Author Archive: host

Shenandoah Rail Trail Update

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While communities along the Shenandoah Rail Trail, a proposed 48.5-mile recreational trail between Broadway and Front Royal, await news on acquisition of the property from Norfolk Southern with funding in the Commonwealth’s FY 2023 budget, they continue to plan for the economic boost the trail will bring their way. The Harrisonburg Daily News Record reported on September 9th that business owners at the Trail’s southern terminus in Broadway are preparing to host visitors with new AirBnBs, restaurants, and expanded parking in Heritage Park. Additional visitor spending once the trail is complete is estimated at $32.3 million per year throughout the region, according to an economic impact analysis prepared for the Shenandoah Rail Trail Exploratory Partnership, an unincorporated coalition of public, private and non-profit organizations championing the project.
CSPDC is a member of the Shenandoah Rail Trail Partnership, and in 2021 assisted the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation with a feasibility study that evaluated the condition of the corridor, refined projected economic impacts of the trail, and developed cost estimates to construct and maintain the trail. For more information on the Trail, and to sign up for updates, visit https://shenandoahalliance.org/project/shenandoah-rail-trail-partnership/ .

September is Discover Transit Month & Afton Express Marks 1-Year Anniversary

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During September, the CSPDC and BRITE Transit are partnering with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to celebrate Discover Transit Month. September also marks the 1-year anniversary of the launch of the Afton Express. Throughout the month we will be highlighting local transit options and highlighting the success of Afton Express.

The Afton Express began operations on September 1, 2021, and in the last 365 days passengers took 8,174 trips between the Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro region and Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The service continues to grow each month, with recent monthly averages of 46 passenger trips per day.

We will be hosting events throughout the month to celebrate transit and thank our riders with pop-ups at Afton Express and BRITE Transit stops (September 15, 21, 22), fare free days (September 1 and 21), and a live radio broadcast from the Waynesboro Park and Ride Lot bus stop (September 29).

Both BRITE and Afton Express, along with others, provide necessary and valued transit services to our riders in the Central Shenandoah Planning District. Explore all the possibilities offered by transit agencies in our community at transitva.org! You can also celebrate Discover Transit Month by taking the Try Transit pledge, which will enter you in a sweepstakes for a chance to win tickets for the Amtrak Northeast Regional train or Virginia Breeze Bus Lines.

Celebrate with us on social media! Follow BRITE Transit, Afton Express, and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation on social media to stay up to date, and learn more about transportation connecting the Commonwealth at drpt.virginia.gov.

BRITE Transit | Facebook

Afton Express | Facebook

DRPT | Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) Public Meeting Comes to Staunton in September

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The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) monthly public meeting will be held at Hotel 24 in Staunton on September 20 and 21, 2022 beginning at 8:30 a.m. each day. On September 20 there will be presentations on topical state-related transportation issues. September 21 will include a public comment period at 8:30 a.m., followed by CTB action items.
The meeting is an opportunity for localities in our region to meet newly appointed at-large rural members Randy Laird and Thomas Lawson, both from the Shenandoah Valley, and the Staunton District at-large member Mark Merrill, along with other CTB members and the Secretary of Transportation, W. Sheppard Miller. The meeting agenda is typically released one week before the meeting date.

CSPDC Hosts Housing Focus Groups in Rockbridge Area

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The Regional Housing Study is well underway, and CSPDC staff in partnership with the Virginia Center for Housing Research (VCHR) have kicked off a series of focus groups and interviews with stakeholders across the region. On August 24th, CSPDC and VCHR staff went to Buena Vista to hold a day of focus groups with realtors, lenders, housing service providers, small, medium, and large employers, and university representatives in Rockbridge County, Buena Vista, and Lexington. During the sessions, staff provided an overview of the study timeline as well as preliminary data findings, and then opened the floor to participants to discuss the major housing-related challenges, barriers, gaps, and opportunities for growth in their area. Common themes included a lack of available housing inventory at all levels, the impact of the student population, opportunities for first-time homebuyers, and potential incentives for affordable housing development. CSPDC and VCHR staff also interviewed several large employers in the region to learn more about the housing needs of their staff.
The CSPDC and VCHR will continue holding focus groups and interviews through September. This qualitative information will compliment the data analysis and provide a regional context for interpreting data. Additionally, staff will continue to engage stakeholders that attended the focus groups by providing frequent updates on the study’s progress and allowing opportunities for stakeholder input.

