The Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (SAWMPO) is studying how to address congestion and safety issues at I-81 Exit 235 along Weyers Cave Road (VA 256) between Triangle Drive and Route 11 near Blue Ridge Community College.

The survey is seeking public input on the area’s congestion and safety needs, and the proposed
solutions. The survey responses will inform the final study recommendations. The survey is
available online from December 3 to December 22, 2021 at: http://metroquestsurvey.com/lj7e7d

Weyers Cave Road at I-81 Exit 235 serves regional destinations such as Blue Ridge
Community College and the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport. During peak travel times,
traffic back-up on the interstate bridge makes it difficult to turn left onto the I-81 north and south
bound ramps, and to access Route 11.

Those unable to access the online survey can provide comments about the I-81 Exit 235 study
in the following ways:

• By email: zach@cspdc.org
• By mail: Write to Zach Beard, Transportation Planner, CSPDC/SAWMPO, 112 MacTanly
  Place, Staunton, VA 24401.
• By phone: Call 540-885-5174, ext. 117. Voice mail will be recorded and transcribed.

The SAWMPO is the regional transportation planning organization for Staunton, Augusta
County, and Waynesboro, and consists of representatives from local, state and federal
governments, transit agencies, transportation providers, and other stakeholders. For more
information, visit sawmpo.org.

Every two years, eligible applicants in our region submit project applications for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), which funds non-motorized transportation projects like sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails. The CSPDC partnered with multiple local governments to submit eight TAP applications by the October 1, 2021 deadline. VDOT will review the applications and announce project awards in spring 2022.

On behalf of the Bath-Highland Network Authority (BHNA), the CSPDC applied for 2022 VATI funds with MGW serving as co-applicant to bring universal broadband coverage to Bath and Highland counties. The over $10 million project will deploy last mile fiber to 2,470 locations in both counties.

The CSPDC also assisted Rockbridge County with their 2022 VATI application consisting of two projects totaling over $21 million. BARC Electric and the Rockbridge Area Network Authority (RANA) served as co-applicants in the proposal that includes two projects providing high-speed internet to 2,338 premises located in remote areas with difficult topography.

Augusta and Rockingham counties partnered with six other counties in the northern Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont region on a $300M VATI broadband project. If funded, All Points Broadband, Dominion Energy, and Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative will work together to deploy fiber-to-the-home infrastructure to 42,693 locations in the eight-county region.

Awards are expected to be announced in December 2021.

Local government representatives gathered in the Town of Elkton for the CSPDC’s Rural Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (RTTAC) to discuss transportation planning issues and tour several sites in the Town. In attendance were representatives from the counties of Augusta, Rockbridge, Rockingham, the towns of Elkton and Timberville, and the City of Buena Vista.

The meeting featured a roundtable discussion with VDOT Staunton District staff regarding transportation grant funding opportunities. The meeting concluded with a walking tour of a potential site for the Town’s planned greenway trailhead, and the newly renovated Jennings House, a 180-year old historic building now serving as Town Hall.

The RTTAC meets every quarter and facilitates regional coordination for smaller communities on transportation-related issues. The next RTTAC meeting is scheduled for December 16, 2021.

The CSPDC/BRITE Transit Development Plan (TDP) kicked off at the BRITE Transit Advisory Committee’s (BTAC) September meeting. The BTAC serves as the advisory committee for developing the plan with KFH Group serving as lead consultant. During the kick-off meeting, KFH Group reviewed the scope of work and schedule for the plan, as well as discussed unmet transit needs in the service area and the existing BRITE transit goals.

A TDP is a state required, multi-year planning document that is intended to provide direction for a transit system and its community partners. The planning process identifies transit needs, develops potential improvements, and identifies the resources needed to implement the projects.

The CSPDC welcomes new Fiscal Technician, Joe McDonald. Joe received his BS degree in Accounting from Ball State University and Master’s degree in Accountancy from Indiana University. Joe has over 45 years of experience working as a farmer, restaurant owner, accountant, and financial analyst, including 8 years in accounting at Anheuser-Busch and 6 years with A-B’s major glass supplier Saint-Gobain Containers. Most recently, Joe worked as the controller at Harrisonburg -Rockingham Free Clinic. A native Virginian, Joe and his wife, Elissa, reside in Staunton, with their rescue Labradors and barn cats.