Fairfax Drive and Kirkwood Road Intersection

Status

In Design

Location

This project will consider transportation improvements at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and Kirkwood Road and a portion of Kirkwood Road between Washington Boulevard and Fairfax Drive.

About the project

Project Goals

• Improve safety of the intersection for people walking and rolling, taking transit, biking, and driving
• Improve connectivity of the intersection for people walking and rolling

Project Basis

Master Transportation Plan

• Streets Element: The Complete Street policy informs the scope of this project to improve safety for all road users.
• Bike Element: Fairfax Drive is identified as a primary bicycle corridor.

Clarendon Sector Plan

• The plan identifies the project intersection and the surface parking behind it as improvement areas to better connect the western end of Clarendon to the central Clarendon area.
• Recommends a vision that is “dynamic, flexible, [and] pedestrian-oriented” for Clarendon’s western end.
  • “Fairfax Drive’s condition east of Kirkwood Road should be redesigned as a shared street and linear park with an enhanced bicycle facility to allow greater pedestrian/bicyclist circulation and to create a more seamless connection to the Central Clarendon area.”

Vision Zero

• Vision Zero policies call on County staff and the Arlington community to take a proactive approach to safety in order to eliminate severe and fatal crashes from our transportation network by 2030.
• High Injury Network: The VA-237 Corridor (Fairfax Drive from N Glebe Road to 10th Street N 10th Street N from Fairfax Drive to N Barton Street) is part of Arlington County’s High Injury Network. These corridors experience high concentrations of critical crashes compared to other corridors in Arlington.

VA-237 Corridor Acquisition

• In 2018, Arlington County acquired jurisdiction of the VA-237 corridor (Fairfax Drive from Glebe Road to 10^th Street N; 10^th Street N from Fairfax Drive to Barton Street) from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). 
• In 2019, the county launched a three-week online public feedback form to gather input on travel behavior along the corridor. 
  • The input received helped identify where improvements can be made in terms of safety, mobility, and accessibility.
  • The project intersection was one of the top intersections identified for improvements.

Arlington Public Schools (APS) Walk Zones

• The project is located in the walk zone for Washington and Liberty High School.

Public Process

Spring 2018 – VA-237 Corridor Feedback

Involve

• Share specific ideas and concerns for the street sections

This input will be used to refine to goals and develop concept options.

• Community feedback summary

Spring 2023 – Concept Design Feedback

Involve

• Learn what we heard during VA-237 Corridor Feedback and how it helped inform the concept design
• Review and share comments on concepts

Input gathered will help evaluate and refine development of a final concept.

• Community feedback summary

Meeting materials

• Presentation recording
• Presentation
• Concept design

Winter 2023/4 – Final Design Concept

Communicate

• Learn what we heard during Concept Design Feedback and how it helped inform the final design
• View final designs online

Funding

This project is funded by Transportation Capital Fund Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Tax.