Bike and Pedestrian Safety

“As our community continues to grow we will increasingly need to accommodate a growing number of cyclists and pedestrians. Their safety must be our top transportation priority.” -Rodney Lusk

Richmond Highway is the most dangerous roadway in the entire Commonwealth, and one of the most dangerous in the United States. As a leader on the Embark Richmond Highway Plan, both as a member of the citizen committee that conceptualized the plan and as a Board Member overseeing its implementation, Rodney always puts safety first. Since joining the Board, Rodney has been an advocate for developing innovative technology-based solutions to our most persistent transportation safety challenges.

  • Before being elected to the Board of Supervisors, Rodney served on the citizen design team that laid the groundwork for what eventually became the Embark Richmond Highway plan. From conception to the upcoming implementation, there are few aspects of the plans development that Rodney has not touched in some way. This experience has given him a unique perspective in terms of being able to advocate for our community as the project moves forward.

  • On October 5, 2021, Rodney co-sponsored a Board Matter with Supervisor Foust directing County staff to identify $100,000,000 in funding over the next 6 years to build out and maintain our pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. This funding will be in addition to the normal Six Year Transportation Priorities Plan.

  • Reducing speed limits in targeted roadways in our district is not only critical to improving safety, it’s also a fantastic tool for jumpstarting economic development. Rodney has consistently advocated for reducing the speed on Richmond Highway to 35 mph. This change would not only improve pedestrian and vehicular safety, but would help transform Richmond Highway from a through street into a main street, creating a sense of place around our local businesses and amenities.

    Additionally, as a member of the Embark Richmond Highway Design Executive Committee Rodney advocated for a pause in the development of the project in order to further study intersections of concern that were up to 13 lanes wide. Rodney’s actions and advocacy led to an additional study that resulted in the recommendation to reduce 40% of turn lanes at the intersections of concern.

  • Rodney successfully advocated for the creation of a Chief Technology Officer role within the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. This new role will focus on implementing new and emerging technologies to address our most persistent traffic and transportation safety challenges.

  • In his first month in office, Supervisor Lusk, in coordination with Supervisor Alcorn, passed a Board Matter directing the County to re-evaluate and optimize the ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan. You can read the

  • Rodney was proud to accept the 2020 Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s Public Leadership Award for his work in coordination with Supervisor Alcorn on improving ActiveTransportation. Their announcement stated: “At their urging, the Board of Supervisors required the County Department of Transportation to establish a timeline for implementing its ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan, evaluate its current approach for funding pedestrian improvements, and establish measurable safety goals.”