December 20, 2021
Neighbors,
Today, Monday December 20 at 1pm is the deadline for comments to proposed redistricting maps for Virginia. This process will affect who represents us in the House of Delegates, State Senate, and United States House of Representatives for the next decade. Your voice matters - See below on how to provide comments.
In this newsletter, I’ve included information about:
Redistricting Comments Due December 20 at 1pm
Upcoming Town Halls
Transportation Updates
Northern Virginia Joint Transportation Meeting Comments
Metro 7000 Series Trains Back in Service
Preparing for Inclement Winter Weather
As always, let me know if you have questions or need assistance by calling my office at (804) 698-1042 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov.
Best, Kathy
Kathy KL Tran
Delegate, 42nd District
The Last Day to Comment on Redistricted Maps is Today, December 20 at 1:00pm
Today, December 20 at 1:00pm is the last day to submit public comment to the Virginia Supreme Court on their draft redistricting maps. There are two easy ways to comment on the maps: on the maps themselves or by email.
To submit comments directly on the maps, click on the "Add Comment" button on the interactive map. (Click the “SHOW ME HOW” button on the top right of the map to watch a video explaining how to add comments.) To submit comments by email, send your written comment to redistricting@vacourts.gov.
I strongly encourage you to review the proposed maps and see how your specific neighborhood and surrounding community will be affected. If you have questions about this process, my office would be happy to assist you.
Town Halls and Legislative Briefings
As I am preparing for the 2022 Legislative Session, I am hosting Town Halls, attending legislative briefings, and having one-on-one meetings with community and advocacy organizations. I hope you will share your priorities for our community!
Upcoming Town Halls
Thank you to everyone who took time to attend my town hall with Delegates Vivian Watts, Mark Sickles, and Paul Krizek last week.
Save the date and join us at upcoming Town Halls!
Saturday, January 8 at 9am
I will be participating in the annual Fairfax Delegation Public Hearing. It will be held in person at the Fairfax County Government Center. Registration information will be available a few days before the event.
Monday, January 10 at 6pm
I will be holding a virtual town hall with Senator George Barker and Senator Dave Marsden. Registration is open - Sign up here!
Legislative Briefings
Recently, my team and I have met with the Northern Virginia Community College, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County Public School Board, the Fairfax Education Association, FEA-Retired, Virginia Bankers Association, Arc of Virginia, disAbility Law Center of Virginia, Inova, Virginia Nurses Association, and Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater DC. It has been a busy few weeks!
Transportation Updates
Northern Virginia Joint Transportation Meeting Comments
My team and I attended the recent Northern Virginia Joint Transportation public meeting hosted by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, and Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and Virginia Railway Express.
If you missed the meeting, VDOT posted a recording of the video you can watch online. You can still submit comments about planned projects through January 7, 2022 on this online form, leave a voicemail at 703-721-8270, send an email to meetingcomments@vdot.virginia.gov (please reference “Northern Virginia Joint Transportation Meeting” in the subject line), or mail Ms. Maria Sinner at VDOT, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Metro 7000 Series Trains Back in Service
Metro announced that it plans on a tiered reintroduction of the 7000 series trains. It will begin with an introduction of 336 railcars and then a pause for 90 days while it tests the other cars.
Metro expects that the reintroduction of more railcars into the fleet will allow it to offer a more definitive service plan and improve reliability.
Preparing for Inclement Winter Weather
As the temperatures drop and snow becomes more likely, I’d like to share some resources with you to help you prepare for inclement weather. If you need any help or have questions about plowing or winter weather procedures, contact my office at (804) 698-1042 or email delktran@house.virginia.gov.
If you need any help or have questions about plowing or winter weather procedures, contact my office at (804) 698-1042 or email delktran@house.virginia.gov.
Community Resources
If you see someone who may be experiencing or at risk for hypothermia, call Fairfax County’s non-emergency Police phone number at 703-691-2131.
You can learn more about shelters and resources available through the Fairfax County Hypothermia Prevention Program here.
Transportation Resources
Road Conditions and Snow Plowing
You can check road conditions by calling 511 or visiting www.511virginia.org. A mobile app is available for download here.
For real time GPS updates on road conditions and snow plows click here.
More road updates and resources from Virginia's Department of Transportation in Northern Virginia can be found here. You can also follow VDOT on Twitter at @vadotnova.
See a problem? Report road hazards or ask a question by calling (800) FOR ROADS (800 367 7623). You can also report problems here.
Fairfax Connector
Sign up for email and/or text alerts for your routes through the Fairfax Connector BusTracker. You can also call Fairfax Connector customer service at 703-339-7200, TTY 703-339-1608 from Monday through Friday, from 5am to 10pm, and Saturday through Sunday, from 7am to 9pm. The Fairfax Connector will also post updates on Twitter at @ffxconnector and on Facebook.
Metro
You can sign up for alerts about MetroRail and MetroBus services at MetroAlerts or visit online Status and Alerts.
Power And Utilities
For electricity issues, you can reach Dominion Energy at (866) 366-4357 and see their outage map here. If you have a medical condition that requires electricity to address your health care needs, you can join Dominion’s Medical Condition List. To learn more or sign up, click here.
For gas issues, contact your gas provider. You can reach the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) at (888) 335-0500 or (703) 335-0500 and see their outage map here. You can reach Washington Gas at (800) 752-7520 or (703) 750-1400, and you can see their outage map here. You can reach Columbia Gas at (800) 544-5606.
School Cancellation
Fairfax County Public Schools will use email, text, website, other social media, and news stations to inform the public about status changes — but FCPS recommends following them on Twitter for the fastest mode of communication at @FCPSnews.