Next Embark Richmond Highway Community Meeting Set

From Fairfax County Department of Transportation:

Fairfax County will hold a community meeting on the plans and work currently underway on the Embark Richmond Highway project on Monday, July 25, 2016, from 7 to 9 p.m., at West Potomac High School, 6500 Quander Road, Alexandria. Embark Richmond Highway is being undertaken to support the county’s long term planning goals of expanding transit service, improving the county’s pedestrian and bicycle systems, and building more dense, mixed-use, transit-oriented developments that attract residents and businesses, create more jobs and increase tax revenue. Embark Richmond Highway also supports the county’s Strategic Economic Success Plan, and the county’s efforts to revitalize the Richmond Highway corridor.

Live online chat set for Thursday, July 28, 2016, at 11 a.m.; submit questions online.

At the community meeting, there will be a presentation on:

• A summary of comments and ideas received at the previous community meeting held on May 9, 2016.
• The guiding principles related to urban design and the creation of a road network.
• The proposed Richmond Highway multi-modal cross-section that accommodates transit, automobiles, bicycles and pedestrians.

The presentation will be followed by a brief question and answer period, and an open house where the public will be able to talk one-on-one with county staff representatives who are leading various aspects of the project.

Embark Richmond Highway resulted from a Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) study on the transportation needs for the Richmond Highway corridor. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors endorsed the study’s recommendations in May 2015, moving the project forward for planning, design and construction, with implementation anticipated to occur after 2020. Embark Richmond Highway is a multi-year effort involving land use and transportation planning. The effort will include design and construction activities that will result in a bus rapid transit (BRT) system operating primarily on dedicated lanes along Richmond Highway initially from the Huntington Metrorail Station to Fort Belvoir. The updated land use plan will also include the future extension of the Metrorail Yellow Line to Hybla Valley.

In addition, the county will update its land use plan to support the population and job growth associated with the planned transit system along the Richmond Highway corridor. The focus will be primarily on planning for walkable, urban-style mixed use development in the vicinity of the future transit stations, with the goal of creating vibrant, active communities where people can live, work, shop and play—all with easy access to transit.

Transportation and Childcare Assistance Available

• Public transportation to the event location is available through Fairfax Connector Routes 152, 161 & 162. Maps and schedules can be found here.
• Transportation assistance to West Potomac High School is also offered, per request, from Sacramento Neighborhood Center, South County Government and Hybla Valley Elementary School.
• On-site childcare is also available, per request, for children over the age of 3.
• Requests for transportation and childcare assistance are accepted through Thursday, July 21, 2016, by calling 703-704-6700, TTY 711, or by email at maria.franco-nativi@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Stay Informed and Engaged

Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ), Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment (OCR), and Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will be hosting a live online chat on Thursday, July 28, 2016, at 11 a.m., to help answer questions from residents impacted by the Embark Richmond Highway project. Send in your questions today or participate live here.

For more information on the project:

• **NEW** Listen to a Podcast on Embark Richmond Highway (Audio)
• Visit Embark Richmond Highway web page
• Follow us on Facebook at /fairfaxlanduse and on Twitter with hashtag #EmbarkRH
• Call or email Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning at (703) 324-1380, TTY 711, or DPZ-richmondhighway@fairfaxcounty.gov.

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