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 several in‑flight capital projects and private developments; staff sought council direction with the goal of adopting a revised standard at the May 27 council meeting.

Key points of debate: councilmembers, commission members and stakeholders agreed that pedestrian safety must be the guiding principle but differed on how best to balance safety, aesthetics and long‑term maintenance. Several speakers favored stamped asphalt crosswalks for their distinct color and texture and argued those have held up well in the city’s Oak-and‑Broad pilot; others and staff counseled that continental thermoplastic crosswalks are most visible to drivers and are easier to maintain. Public Works warned patched stamped asphalt can be difficult to maintain after utility work because the colored surface is harder to restore.

Board input and accessibility concerns: the city’s Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Transportation (CACT) and the HSAAC raised accessibility issues tied to raised planters and bus stops; CACT members described instances where raised planters impeded bus riders or people using mobility devices. "Safety is, I'm pretty sure for all of us on the CACT... the most important thing," CACT member Jessica Helblin said. HSAAC members and disability‑access advocates said wheelability and consistent, level surfaces need to be prioritized.

Cost, maintenance and procurement questions: council asked staff for clearer life‑cycle comparisons between thermoplastic continental crosswalks and stamped asphalt, for patching and utility‑repair implications, and for data from the city’s ADA transition assessment. Councilmembers also raised the idea of identifying a small civic core where the city would keep brick as part of its visual identity and otherwise move to the concrete‑with‑banding standard for new work.

What was not decided: the council did not adopt or vote on a new standard on May 19. Staff requested direction and noted two CIP change orders already in progress were being processed to use the concrete standard with brick banding.

Next steps: staff said they will supply additional cost and maintenance data, confirm ADA transition‑plan findings related to sidewalks and crosswalk treatments, and refine language about where stamped asphalt could remain as a design option. Councilmembers asked staff to consider an inventory of existing brick sidewalks and to identify whether maintenance agreements with property owners apply to particular locations such as the Harris Teeter parking‑garage exit.

Ending: staff and boards signaled broad agreement that safety and accessibility should govern design choices; the council signaled it could act quickly if staff provides the requested maintenance, cost and ADA analysis before the May 27 meeting.