Pickett Road Connector Trail
in progressStatus set at City Council Meeting on Jul 22, 2025
Project wiki — a maintained overview, meeting history, and recorded positions.
- Proposed
- Under reviewApr 8, 2025
- Decided
Summary
The Pickett Road Connector Trail is a City of Fairfax infrastructure project that would create a pedestrian trail connection along Pickett Road, linking to an existing trail network and serving residents of nearby communities including Foxcroft Colony and Scout on the Circle. The project is funded through competitive SmartScale funding originally scored in 2018, meaning any changes to scope or cost trigger a rescoring against the original project list. The trail faced significant public opposition beginning in early 2025, leading the City Council to vote 3-2 on April 8, 2025 to pause all expenditures on the project pending a work session, and then to vote 4-2 on April 22, 2025 to continue the pause while examining alternatives. After a staff update work session on July 8, 2025, the Council reversed the April 8 pause on July 22, 2025 by a 4-3 vote, simultaneously directing staff unanimously to hold a public outreach meeting for Foxcroft Colony and Scout on the Circle residents in October to address transportation safety concerns. A related Deed of Easement with Fairfax County Water Authority — which arose in connection with the City's own easement request for the Pickett Trail — was unanimously approved by Council on November 18, 2025, with staff confirming no conflict with the City's pedestrian bridge or proposed conservation easement. As of March 2026, the project is no longer on hold and is actively in design.
Official city record
City Project
Connection of Thaiss Park to Route 50, linking the Wilcoxon, Cross-Country, and City of Fairfax Connector Trails. This 1,260-foot trail will provide safe, off-road access to mass transit, businesses, and parks, enhancing connectivity and safety along Pickett Road.
Open questions & options on the table
- Whether the October public outreach meeting for Foxcroft Colony and Scout on the Circle residents was held and what outcomes or direction resulted from it.
- Whether any scope or cost changes to the project will trigger a SmartScale rescoring, and whether the project would retain its funding if rescored against the original 2018 project list.
- How the Pickett Road Trail in design will interact with or complement the separate Pickett Road intersection/roadway and pedestrian safety study being conducted through COG technical assistance.
What members have said
At the March 11, 2025 work session, Bates expressed support for moving the Pickett Road Connector Trail to the west side and merging it with the sidewalk if feasible without losing funding. He voted yes on the April 8, 2025 motion to pause the project and yes on the July 22, 2025 motion to reverse that pause.
At the March 11, 2025 work session, Hall requested more information on the Pickett Road Connector Trail and Jermantown Road CIP improvements. Hall voted yes on the April 8, 2025 pause but voted no on the July 22, 2025 motion to reverse that pause.
Hardy-Chandler voted no on the April 8, 2025 pause motion and no on the April 22, 2025 motion to continue the pause — opposing both pauses. On July 22, 2025, she voted yes to reverse the April 8 pause and was amenable to a friendly amendment on the public outreach meeting motion.
McQuillen voted no on the April 8, 2025 pause motion and no on the July 22, 2025 motion to reverse the pause, indicating consistent opposition to the pause mechanism while voting no on its reversal as well.
On July 22, 2025, Peterson made the request to hold a community meeting for Foxcroft Colony and Scout on the Circle residents, noting roughly 1,200 residents — about 5% of the city population — live near the Pickett Road/Route 50 intersection and had expressed interest in discussing transportation safety needs. Peterson voted no on the July 22, 2025 motion to reverse the April 8 pause.
Amos abstained on the April 8, 2025 pause motion and voted no on the April 22, 2025 motion to continue the pause. Amos voted yes on the July 22, 2025 motion to reverse the April 8 pause.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.
Full history
[6] Residents expressed opposition to the Pickett Road Connector Trail during public comment.
[10a] Councilmember Bates expressed support for moving the Pickett Road Connector Trail to the west side and merging with the sidewalk if feasible without losing funding; Councilmember Hall also requested more information on this trail.
[7b] One speaker recommended cutting expenses on the Pickett Road Trail as part of budget reduction measures.
[4b] Council voted 3-2 to pause all expenditures on the Pickett Road Connector Trail until after the April 22, 2025 Work Session.
passedMotion that the City pause the expenditure of any further funds on the Country Club Hills Trail, the Pickett Road Connector Trail, and any other trail until after the April 22, 2025 Work Session and the elimination of any activity independent of roadway projects currently in progress.– Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✕ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✓ Peterson[1e] The Pickett Trail was discussed during the work session, leading to Council action under item 4a. [4a] Council approved 4-2 (Amos and Hardy-Chandler opposed) to pause all actions with respect to the Pickett Trail in order to examine alternatives.
[11a] Staff provided an update on the Pickett Trail project during the work session. Public comment included at least two residents expressing opposition to the project.
[9] Staff reported that an update on the Pickett Road Trail was provided at the July 8, 2025 City Council meeting.
[9c] Council reversed the April 8, 2025 pause on the Pickett Road Trail project (4-3) and unanimously directed staff to hold a public outreach meeting for Foxcroft Colony and Scout on the Circle residents in October to address safety concerns.
passedDirect staff to set up a public outreach meeting for the Pickett Road Trail project for Foxcroft Colony and Scout on the Circle residents in October to address safety concerns.✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ PetersonpassedReverse the City Council adopted action on April 8, 2025 that paused the Pickett Road Trail project.✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✕ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ Peterson[8b] The Deed of Easement discussion arose in connection with the City's request for a separate easement associated with the Pickett Trail project; staff confirmed no conflict with the City's pedestrian bridge or proposed conservation easement.
passedMotion to enact the ordinance authorizing and approving the Deed of Easement with Fairfax County Water Authority for water main installation on Tax Map Nos. 48-4-01-000-C and 48-4-01-003.✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ Peterson
Discussed alongside
Topics that come up in the same meetings.