Committee recommends adding Smith Switch Road/W&OD crossing to future projects, removes Russell Branch Parkway from future list

The Loudoun County Finance, Government Operations and Economic Development Committee on March 5 recommended that the Board of Supervisors add a project titled Smith Switch Road and a W&OD Trail separated crossing to the projects identified for the future development section of the FY2025–FY2030 amended capital improvement program, and separately recommended removing the Russell Branch Parkway Corridor Improvements project from that future development list.

Supervisor Glass, who requested the addition, said she had received constituent requests for safer bicycle and pedestrian areas and described the change as a future-years action with no immediate fiscal impact. "I've had requests from constituents regarding the, you know, safer bicycle and pedestrian areas, so this is just as, Chair ... said, that it's for future, for future years," Glass said.

Committee members emphasized that the actions place the projects into the pool for future ranking and prioritization, not into this year's funded projects. One supervisor said they would abstain because they did not feel sufficiently informed to vote either way. The committee voted on the two motions separately; each motion carried with three votes in favor, zero opposed and one abstention, and one supervisor off the dais (3-0-1). The abstention was recorded for the member who said they did not know the issue well enough to vote.

Because the motions affect the "future development" list rather than the current funded years, supervisors said the changes require no current-year budget reallocation; any eventual funding would be subject to later ranking, discussion and Board approval.

The committee's recommendations will be forwarded to the full Board for consideration during future CIP deliberations and when the Board considers adding projects and allocating funds in later budget cycles.