Key Takeaways
Date, time, place: Feb. 10, 2026, Fredericksburg City Council meeting
- What happened: Council members promoted FAMPO’s Transportation Goals and Needs Survey, open through March 6, 2026.
- Why it matters: The survey will guide the 2055 Long Range Transportation Plan, influencing which regional projects receive federal and state funding.
- Who drove the news: Council member Will B. Mackintosh, Fredericksburg’s representative to FAMPO.
Full Coverage
Residents in Fredericksburg, Stafford County, and Spotsylvania County have until March 6 to weigh in on what transportation improvements the region should prioritize over the next 30 years.
The Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, or FAMPO, launched its Transportation Goals and Needs Survey on Jan. 23 as the first step in updating the region’s 2055 Long Range Transportation Plan. The online survey takes about five to 10 minutes to complete and is available through ArcGIS Survey123.
FAMPO is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for the Fredericksburg region. It coordinates long-range planning for highways, transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, freight, and air quality. Federal law requires metropolitan regions to maintain a long-range transportation plan, updated every four to five years, in order to remain eligible for certain state and federal transportation funds.
The current plan looks ahead to 2055 and will eventually include growth forecasts, project lists, and funding priorities. The survey now open to the public will help establish the plan’s goals and identify major transportation needs across the region.
“This is the moment where you get to share your complaints, your frustrations, your hopes, your dreams for transportation in Fredericksburg,” said Council member Will B. Mackintosh during Tuesday night’s meeting. “Everybody has complaints about our traffic. And so if you have any complaints about traffic or you have ideas about what you would like to see, this is the time.”
The survey asks residents to provide feedback on seven proposed transportation goals and to identify specific gaps, corridors, or problem areas. Participants can also suggest new goals or priorities. According to FAMPO, the responses will inform the vision and needs assessment phase of the 2055 plan before staff move into developing scenarios and project recommendations.
Traffic congestion remains one of the most frequently cited concerns in the Fredericksburg area, particularly along Interstate 95, Route 3, and U.S. 1. The region’s growth and its role as a commuter hub for Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area continue to strain existing infrastructure.
Council member Jannan W. Holmes said the survey offers a way to channel those frustrations into formal planning. “Everybody has complaints about our traffic,” Holmes said. “This will be shaping the transportation of our region for the next 30 years.”
Council member Susanna R. Finn encouraged residents to spread the word before the deadline. “You got a little bit of time, but encourage your friends,” she said.
The survey is mobile-friendly and accessible through links shared on city and FAMPO social media channels, including Instagram and Facebook. Promotional materials, including QR codes and downloadable flyers, are also available on FAMPO’s website. Mackintosh said residents who complete the survey can email him for a limited-edition sticker while supplies last.
FAMPO stated in its outreach materials that it “needs the public’s help to develop transportation goals and needs” and that the survey allows participants to help plan their community’s future in just a few minutes.
The 2055 update follows adoption of the region’s 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan in March 2022. The new plan is expected to move through additional public engagement, draft development, and eventual adoption over the next two years.
The survey promotion comes as regional leaders focus heavily on infrastructure and economic competitiveness. Earlier in the same council meeting, officials discussed the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, which also identified congestion and transportation coordination as key priorities for future growth.
Residents can access the survey through FAMPO’s website at fampo.gwregion.org. Questions about the process may be directed to FAMPO through the George Washington Regional Commission.
The survey closes Friday, March 6, 2026.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Potomac Local News editors for accuracy and clarity.
