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Fairfax County outlines multimodal projects, slow‑streets pilot and timeline for Franconia‑Springfield plan
Summary
Fairfax County DOT planner Taylor Weymouth updated the advisory group on active transportation projects (Cumberland Avenue, Commerce Street, Frontier Drive), $3.5 million in federal multimodal funds for six crash‑reduction locations, a SmartScale application with decisions in 2027, and a slow‑streets pilot that would lower speeds to 15 mph in targeted neighborhoods.
Taylor Weymouth, a multimodal transportation planner with the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, presented the county’s current transportation work in the Franconia‑Springfield study area and next steps toward a preliminary plan.
Weymouth listed capital and design projects under way: Cumberland Avenue (initiated), Commerce Street pedestrian improvements and Frontier Drive (both in design), and noted completed projects including the Springfield commuter parking garage and Metropolitan Center Drive trail access enhancements. "The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has set a goal to invest $100 million in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure between 2021 and 2027," Weymouth said, and added that the county uses district surveys to prioritize active‑transportation projects.
On capital funding, Weymouth said $3.5 million in federal funds has been earmarked for multimodal crash‑reduction work at six Springfield‑area locations where improvements may include pedestrian refuge islands, separated bike lanes or signalized crossings; those projects will include a public process. Weymouth also summarized a SmartScale application submitted to VDOT tied to the study and said SmartScale funding decisions are scheduled for June 2027 with project development starting if funded in 2029.
Weymouth described a slow‑streets pilot to reduce speeds from 25 to 15 mph on select residential streets using temporary traffic calming (planters, speed humps, mini‑roundabouts) and said the project is in the planning phase with a demonstration possibly scheduled for spring 2027 through winter 2027. He said a slow‑streets guidebook will be produced to inform future projects.
Weymouth outlined study status: the multimodal transportation analysis completed its existing‑conditions phase, and the team has begun sensitivity testing on the three advisory group scenarios; a transportation network development and land‑use evaluation is expected to start in August 2026.
Staff then summarized engagement feedback from an in‑person open house and an online survey: respondents favored walkable streets, green open spaces, plazas, and improved connectivity, while expressing caution about traffic, scale, and transitions to adjacent neighborhoods. The team said it will combine favored elements into a preliminary plan and aims to present a first view to the advisory group around August 31 and to the community in September.
Advisory members asked specific questions about bike access into the Plaza, how redevelopment would connect to pedestrian and bicycle networks, and which streets would be candidates for slow‑streets treatment; Weymouth and staff offered to connect participants to project managers for technical or parcel‑level questions. The advisory group did not take formal votes during the presentation.
Next steps are preparing the preliminary plan this summer, using that preferred scenario for transportation testing, and sharing results with the advisory group and public later in 2026.
