State of the Trail Report
Agencies
Assessment by County
Policy |
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General
Once a rural area dotted with dairy farms, Fairfax County in the 21st century is a growing metropolis with a thriving technology industry. Like other counties in the D.C. metro area, the population and income level of Fairfax is increasing. By 2005, the number of people in Fairfax County is expected to exceed 1 million. As the population grows, so does support for the Potomac Heritage Trail concept in Fairfax County as a way to increase the value of existing parks, historic sites and related open spaces by providing non-motorized connections between and among existing amenities.
A number of community-based efforts have demonstrated the potential to establish the PHT in the northern portion of the County between Great Falls Park and the common border with Loudoun County. Great Falls Trail Blazers, a local advocacy group, and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, along with the support of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and Fairfax County Park Authority have fostered an example of trail construction and maintenance by volunteers.
With over 60% of the trail complete and a greater part of the northern corridor section secured with easements, the establishment of the PHT in Fairfax County is close to becoming a reality. Scheduled for completion in 2002, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, on behalf of Fairfax County, is drafting a "Potomac Heritage Trail Implementation Plan" to indicate preferred and alternative alignments for the PHT and to outline a plan for development.
The PHT is included in the 2002 Fairfax County County-Wide Trails Plan, marking a first step in securing funding for trail construction. Costs estimates to date for completion of the trail are approximately $5.75 million.
Existing Trail Segments
Once a rural area dotted with dairy farms, Fairfax County in the 21st century is a growing metropolis with a thriving technology industry. Like other counties in the D.C. Metro-area, the population and income level of Fairfax is increasing. By 2005, the number of people in Fairfax County is expected to exceed 1 million. As the population grows, so does support for the Potomac Heritage Trail concept in Fairfax County as a way to increase the value of existing parks, historic sites and related open spaces by providing non-motorized connections between and among existing amenities.
A number of community-based efforts have demonstrated the potential to establish the PHT in the northern portion of the County between Great Falls Park and the common border with Loudoun County. Great Falls Trail Blazers, a local advocacy group, and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, along with the support of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and Fairfax County Park Authority have fostered an example of trail construction and maintenance by volunteers.
With over 60% of the trail complete and a greater part of the northern corridor section secured with easements, the establishment of the PHT in Fairfax County is close to becoming a reality. Scheduled for completion in 2002, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, on behalf of Fairfax County, is drafting a "Potomac Heritage Trail Implementation Plan" to indicate preferred and alternative alignments for the PHT and to outline a plan for development.
The PHT is included in the 2002 Fairfax County County-Wide Trails Plan, marking a first step in securing funding for trail construction. Costs estimates to date for completion of the trail are approximately $5.75 million.
Planned Trail Segments
With a route identified in the County, steps to complete the PHT include:
- Acquire public trail easements to connect existing park land in northern Fairfax;
- Continue monitoring developments in the future use of the Lorton complex to ensure that a viable route for the PHNST is accommodated;
- Initiate negotiations to find a resolution of the PHNST either through or around Fort Belvoir;
- Continue monitoring the status of Phase I of the PHNST within Fort Belvoir to ensure that resources secured in 2000 are used for the PHNST and not other purposes;
- Continue to examine the development of a safe bicycle/pedestrian crossing of Route 1; and
- Study the feasibility of constructing a grade-separated trail in the space between I-495 and Live Oak Drive to connect with an existing parking area for Scotts Run Nature Preserve off of Georgetown Pike.
Contacts
Fairfax County
Department of Planning and Zoning
12055 Government Center Parkway, 7th Floor
Fairfax, VA 22035
Sheng Leu, Trails Coordinator
(703) 324-1272
Fairfax County Park Authority
12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 927
Fairfax, VA 22035
Jenny Pate, Trail Coordinator
(703) 324-8700
Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 448
Ron Kirkpatrick, Director Planning & Design Division
(703) 324-4365
Fairfax Trails and Streams
P.O. Box 6531
McLean, VA 22106
Bill Niedringhaus
Email: rowemm@aol.com
U.S. Army, Fort Belvoir
Directorate of Engineering, Housing and Public Works
Building 1442
9430 Jackson Loop, Ste 107
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060
(703) 806-0051
Great Falls Park, Mt. Vernon Trail, George Washington Memorial Parkway
Turkey Run
McLean, VA 22101
(703) 285-2600, 289-2500
Audrey Calhoun, Superintendent
Great Falls Trail Blazers
c/o Eleanor Weck, President
660 Mine Ridge
Great Falls VA 22066
(703) 759-2059, 3723; FAX (703) 759-4726
Northern Virginia Conservation Trust
Packard Center
4022 Hummer Road
Annandale, VA 22003
Paul Gilbert, President
(703) 354-5093
Northern Virginia Regional Commission
7535 Little River Turnpike, Suite 100
Annandale, VA 22003
(703) 642-0700
Doug Pickford, Director of Economic Issues and Heritage Resources
Email: pickford@novaregion.org
Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
5400 Ox Road
Fairfax Station, VA 22039
(703) 352-5900
Email: info@nvrpa.org
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
118 Park Street, SE
Vienna, VA 22180
(703) 242-0693
Tom Johnson, PTC Liaison
johnts3@juno.com
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