Virginia's new transportation law will allot an estimated $200 million to Fairfax County for transportation improvements.
Officials are now in the process of speaking with hundreds of residents of one of the state's most congested and heavily populated counties.
Under the state's new transportation law enacted this year, every jurisdiction will get to keep 30 percent of the revenue generated from new taxes -- for Fairfax County, this number is estimated at approximately $200 million.
The first meeting between residents and the county's transportation planners was held Wednesday evening at Alexandria's Hayfield Secondary School.
"We could have the best project in the world but if the community doesn't support it, it's probably not going anywhere," Fairfax County Transportation Director Tom Biesiadny said.
Some proposed projects are worth millions, others are in the thousands. Fairfax County resident Catherine Voorhees said she wanted safety improvements for the bike trail in her Mount Vernon neighborhood.
"It's a death trap," Voorhees said. "The county has it on one of their 'preferred' bike trails, so they're actually encouraging people to take this."
Three more meetings will be held in the coming weeks to address the transportation money. All will begin at 6:30 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 4: Falls Church High School; 7521 Jaguar Trail, Falls Church
- Tuesday, Nov. 12: Fairfax County Government Center; 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
- Wednesday, Nov. 13: Forest Edge Elementary School; 1501 Becontree Lane, Reston
