A New Vision for Fairfax Circle

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Consultation has concluded.

Did you know that Fairfax Circle is actually more of a “hamburger” than a “circle” due to its unique shape and traffic flow? Whether you think of it as a circle or a hamburger, the city wants your input in how to improve it. The city is developing a new vision for both the intersection and the surrounding area and identifying design alternatives for this key intersection, one of two eastern gateways into Fairfax City. Transportation departments in Virginia and elsewhere began removing and replacing hamburger intersections in the 1970s and ‘80s. Fairfax Circle is one of the last ones still in use in the Commonwealth.

The primary goals of this project are to develop a vision for the intersection as well as design alternatives that meet the future needs of the Fairfax Circle Activity Center – the area around the intersection earmarked for future commercial and residential development. Once this first step – identifying a vision and feasible alternatives - is complete, future steps will include selecting and implementing the preferred alternative.

We are reaching out to residents, business owners, and commuters for ideas that improve mobility and safety for all users, manage traffic congestion, create a welcoming entrance to the city, and support economic development within the Fairfax Circle Activity Center.

The visioning project is anticipated to take about six months, and actual improvements to the intersection would occur several years later. The project will be conducted with technical assistance from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Land-Use Connections (TLC) Program.

We encourage you to share your comments and questions below.

Did you know that Fairfax Circle is actually more of a “hamburger” than a “circle” due to its unique shape and traffic flow? Whether you think of it as a circle or a hamburger, the city wants your input in how to improve it. The city is developing a new vision for both the intersection and the surrounding area and identifying design alternatives for this key intersection, one of two eastern gateways into Fairfax City. Transportation departments in Virginia and elsewhere began removing and replacing hamburger intersections in the 1970s and ‘80s. Fairfax Circle is one of the last ones still in use in the Commonwealth.

The primary goals of this project are to develop a vision for the intersection as well as design alternatives that meet the future needs of the Fairfax Circle Activity Center – the area around the intersection earmarked for future commercial and residential development. Once this first step – identifying a vision and feasible alternatives - is complete, future steps will include selecting and implementing the preferred alternative.

We are reaching out to residents, business owners, and commuters for ideas that improve mobility and safety for all users, manage traffic congestion, create a welcoming entrance to the city, and support economic development within the Fairfax Circle Activity Center.

The visioning project is anticipated to take about six months, and actual improvements to the intersection would occur several years later. The project will be conducted with technical assistance from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Land-Use Connections (TLC) Program.

We encourage you to share your comments and questions below.

Comments

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I like the graphics and the summary at the end.
If you haven't ready the final repot yet, spoiler alert… nothing will be changing at the circle anytime soon considering they are tying this into the small area plan which hasn’t started yet. But this is the time to educate yourself so you can see the pros and cons of each option and can have an educated response when the City asks for your thoughts for the area.
Transportation isn’t just about getting cars through. These decisions will affect land uses including the types of businesses and residences in that area. It will be part of a larger discussion about the long term future of that area, not just how long it takes you to get through. We live in a densely populated car-centric area. Traffic isn’t going anywhere. We just need to make sure it is handled properly to support our needs.

OMcBurton over 2 years ago

Replicate DuPont or Washington Circles in DC. Rush hour traffic can continue through “below” the circle without having to worry about stop lights reducing congestion. You can raise the existing grade of the circle which would result in cars slowing down as they approach the roundabout and reduce the depth needed for the thru lanes passing below. The interior of the circle would become an area of sidewalks and greenery conducive to pedestrians and bicyclists or the like, with a Fairfax focused centerpiece in the middle. This would in effect keep the current traffic pattern the same while still eliminating the “hamburger” so from a traffic design standpoint it could be fastracked.

Ekh2019 over 2 years ago