Falls Church Considers Dropping Brick Crosswalks, Adopts Concrete‑with‑Ribbon Sidewalk Standard in Staff Proposal

City staff asked the Falls Church City Council on May 19 to update the city’s streetscape design standards by removing an adopted brick paver requirement for crosswalks and sidewalks and adopting continental high‑visibility crosswalks and concrete sidewalks with brick banding.

Cameron Gary, the city planner on the presentation team, said the existing brick standard creates accessibility and maintenance problems and that federal grants will no longer cover brick pavers. "Brick is also costlier to both install and maintain and will no longer be covered by federal grant funding," Gary said, and staff recommended continental crosswalks on higher‑volume streets and stamped asphalt as an option on lower‑volume side streets.

Why it matters: staff said the change would increase pedestrian safety, lower installation and upkeep costs and make more materials eligible for federal funding. The recommendation affects…