Falls Church planning commission backs bicycle master plan, removes Crossman Park trail from bike map

The Falls Church Planning Commission on Jan. 15 voted to recommend that City Council adopt the updated Bicycle Master Plan, with one targeted amendment: the commission asked that the plan’s future-routes map (Figure 10) be amended to remove an off‑street bicycle designation through Crossman Park and the trail adjacent to the fire station and instead show those segments as pedestrian facilities.

The recommendation comes after a staff presentation and a public hearing. Planning staff said the draft plan updates include extended route connections — among them the Annandale Road bike route to the Fairfax County line and a trail from South Lee Street to Howard E. Hermann Park and Oak Street Elementary School — and added revenue-sharing as a funding opportunity following VDOT comments. Staff told commissioners the plan is scheduled for City Council consideration Jan. 27.

Why it matters: the Bicycle Master Plan lays out future and priority bike facilities and is the implementation tool the city intends to use to guide designs, funding and public engagement. Commissioners said the amendments were intended to preserve existing pedestrian paths used by walkers and to avoid confusing users where no upgraded, paved bike facility now exists.

Commission discussion focused on route details, community engagement and next steps. Commissioner Tim Stevens said he supported the plan overall and recommended adding specific language noting the Crossman Park and adjacent fire‑station segments should remain pedestrian facilities: “There have been, like, no biking signs there for many years,” Stevens said, arguing that treating the wooded, crushed‑stone paths as bike routes would generate neighborhood concern. Stevens also noted the plan’s extension to the Fairfax County line and suggested using counters (available from VDOT) to measure route use. Commissioner Robert Kravinsky and others emphasized notifying nearby residents during design and using the neighborhood‑level traffic‑calming process where appropriate.

The motion to recommend adoption — including the amendment to remove the off‑street bicycle designation for Crossman Park and the trail adjacent to the fire station — was seconded and passed unanimously in a roll call (Polinski, Duncan, Krasner, Stevens, Friedlander, Kravinsky, Comont: all “yes”).

Staff will forward the commission’s recommendation and the requested figure change to City Council for its Jan. 27 work session and final action.

Votes at a glance: Motion to recommend City Council adopt the updated Bicycle Master Plan with an amendment removing the off‑street bicycle designation for Crossman Park and the trail adjacent to the fire station; seconded; roll call vote: 7 yes, 0 no, motion passes.