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At the April 18, 2025, VRE Operations Board meeting, planners unveiled a sweeping System Plan that would transform VRE from a traditional commuter service into a true regional backbone — connecting communities across the region with frequent, reliable rail service.
A 30-day warning period for photo red light enforcement at the intersection of Liberia Avenue and Richmond Avenue in Manassas will begin on May 1, 2025.
After the warning period ends on June 1, 2025, active enforcement will start, and citations will be issued to violators. Each potential violation will be reviewed by a Manassas City Police Officer before a citation is issued.
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – At one time, the Fredericksburg Visitors’ Center at the corner of Charlotte and Caroline Streets and the little parking lot next door were an adequate place for visitors to park. Last year, the Visitor’s Center relocated to a larger space a block away. The parking lot is now under new ownership, and access to the lot has been restricted. However, not everyone received the notice, so parking enforcement rolls in, which some see as unwarranted.
“I have heard of people being towed,” said Simon Jones, who called the signs “very unclear.” He had a latte from “Anita’s Café” next door to the lot, and the owner, Anita Crossfield, agrees that the signage needs to be clearer. She’s seen cars being towed from the lot, especially on holidays. “It’s not clear,” she said, and an updated version of the sign needs to be included. The new owners should do that, Anita said.
STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. — Reckless street racing between a juvenile and his father resulted in a crash on Courthouse Road Tuesday evening, knocking out power to 2,000 Stafford County residents.
Deputies responded to the 1500 block of Courthouse Road at about 6:25 p.m. on April 22, 2025, after a Ford Mustang struck and toppled a utility pole. Witnesses told Deputy X.D. Bates, the Mustang, was speeding when the juvenile driver lost control, narrowly missing a child playing nearby. Moments later, a green Porsche arrived on the scene, driven by the juvenile’s father, who transported the teen from the area.
The Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC), a panel advising the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO), voted 9-4 in favor of a new option, informally dubbed “CTAC Option C.” The route would use Celebrate Virginia Parkway in Stafford County and cross the river where one of the previously studied alternatives—Option D—was proposed.
During a presentation at the April 21 FAMPO Policy Committee meeting, CTAC member Al Watkins said the new route was the result of “many, many, many hours” of analysis by committee members. The preferred alternative aims to reduce environmental impacts, minimize new road construction, and improve regional traffic flow between Stafford County and the City of Fredericksburg.
Transportation Director Rick Canizales announced a new series of public town halls during a recent episode of the Potomac Local News podcast. The sessions, to be held throughout the county, will provide residents with an opportunity to discuss their ideas, priorities, and concerns directly with transportation planners.
“We want to know what they want to see in the future,” said Canizales. “Not just what we already have going on. This is the first step in building a transportation network that’s truly community-driven.”
The closure will begin at 8 p.m. Sunday and last through 6 a.m. Monday, April 7. VDOT crews will replace a drainage pipe underneath the roadway during this time. Drivers will be detoured along a 10-mile route using Route 610 (Garrisonville Road), Route 643 (Joshua Road), and Route 627 (Mountain View Road).
Once the road reopens early Monday morning, crews will return to the site at 9 a.m. to apply new asphalt. One-way, alternating traffic will be directed through the area during the paving work, with a flagging crew managing the flow of vehicles.
On Thursday afternoon, a single-vehicle crash brought down power lines and shut down a heavily traveled portion of Route 610 (Garrisonville Road).
According to Stafford County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Ryan Wilbur, the crash occurred in the 1200 block of Garrisonville Road, between Tech Parkway—near the WaWa gas station—and Joshua Road, by a Tractor Supply store.
Updated 10 a.m. – A Stafford County Sheriff’s deputy was injured early Tuesday morning after being struck by a vehicle that fled the scene.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred around 6:15 a.m. on northbound Interstate 95 near the Warrenton Road (Route 17) exit ramp. The deputy, who was operating a department-issued motorcycle, was stationary and stuck in traffic as he exited the interstate when an unidentified vehicle struck him from behind and continued driving.
