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Falls Church drivers could see smarter traffic signals along Broad Street as early as this fall as the city advances a $10 million effort to modernize its transportation network.
Mayor Letty Hardi said implementation of the state-funded Smart Cities program is underway, with improved signal timing expected to be the first change residents notice. The upgrade targets a frequent source of frustration: rush-hour congestion on Broad Street.
Falls Church and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute received the $10 million grant from the Virginia Department of Transportation in 2021. Following extensive studies of the city’s transportation infrastructure, the first implementation phase officially began Aug. 12, 2024.
The initiative is intended to turn Falls Church into a “living laboratory” where new transportation technology can be tested and standards developed for other localities. Planned improvements include traffic signals that respond to real-time road conditions, intersections capable of detecting pedestrians and adaptive streetlights that dim according to twilight, weather and motion.
Hardi has said the technology could improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, ease congestion, reduce energy consumption and lower maintenance costs as Falls Church invests in becoming more walkable and bike-friendly.
Of the full grant, $1 million is dedicated specifically to smart intersections. Sensors are expected to detect vehicles and pedestrians, then adjust signals to improve traffic flow and reduce delays and unnecessary stops. Signal information could also be shared with connected or automated vehicles for collision warnings, conflict detection and speed optimization.
Other anticipated capabilities include pedestrian alerts, jaywalking and conflict detection, traffic-signal priority, remote signal management, vehicle counts and lane-by-lane speed measurements.
The city and VTTI also plan to assess local needs, select appropriate technologies, deploy them in real-world conditions and measure their effects on safety, the environment and residents’ quality of life.
Project Timeline Raises Questions
Falls Church’s published schedules do not clearly agree on when later phases will occur.
One city update describes the first phase as a summer 2024 upgrade of traffic equipment along Broad Street. It places the second phase between fall 2024 and winter 2025, with additional intersection upgrades and new signals near West Broad Street and Haycock Road, the neighboring Virginia Tech site and the West Falls Church Metro station.
A separate timeline says the third phase will run from spring through fall 2025 and could upgrade as many as 100% of city intersections. That period overlaps with the stated schedule for the second phase.
The conflicting dates leave it unclear whether the program has been delayed or whether the city’s project page needs to be updated.
Pride Crosswalk Painting Rescheduled
Falls Church Forward has moved its Eden Center rainbow-crosswalk painting project to Saturday, June 14, at 7 a.m., weather permitting.
Because volunteers will work near Wilson Boulevard and Saigon Boulevard, the organization is asking that only adults participate at that location.
The group also plans to refresh the rainbow crosswalks at the City Hall campus on Sunday, June 15, beginning at 8 a.m. Both projects are part of its Pride Month activities.
Falls Church Forward will hold a happy hour and restaurant takeover at Pop Up District in Eden Center at 5 p.m. June 24. The gathering will introduce members to the city’s first food hall and include an opportunity to meet its owners.
Its annual summer potluck is scheduled for Aug. 10, with an emphasis on welcoming new members and residents, including people moving into the city’s newer multifamily buildings. Additional details about food and supply contributions are expected later.
The organization also reiterated its support for expanding housing options for residents of different ages, incomes and family sizes. It noted that the city is considering a mixed-use development at Maple and Annandale and a 12-townhouse project on South Lee Street near Broad Street, but said it is not taking a position on either proposal at this time.
June 14 Protest Planned Along Broad Street
A newly formed local group, Democracy Falls Church, plans to hold a “No Kings” demonstration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 14.
Participants will gather in the parking lot of Falls Church Episcopal Church at 166 E. Broad St. before lining both sides of East Broad Street with signs and American flags. Organizers describe the event as a nonviolent demonstration without speeches.
The rally is intended as a counterpoint to President Donald Trump’s planned birthday parade on Constitution Avenue in Washington, which falls on Flag Day and the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.
Democracy Falls Church says the protest is directed at actions by the president and his administration that its members regard as authoritarian and harmful to democratic institutions. The group describes itself as nonpartisan and committed to nonviolence.
Its members have met regularly since February and include longtime civic leaders, newer residents and first-time activists. Their meetings focus on national developments since Jan. 20, possible responses and ways to encourage local civic participation.
Organizers said the rally does not diminish their celebration of the Army’s anniversary, the American flag or the freedoms they represent.