- Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Trail project moving forward toward construction begining next spring.
- Loops magnify the benefits of trails by opening up multiple areas of the county to users by intersecting with other major and local trails within the trail network.
FABB participated in a recent Capital Trails Coalition Northern Virginia working group meeting and was encouraged by some of the topics discussed. One the trails under discussion, which would become the final segment in a 64-mile-long loop trail around northern Virginia, is the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Trail. This trail also will help close one of the last big gaps in the East Coast Greenway Trail in Fairfax County and will be part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
Although the last public meeting on the trail was in December 2019, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) has continued to work on completing the project’s design. Project goals remain on track for land acquisition to be finished this fall with construction to start next spring and completed by the end of 2021.
Trails and trail segments, of course, are valuable in their own right, providing important links to the outdoors, recreation, exercise, and transportation with numerous health and environmental benefits. Trails also make communities better places to live, serve diverse populations, and help the local economy by linking neighborhoods with shopping and entertainment.
Loops magnify these impacts by expanding recreational opportunities, opening up multiple areas of the county to users by intersecting with other major and local trails within the trail network. Loops also draw tourists and people from neighboring localities into the county, providing additional economic benefits.
FABB is proud to partner with the Capital Trails Coalition and will continue to be strong advocates for expanding the county’s trail network. Please join us today and help make bicycling better in Fairfax County. Contact FABB now at [email protected].
