Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey will speak at the Virginia Association of Counties annual conference on November 10 through 12.
The organization that supports county officials and advocates for the interests of local counties is holding its 90th annual conference. This year’s will be held at the Omni Homestead Resort in Bath County. The organization aims to discuss topics across Virginia’s various regions, such as education, health and human resources, agriculture, and more.
Bailey, representing the Dumfries area in the Potomac Magisterial District, will moderate a discussion regarding the multimodal transportation infrastructure throughout Virginia. Victory Gary, also a regional director for Prince William, will moderate a discourse about public health and ways to maintain and improve the safety of Virginia’s communities.
In November 2024, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of significant improvements to the Quantico Station, a key hub on the Fredericksburg Line. This project marks a major milestone for the region’s rail infrastructure, promising enhanced service and increased convenience for commuters and travelers alike.
During the October 18, 2024, VRE Operations Board meeting, it was announced that invitations have been sent out for the event, with all necessary travel details, including train schedules, provided to ensure smooth participation. The excitement surrounding the completion of these upgrades was evident, with board members and VRE staff expressing their enthusiasm for what the improvements will mean for the station and the surrounding community.
“I’m very excited about the upcoming ribbon-cutting at Quantico. This project has been in the works for quite some time, and we’re thrilled to see it finally come to fruition,” said Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey, who sits on the VRE Operations Board.
The Quantico Station improvements are part of a broader effort to modernize the VRE system, ensuring it keeps pace with the growing demand for public transportation in Northern Virginia. These upgrades include enhancements to the station’s facilities, making them more accessible and efficient for commuters, and improvements to the track infrastructure to support better service and reliability.
Quantico plays a crucial role in the VRE network, serving military personnel from Marine Corps Base Quantico as well as residents in surrounding communities. With the station’s upgraded facilities, VRE hopes to provide a smoother, more comfortable experience for the thousands of passengers who rely on the Fredericksburg Line.
The improvements come as part of a larger project that includes the Arkendale to Powell’s Creek third track, a $1.2 billion initiative in Stafford County to expand capacity along the corridor. The Quantico upgrades are essential to this project, with VRE board members emphasizing the significance of these efforts, particularly in terms of improving service reliability and reducing delays.
“The Quantico station has faced numerous challenges over the years, especially with the growing demand for rail service and the complexities of the surrounding infrastructure,” said Micheal McLaughlin, a VRE board member. “This ribbon-cutting marks not only the completion of these much-needed improvements but also a milestone in VRE’s ongoing commitment to serving this community.”
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors met on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, to discuss a proposal to address the risks associated with street panhandling by offering employment opportunities to those begging on busy streets. The plan, spearheaded by the county's health, wellbeing, and environmental sustainability team, sought to provide panhandlers with jobs paying $13 an hour for two days a week, hoping this alternative would reduce their presence on streets and mitigate safety concerns.
Inspired by similar initiatives in cities like Albuquerque, New Mexico, the program aimed to address panhandling through a multi-faceted approach. This included coordinated community outreach, focused pedestrian violation enforcement, and public engagement efforts encouraging residents to give to local nonprofits instead of handing money directly to panhandlers. The idea was to transition panhandlers into employment while also addressing issues such as addiction and underemployment, which often drive individuals to beg for money.
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Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part story focused on Prince William Board of County Supervisor At-large Deshundra Jefferson's first 100 days in office. Read part one here.
In the wake of the contentious PW Digital Gateway project and ongoing debates surrounding the Meals Tax, Chair At-large Deshundra Jefferson of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors faces a series of complex decisions as county leaders leave their honeymoon phase and begin on the next three and a half years of their term.
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Potomac District Residents can anticipate a significant addition to their community with the imminent arrival of a new full-service grocery store. The latest update on the Ashland Square development was shared by Steven Powell, Senior Vice President for Saul Centers, owners of the Ashland Square development at Route 234 and Spriggs Road, near Dumfries.
The company is in talks with an unnamed grocer to build a new store."We've been actively negotiating with a large, full-service grocery store chain for several months now," he said. While the deal has not yet been finalized, Powell expressed confidence in the negotiations, stating, "We are very excited about the prospect of bringing a quality grocery store to the community."
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Among its notable features, the project boasts a newly added right-turn lane along Joplin Road leading to northbound U.S. 1, alongside a realigned Fuller Heights Road intersection. This realignment facilitates north and southbound access through the incorporation of a roundabout at the intersection of Fuller Heights Road and Old Triangle Road.
Deshundra Jefferson, Chair At-Large of the Board of County Supervisors, expressed gratitude towards the various entities involved in making the project a reality. “You guys have really done an amazing job with this,” remarked Jefferson during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “I’m proud to say that these road improvements are a significant step in moving Prince William towards our strategic goal by easing congestion and improving mobility in the Triangle area for residents, local businesses, and our military facilities.”
Andrea Bailey, Potomac District Supervisor, highlighted the project’s multifaceted approach toward enhancing the quality of life in the region. “This project is a small part of the work done and awaiting us to enhance the quality of life in this area,” stated Bailey. “We listened to the concerns of our residents regarding traffic on Joplin accessing Route 1 and I-95 to be safe during peak traffic hours and sharing the work of ensuring our county’s roadways are safe and relieved of traffic congestion.”
Monica Backmon, Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), emphasized the significance of collaboration in project completion. “It is rare that a project, regardless of the scope and scale, gets done without several entities coming to the table, collaborating,” noted Backmon. “For the Authority’s part, it was bringing funding. We all collaborate; and not only does this project visualize or really bring to light the collaboration, improved accessibility, safety options, modal options, all of that that you get.”
Terry Yates, Northern Virginia Local Assistance Manager for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), echoed sentiments regarding the importance of collaboration. “People wonder why transportation projects take so long, and it’s just a tremendous amount of collaboration,” remarked Yates. “Years ago, it was mostly technical and engineering, and there are so many other aspects, multimodal, cultural, citizen buy-in, all these things must gel before a project comes together.”
VPAP: Democrat Andrea Bailey defeated her opponent in today’s Primary Election for the Potomac District seat on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.
Bailey won the race by 44 points.
Bailey is seeking a second term on the board. As of today, she has no Republican challenger. Republican Verndell Charlotte Robinson will run the Potomac District (Dumfries area) in an attempt to unseat Bailey.
