FROM: Delegate Kathy Tran

SUBJECT: Newsletter 12/22/22

December 22, 2022

Neighbors, 

My family and I wish a wonderful Hanukkah, very merry Christmas, and happy Kwanzaa to everyone celebrating - May your holiday season be peaceful and healthy, and I hope you ring in the New Year with joy!

In this newsletter, I’ve included information about the following:

  • Legislative Updates

    • Upcoming Town Halls

    • Recent Town Halls

    • Legislative Briefings

  • Community Updates

    • Lorton Community Action Center Site Visit

    • Investiture for Judge Dipti Pidikiti-Smith

  • Inclement Weather Resources

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

Legislative Updates

Upcoming Town Halls

The 2023 Legislative Session will begin in under three weeks, and I look forward to sharing my legislative agenda with you and to hear from you about your priorities for our community.

I will be hosting and participating in town halls throughout the legislative session. Watch my newsletter for opportunities to participate! 

Please save the calendar for our next town hall: 

Fairfax County Delegation Public Forum

Saturday, January 7, 2023

Fairfax County Government Center in Conference Room #11

9:00am

Register here!

Recent Town Halls

Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend my Pre-Session Town Hall and Ox Road Town Hall l, both held earlier this month! 

At my Pre-Session Town Hall, I shared my legislative agenda and we had a wide ranging conversation, touching on topics such as road and pedestrian safety, electric vehicles, mass transit, gun violence prevention, participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and redistricting. 

At my Ox Road/Route 123 Town Hall, I arranged to have VDOT and the Fairfax County Police Department attend. They responded to questions and concerns about the speed study that I requested VDOT conduct on Ox Road/Route 123 around Palmer Drive. I remain hopeful that the study and the input from community members during our town hall will lead VDOT to implement changes to make this stretch of road safer.

Legislative Briefings

I continue to attend briefings from various organizations to hear about their various priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

I joined many General Assembly colleagues at the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2068 at its Tom Simcoe Legislative Luncheon. Firefighters are critical to keeping our families and communities safe, and I will be supporting IAFF Local 2068’s legislative agenda of improving safety and health care for firefighters. 

I attended the annual legislative briefing by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, led by Chairman Jeff McKay and Supervisor James Walkinshaw. We work closely together before and during the session to make sure that Fairfax County’s needs are addressed. 

Community Updates

Lorton Community Action Center Visit

I had the opportunity to visit the Lorton Community Action Center’s new location with Senator George Barker and Delegate Mark Sickles.

LCAC provides critical supportive services to our neighbors who need food, clothing, and emergency financial assistance. Thanks to the staff at LCAC, including executive director Rob Rutland-Brown, for having us!

We also had a chance to tour the new Lorton Community Center and Lorton Library. I know these will be tremendous resources for our community and encourage you to visit if you have not yet had a chance to do so.

Investiture for Judge Dipti Pidikiti-Smith

It was an honor to co-present the judicial commission to Judge Dipti Pidikiti-Smith at her investiture to the Fairfax County General District Court with Senator Scott Surovell. 

Judge Pidikiti-Smith is an immigrant, mom of two young kids, a former lawyer with Legal Services of Northern Virginia, and an advocate for marginalized people. I worked with Judge Pidikiti-Smith prior to her election to the bench on legislation to expand language access in our state government and I am confident that she will serve with compassion and ensure all have equal access to justice. I congratulate Judge Pidikiti-Smith on her history-making election as the first Asian American to serve on this bench!

Inclement Weather Resources

We have winter weather approaching this weekend, and I want to ensure that you are prepared for it. Throughout the year, I keep a list of inclement weather resources on my website, which you can access at any time.

Community Resources and Cold Weather Shelters

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.

Additionally, with cold weather approaching, I want to make sure that your and your network are aware of cold weather shelters around our region. The Northern Virginia Regional Commission keeps a list of these shelters on their website. You can find them 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. 

Don’t travel during winter storms. The safest place is indoors! If you have to travel, follow these tips from VDOT:: 

  • Before beginning your trip, know the current road conditions and latest weather forecast.

  • Keep your car’s windows, mirrors and lights clear of snow and ice.

  • Be aware of potentially icy areas such as shady spots and bridges.

  • Keep a safe distance of at least five seconds behind other vehicles and trucks that are plowing the road.

  • Don’t pass a snowplow or spreader unless it is absolutely necessary. Treat these as you would emergency-response vehicles.

  • Keep an “emergency winter-driving kit” in your car.

  • Don’t text and drive – it’s a secondary offense in Virginia.

  • Make sure your vehicle is ready for winter. Check your:

    • Brakes and tires

    • Battery and ignition system

    • Antifreeze and thermostat

    • Windshield wipers and de-icing washer fluid

    • Headlights, tail and brake lights, blinkers and emergency flashers

    • Exhaust system, heater and defroster

    • Oil

  • Always wear your seatbelt!

For real time GPS updates on the progress of snowplows, click here. 

Report road hazards or ask a question by calling (800) FOR ROADS (800 367 7623). You can also report problems here.

I encourage you to follow Northern Virginia VDOT on Twitter for general updates and resources at @vadotnova.

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.

Utilities

For issues with electricity - You must report outages to Dominion Energy so that they are aware of your situation. 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 Washington Gas at (800) 752-7520 or (703) 750-1400, and you can see their outage map here. 

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.