Old Lee Highway Multimodal Improvements

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On Nov. 9, 2021, City Council adopted a resolution to approve the major design features of the project.

UPDATE: On Nov. 9, 2021, City Council adopted a resolution to approve the major design features of the project. 

Old Lee Highway is a special place within the city; there are a variety of land uses along the corridor including three schools, the city’s public library, the community center and police department, a large and beloved city park, churches, the Historic Blenheim, and multiple residential neighborhoods, along with commercial offerings anchoring both ends of the street at Fairfax Circle and Old Town Fairfax. 

The corridor is already multimodal in nature, which means there are multiple ways people use to get around, including driving, CUE Bus, walking, biking, and even riding scooters. However, there is tremendous opportunity to improve the look, feel, safety, and function of the entire corridor, and transform it into a best-in-class multimodal street in the City of Fairfax, and in the region. 

In 2015, the City of Fairfax completed a conceptual plan for Old Lee Highway. Conceptual planning took about six months and included extensive public involvement. The result was a recommended concept for the corridor that includes separated bicycle lanes, upgraded pedestrian and transit amenities, and improved lighting, landscaping, and buffering. 

Project Goals

The redesigned Old Lee Highway corridor will:

  • Improve safety and comfort for all roadway users;
  • Provide continuous multimodal connections from Old Town Fairfax to Fairfax Circle;
  • Promote alternatives to driving for people accessing the library, community center, three schools, and commercial properties along the corridor; and
  • Reduce impervious surface area by nearly an acre. 
  • Maintain Old Lee Highway as a special place within the city and as a gateway into the city

Major decisions agreed upon by City Council include:

  • Maintaining existing travel lanes;
  • Maintaining existing turning lane locations;
  • Adding bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure; and
  • Locating bicycle lanes on north side of roadway only. 

Old Lee Highway Reimagined

The project is now in the preliminary engineering phase, and plans are approximately 15 percent complete. City staff are developing an engineered plan that includes the recommended components from the conceptual planning process. Feedback from the community emphasized a desire for better pedestrian and bicycle amenities, and landscaping buffers. Care is being taken to minimize impacts to private property and trees. 

When complete, Old Lee Highway will feature:

  • Two-way, 10-foot bicycle track and a shared-use path on the north side of the road;
  • Continuous five-foot sidewalk on the south side;
  • Consolidated crossing locations with consistent signage;
  • Reduced crossing widths on side streets;
  • Upgraded bus stops and shelters throughout the project area; and
  • Improved lighting, landscaping, and buffering. 

Stakeholder Advisory Group

City staff members are working together with an early-engagement stakeholder advisory group to provide input on the preliminary plans and various concepts the city is considering. The stakeholder advisory group includes 18 volunteers from the various stakeholder entities along the corridor. There are representatives from the Preserve at Great Oaks, Historic Blenheim, Great Oaks, Old Lee Hills, St. Leo’s. Fairfax HS, Country Club Hills, Daniels Run ES, Christian Science Church, Army Navy Country Club, City Council, Daniels Run Peace Church, City School Board, Farrcroft, and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. The city asked each group to select one person to represent his/her group.

Cost and Funding

The estimated project cost is $25.2 million. Funding sources include state revenue sharing ($10 million), regional Northern Virginia Transportation Authority funding ($13 million), and the city’s commercial and industrial tax ($2 million) – a fund dedicated to increasing transportation capacity. Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in spring 2023. 

Public Engagement to Date 

  • May 2014: TLC project endorsement to develop a conceptual plan for a redesigned multimodal Old Lee Highway. View presentation.
  • October 2014: Resolution of endorsement to request $2M in FY16 Revenue Sharing funding for Old Lee Highway. View presentation.
  • Feb 2015: City Council work session – TLC project kick off with Council. View presentation.
  • March 2015: Public Meeting 1 for TLC project
  • June 2015: City Council work session to review public input from first public meeting and review conceptual alternatives for second public meeting. View presentation.
  • June 2015: Public Meeting 2 for TLC Project
  • May 2016: Award of contract for $148,978 to complete Phase I engineering to perform survey and develop typical sections for each segment of the project based on concept developed through TLC project. The goal of this effort was identify property and environmental impacts associated with the preferred concept plan and develop an approximate project cost and schedule. View presentation.
  • October 2017: Resolution of support for City’s FY 19/20 Revenue Sharing application for $5M in funding for OLH. View presentation.
  • November 2017: Resolution of support for City’s FY 18-23 NVTA 70% application for $5M in funding for OLH. View presentation.
  • Nov 2018 work session: Provided project update (showed renderings). View presentation.
  • Jan 2019: Award of contract for $815,731 to complete Phase II engineering to perform more detailed engineering work to develop 30% and then 50% plans. Approved unanimously. View presentation.
  • July 2019 work session: Discussion of design options (facilities on one or both sides) and utility relocation options. View presentation.
  • September 2019: Resolution of support for City’s FY 19-24 NVTA 70% application for $8M in funding for OLH. View presentation.
  • September 2019: Resolution of support for City’s FY 20/21 Revenue Sharing application for $3M in funding for OLH. View presentation.
  • July 2020 work session: Provided project update and requested go-ahead to proceed with stakeholder advisory group. View presentation.

