The City of Falls Church plans to spend more on paving roads in the coming year, but it will still have unfunded needs.
The proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget includes $1.4 million for road-paving initiatives, up from $870,000 in the coming fiscal year.
The additional funding will allow for the repaving of 3.5 lane-miles, compared to 2.5 lane-miles in the current year.
“We’re looking for improved execution,” Andrew Young, the deputy city manager for external operations, said at an April 21 City Council work session. “The goal is to extend the pavement life and minimize long-term cost.”
City officials plan to use capital reserves to cover part of the FY 2026 cost, just as they are doing for the current fiscal year.
Even with the additional funding, the city will still have about $1.1 million in unfunded paving needs. Staff reported that a pavement-management consultant will be hired to examine long-term needs.
Residents’ views of road conditions declined in a recent satisfaction survey conducted for the city government.
The city’s public works department is also about to kick off a new round of studying pavement conditions in the city, something that takes place once every three years. Roadways selected for repaving receive a two-inch mill topped by a two-inch overlay.
At the April 21 meeting, Council member David Snyder said that multiple transportation-infrastructure initiatives require attention.
“We need to find a way to get more money into it, not less — whether it’s paving or it’s sidewalks or it’s lighting, signals,” he said of the efforts. “We’re just not funding this at a level it has to be funded at.”
“Our collective challenge is both short-term and long-term,” Snyder said.
Photo by Alan Kotok/Flickr
