Fairfax Drive and Kirkwood Road Intersection

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Check out the concept design and share your thoughts! Closes June 11Learn more!

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.

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.