road listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the trail development has proved more complicated and required more resources and effort than expected.

“There are requirements that you must do this, you must do that,” Philip Pifer, lead of GFCA trails, said. “We actually had to look for cannonballs, civil war, and revolutionary war stuff because that's required.”

The public 6-foot walkway meets all VDOT and county design standards and complies with the Americans with Disabilities act.

“Right here, on the 4th of July, we have a fun run,” said Julie Ben-Achour, president of Great Falls Trail Blazers. Jogging or running is becoming the most popular, convenient, and simplest form of exercise. Georgetown Pike is the main artery for the entire community, connecting all neighborhoods together.

FOR JOGGERS, it is a real challenge to find a safe place to run around the neighborhoods because of the roads with little to no accommodation for people on foot. That is why this upgrade is so important to the community.

“The schools, the parks, and the village as all of the residents here know, there's really no way to get anywhere in Great Falls from almost any neighborhood except getting in your car and braving the traffic,” added Pifer. He also mentioned that there is a $90,000 left over from the completed phases which is going to be used in the next phase. “Georgetown Pike trail is a very, very, very important part of our vision and we're delighted to hear about Phase V and you keep pushing it forward.”