Coming Soon in 3-6 Years to South Reston: Those New-Fangled Sidewalks!

Some 40-plus years after Reston was formed as a New Town(tm), a place that would drastically alter the pattern of suburban development across the country, folks who live on Soapstone Drive in South Reston will soon see the Next Big Thing, the latest manifestation of the next wave of radically new suburban land-use theory.

Yes, we're talking sidewalks.

Fairfax County recently started to review the need for a sidewalk along Soapstone Drive between South Lakes and Glade drives in Reston. Though construction of the sidewalk could be several years away, the county is currently seeking the public's input on the project.

Once they have finished collecting input, planners will formulate a few design options that will be presented to the public at community meetings later this year or early next year, she said.

"Most of Reston doesn't have sidewalks—it has trails in the woods, but not a lot of sidewalks," said Chris Wells, pedestrian program manager for the county department of transportation. "Today looking at it, I could see the need for a sidewalk."

We're glad they're giving people time to really wrap their minds around this. It's not like anyone has ever seen a continuous strip of pavement intended for pedestrian use before, after all. Never fear, though, because something this innovative can't be built overnight, except in tract housing developments, where they're often built in one freaking day.

If a sidewalk is requested, it could take from three to six years for the construction to be completed, Wells said. He said the length of time varies based on how complicated the project is, and he and Adams said there are concerns about parking along the road.

Ah. There's the rub.