Project Status

The 100% Design Plans of the project have been completed, and the bidding package has been submitted to VDOT to be accepted for the construction advertising.

About the Project

Project goals include improving safety and urban design.

• Safety – the project will improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists using the trail.
• Urban Design – the project will reinforce the prominence of the W&OD Park. The proposed trail crossings will significantly enhance the trail for users traveling through the City. They could set a precedent for further improvements tail-wide, just as the first paved portion through the City was the beginning of a regional park and trail system that has grown to what it is today.

The project will improve the street crossing of the W&OD Trail at four locations in the City of Falls Church.  The crossing locations are Little Falls Street, Great Falls Street, N Oak Street, and N Spring Street (See Map).

At each trail crossing, there will be a narrowed street cross-section, and special paving, each crossing will be raised, and the design will include a sidewalk and lighting.  The W&OD right of way is 100 feet wide, and the crossing treatment will include improvement to as much of this space as feasible.

The W&OD Trail serves more than 1000 bicycle and pedestrian trips per day. The trail provides connections to major regional activity centers and transit stations. The trailside improvements and street crossings are identified in the City’s Comprehensive Plan and in the document “W&OD Park Master Plan-The City’s Greenest Street,” which was adopted in April 2015.

The section of the W&OD trail within the City was first completed in 1974 and has proven to be a popular commuting and recreational facility.