UPDATE: On Nov. 9, 2021, City Council adopted a resolution to approve the major design features of the project. 

Old Lee Highway is a special place within the city; there are a variety of land uses along the corridor including three schools, the city’s public library, the community center and police department, a large and beloved city park, churches, the Historic Blenheim, and multiple residential neighborhoods, along with commercial offerings anchoring both ends of the street at Fairfax Circle and Old Town Fairfax. 

The corridor is already multimodal in nature, which means there are multiple ways people use to get around, including driving, CUE Bus, walking, biking, and even riding scooters. However, there is tremendous opportunity to improve the look, feel, safety, and function of the entire corridor, and transform it into a best-in-class multimodal street in the City of Fairfax, and in the region. 

In 2015, the City of Fairfax completed a conceptual plan for Old Lee Highway. Conceptual planning took about six months and included extensive public involvement. The result was a recommended concept for the corridor that includes separated bicycle lanes, upgraded pedestrian and transit amenities, and improved lighting, landscaping, and buffering. 

Project Goals

The redesigned Old Lee Highway corridor will:

  • Improve safety and comfort for all roadway users;
  • Provide continuous multimodal connections from Old Town Fairfax to Fairfax Circle;
  • Promote alternatives to driving for people accessing the library, community center, three schools, and commercial properties along the corridor; and
  • Reduce impervious surface area by nearly an acre. 
  • Maintain Old Lee Highway as a special place within the city and as a gateway into the city

Major decisions agreed upon by City Council include:

  • Maintaining existing travel lanes;
  • Maintaining existing turning lane locations;
  • Adding bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure; and
  • Locating bicycle lanes on north side of roadway only. 

Old Lee Highway Reimagined

The project is now in the preliminary engineering phase, and plans are approximately 15 percent complete. City staff are developing an engineered plan that includes the recommended components from the conceptual planning process. Feedback from the community emphasized a desire for better pedestrian and bicycle amenities, and landscaping buffers. Care is being taken to minimize impacts to private property and trees. 

When complete, Old Lee Highway will feature:

  • Two-way, 10-foot bicycle track and a shared-use path on the north side of the road;
  • Continuous five-foot sidewalk on the south side;
  • Consolidated crossing locations with consistent signage;
  • Reduced crossing widths on side streets;
  • Upgraded bus stops and shelters throughout the project area; and
  • Improved lighting, landscaping, and buffering. 

Stakeholder Advisory Group

City staff members are working together with an early-engagement stakeholder advisory group to provide input on the preliminary plans and various concepts the city is considering. The stakeholder advisory group includes 18 volunteers from the various stakeholder entities along the corridor. There are representatives from the Preserve at Great Oaks, Historic Blenheim, Great Oaks, Old Lee Hills, St. Leo’s. Fairfax HS, Country Club Hills, Daniels Run ES, Christian Science Church, Army Navy Country Club, City Council, Daniels Run Peace Church, City School Board, Farrcroft, and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. The city asked each group to select one person to represent his/her group.

Cost and Funding

The estimated project cost is $25.2 million. Funding sources include state revenue sharing ($10 million), regional Northern Virginia Transportation Authority funding ($13 million), and the city’s commercial and industrial tax ($2 million) – a fund dedicated to increasing transportation capacity. Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in spring 2023. 

Public Engagement to Date 

  • May 2014: TLC project endorsement to develop a conceptual plan for a redesigned multimodal Old Lee Highway. View presentation.
  • October 2014: Resolution of endorsement to request $2M in FY16 Revenue Sharing funding for Old Lee Highway. View presentation.
  • Feb 2015: City Council work session – TLC project kick off with Council. View presentation.
  • March 2015: Public Meeting 1 for TLC project
  • June 2015: City Council work session to review public input from first public meeting and review conceptual alternatives for second public meeting. View presentation.
  • June 2015: Public Meeting 2 for TLC Project
  • May 2016: Award of contract for $148,978 to complete Phase I engineering to perform survey and develop typical sections for each segment of the project based on concept developed through TLC project. The goal of this effort was identify property and environmental impacts associated with the preferred concept plan and develop an approximate project cost and schedule. View presentation.
  • October 2017: Resolution of support for City’s FY 19/20 Revenue Sharing application for $5M in funding for OLH. View presentation.
  • November 2017: Resolution of support for City’s FY 18-23 NVTA 70% application for $5M in funding for OLH. View presentation.
  • Nov 2018 work session: Provided project update (showed renderings). View presentation.
  • Jan 2019: Award of contract for $815,731 to complete Phase II engineering to perform more detailed engineering work to develop 30% and then 50% plans. Approved unanimously. View presentation.
  • July 2019 work session: Discussion of design options (facilities on one or both sides) and utility relocation options. View presentation.
  • September 2019: Resolution of support for City’s FY 19-24 NVTA 70% application for $8M in funding for OLH. View presentation.
  • September 2019: Resolution of support for City’s FY 20/21 Revenue Sharing application for $3M in funding for OLH. View presentation.
  • July 2020 work session: Provided project update and requested go-ahead to proceed with stakeholder advisory group. View presentation.

On Nov. 9, 2021, City Council adopted a resolution to approve the major design features of the project.

If you have any questions about this project, please ask. We will respond with an answer soon. You may find your answer in the FAQ on the right hand side of the page. Thanks.