We wanted to call attention to an advocacy page our friends at WABA have set up and ask everyone to go there to let Fairfax County officials know that more funding for the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) should be a priority.
On the plus side, Fairfax County’s proposed budget for FY 2023 funds two new full time staff dedicated to active transportation planning.
To truly expand active transportation, however, the FCPA needs more money to clean and maintain a park system with 24,000 acres, 427 parks, and 334 miles of trails that experience more than 18 million visits per year (and visits are increasing each year!).
As WABA points out, more funding is desperately needed to ensure that FCPA, historically reliant on fee-based services for up to 60% of its budget, can adapt and address systemic inequities in accessibility as mandated by the County’s One Fairfax equity policy.
Failure to act now could result in our award-wining FCPA being forced to institute or raise fees, restrict access, and eliminate programs, especially for low-income and communities of color already living with fewer nearby green spaces.
Please join FABB in supporting WABA’s campaign to tell the Board of Supervisors to prioritize parks and trails here.
Interested in other bicycling advocacy efforts? Contact us at [email protected].
