Supervisors Request Overtime Pay For Police Officers Managing Traffic At Great Falls Park

GREAT FALLS, VA — While Great Falls National Park is one of the most beautiful and popular attractions in the Washington, D.C, region, it's also one of the most difficult to get to. This is especially true on busy days when local roads become congested with traffic.

On Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution aimed at addressing the traffic problems in Great Falls. The resolution requested U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner ask the U.S. Park Police to include $100,000 in its budget request for fiscal year 2023.

The money would be used to pay the overtime costs of officers providing traffic control at the intersection of Georgetown Pike and Old Dominion Drive, making this part of their regular duties.

Supervisors John Foust and James Wakinshaw, who represent the Dranesville and Braddock districts, respectively, introduced the board matter, which was approved unanimously.

The county board has been working with the Great Falls Citizens Association (GFCA), the Virginia Department of Transportation, and the National Parks Service's George Washington Memorial Park Office for the past seven years to address the problem.

Last June, GFCA contacted U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton and U.S. Sen. requested that new dedicated funding be added to the annual Interior Appropriations Bill to pay for traffic management beginning in fiscal year 2022. However, the request came too late to be included in the FY 2022 bill.