Your Street Could Be Next: How Fairfax County Bypassed a Reston Neighborhood

by Angie O'Grady, Resident resident

Cars parked in the new no-parking zone along Center Harbor for Aldrin Elementary's Back-to-School Night on Sept. 4

Dozens of families in Halstead Glen now face tickets simply for parking outside their homes. We are victims of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Northern Virginia Paving and Restriping Program, which claims to “increase driver, bicyclist and pedestrian safety with road and crosswalk improvements.” What happened to us could easily happen to you—and it reflects a troubling breakdown in how local government engages with the communities it serves.

A Community Caught Off Guard

Halstead Glen is a 67-townhome neighborhood across the street from Buzz Aldrin Elementary School. With limited on-property parking and no room for expansion, street parking along Center Harbor Road is essential to daily life. These spaces serve not only residents, but also Aldrin staff, volunteers, evening event attendees, sports teams, and community gatherings. When Aldrin serves as a polling place, the need is even greater.

In summer 2024, Center Harbor Road was repaved and restriped, with much of the existing parking eliminated to make way for bike lanes. Fairfax County, in coordination with Supervisor Walter Alcorn, implemented the changes as part of the 2024 Paving and Restriping Program. The county’s website calls it “an opportunity to increase driver, bicyclist and pedestrian safety with road and crosswalk improvements.”

In August 2025, our property manager received an email from Zackary DesJardins, Active Transportation Planner and Capital Bikeshare Program Manager for Fairfax County Department of Transportation, announcing that police would begin enforcing new restrictions. Citing “significantly underused” street parking, he explained that the project “repurposed most of the street parking including adjacent to Halstead Glen.” He asked that residents be reminded that “parking is no longer allowed on Center Harbor Road adjacent to the property.”

Did Other Counties Decide Our Fate?

At the July 21 homeowners association meeting, it became clear that residents had been left out of the planning process. No one recalled receiving the county survey or any advance notice about the bike lanes or loss of parking.

A Freedom of Information Act request confirmed our concerns: none of the 10 survey respondents who listed zip codes lived in 20194, where Halstead Glen is located. Yet residents of Washington, D.C. and Loudoun County—who will never rely on this parking—helped determine its removal.

This is not just a communication gap. It’s a failure of democratic process. Local decisions should be shaped by the people directly affected, not outsiders who face none of the consequences.

Beyond Parking Restrictions: A Pattern of Poor Planning

This isn’t only about losing parking spaces. It reflects a broader problem: county initiatives that bypass the very neighborhoods they impact.

We support bicycle safety and environmental improvements. But real progress comes from balancing goals—not advancing one while disregarding others. A thoughtful approach would have recognized Halstead Glen’s parking challenges and engaged us in solutions that supported both cyclists and residents.

Our homeowners’ association contacted Supervisor Alcorn’s office and DesJardins in July requesting dialogue. On Aug. 20, Alcorn responded that he had asked VDOT and FCDOT “to maintain parking on 1 side of Center Harbor to accommodate street parking needs, but for whatever reason that obviously did not happen along the entire stretch.” DesJardins has not replied.

A Path Forward

Instead of removing all parking, Fairfax County should consider more balanced solutions—partial restoration of spaces, time-restricted parking, or permit systems. These measures would preserve bike safety while meeting residents’ daily needs, especially at night when demand is highest.

To move forward, we propose:

• Delay enforcement of new parking restrictions until meaningful community engagement occurs.

  
  

• Conduct a new parking impact study that reflects actual use.

• Host a public meeting where affected residents can share concerns and propose alternatives.

You Can Help

What happened to Halstead Glen could happen anywhere. Demand better engagement from county leaders. Contact Supervisor Walter Alcorn and Fairfax County Department of Transportation. Speak up at board meetings. Support our call for a parking impact study and a public forum.

We were steamrolled in this process. Let’s make sure your neighborhood isn’t next.

The author, Angie O’Grady, is a 32-year Halstead Glen resident.