Rockbridge Submits VATI Grants

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Rockbridge County submitted two 2023 Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) applications in August to bring universal, high-speed internet coverage to the County. The CSPDC assisted the County with both applications, and if awarded, the CSPDC will provide grant administration services for the County. Awards will be announced in late December 2022.

Rockbridge County submitted an application with co-applicant BARC Electric with a total project cost of $24,161,207 and VATI funding request of $16,154,509 to serve 1,413 locations. Rockbridge County submitted a second application with co-applicant Brightspeed with a total project cost of $11,112,180 and VATI funding request of $7,395,160 to serve 2,020 locations in the County.

 

VEDA Remote Work Panel Presentation Features CSPDC Localities

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Attracting the remote workforce is a new strategy for many communities, with the potential for big impacts on local economies without a big investment in infrastructure. The Fall Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA) Conference will feature a panel presentation with Main Street America, Virginia Main Street, the CSPDC, and the City of Buena Vista. The panel will highlight Virginia Main Street’s Remote Work Pilot Program and discuss how communities can identify existing assets and infrastructure needs to successfully attract and retain remote workers. This session will explore the key commonalities and unique market positions to inspire economic developers across the state.

CSPDC Planner, Grace Blanchard, will share efforts within the Central Shenandoah Region to analyze remote work trends and capture remote work related growth. The CSPDC has provided technical assistance to DHCD’s Work from Home Pilot Program, supporting studies in Harrisonburg, Highland, and Buena Vista. Additionally, the CSPDC’s COVID-19 Economic Impact Report, prepared by Chmura Analytics, includes a remote work analysis, and information on telework plans, remote work trends, and broadband are available on the CSPDC’s COVID-19 Recovery Webpage.

Dayton Downtown Planning Project Kicks Off

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On August 16th, the Town of Dayton hosted a public meeting to kick off their downtown revitalization initiative. Community members and business owners came out to hear about the Town’s plans to transform Downtown Dayton into a vibrant year-round destination and activity center. This marks the first step toward implementing the Community Development Block Grant the Town received from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. The Town is in process of assessing the existing conditions of their downtown properties. Once the assessment is completed at the end of September, the Town will advertise a request for proposals for a consultant to develop a revitalization plan that will guide the Town’s efforts to reenergize Dayton’s business district. The CSPDC is providing grant writing and administrative services.

BRITE Bus RFI 2022-001-Mobile Data Collection System

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Please click link:  RFI 2022-001

The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) administers the transit funds for the BRITE public transit system, and plans and manages the BRITE transit service(s). The CSPDC desires to implement a mobile data collection system (MDCS) for the BRITE transit vehicle fleet. The MDCS will be a foundational technology for BRITE operations, transitioning from more manual methods of collecting data while also providing a rich data source to support operations and planning. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain information from vendors with products designed to administer mobile data collection for fixed route bus transit vehicle fleets. It is the intent of the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) to use the RFI responses to develop system requirements and issue a formal Request for Proposal (RFP).

 

Central Shenandoah Pandemic Plan Unveiled

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In July 2020, the Central Shenandoah Region was awarded funding from the Economic Development Administration to complete a Pandemic Recovery and Resiliency Plan.  The purpose of the plan is to help guide the localities in the region in their economic recovery from the current COVID-19 pandemic and provide them with strategies to become more resilient to future shocks.  The planning process included analyzing critical data about the pandemic’s impacts, capturing local government, business, and non-profit organizations best practices to “weather the storm”, and creating strategies and practical actions that can be implemented to increase the resilience in our region.  The plan can be found on the CSPDC website HERE.