City of Falls Church Launches $10M Smart Cities Program

The City of Falls Church, in partnership with Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute, has officially launched the first phase of its $10 million Smart Cities Program, aimed at transforming the city into a model for future urban innovation. The initiative, funded by a grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia and administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation, seeks to enhance transportation safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

Falls Church will deploy cutting-edge technologies like smart intersections, adaptive lighting, and connected vehicles to improve safety, traffic flow, and public transportation efficiency. The city’s infrastructure will also be prepared for the future integration of automated vehicles.

This summer, the project started with the upgrade of traffic signals along Broad Street, one of the city’s major corridors, to address safety concerns and optimize traffic flow. The second phase, scheduled from Fall 2024 to Winter 2025, will expand these upgrades to include key intersections at West Broad, Haycock, and the West Falls Church Metro Station, integrating them into the ongoing redevelopment efforts.