The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) is seeking quotes on the purchase of bus shelters and benches in support of the BRITE transit service.
The Request for Quote (RFQ) document can be accessed here.
Category Archives: News
Transportation Study Public Open House Set for July 19 in Dayton
Bicycle and buggy access in Rockingham County and the Town of Dayton to be discussed.
Eleven Transportation Alternatives Program/Safe Routes to School Projects Funded in Central Shenandoah Region
Mix of school, recreation, and urban improvements will enhance nonmotorized travel options.
STAUNTON (June 20, 2018) —The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) announced today that eleven Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)/Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects have been awarded funding for FY2019-2020. Projects include the City of Lexington’s plan to improve pedestrian access to Lylburn Downing Middle School; creation of a Bike Boulevard in the City of Harrisonburg; construction of a trail connecting two parks and the library in the Town of Bridgewater; and completion of the third phase of the City of Waynesboro’s South River Greenway.
TAP/SRTS helps fund community-based programs and projects that expand nonmotorized travel choices and enhance the transportation experience by improving the cultural, historical and environmental aspects of the transportation infrastructure. The program covers on- and off-street bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects (bike lanes, sidewalks, multi-use paths), as well as Safe Routes to School infrastructure projects.
“This year’s Transportation Alternatives Program/Safe Routes to School grant awards in the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) region are an excellent mix of alternative transportation improvements around schools, in cities, and throughout recreation areas. A well-rounded slate of projects like this is a great use of the TAP/Safe Routes program,” said Frank Friedman, chair of the CSPDC Board of Commissioners and Mayor of city of Lexington.
The TAP/SRTS projects were approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board on June 20, 2018 as part of the FY2019-2024 Six-Year Improvement Program. A total of eleven Transportation Alternatives and Highway Safety Improvement Program projects totaling $2,553,900 from the CSPDC region were funded in the recently approved plan.
CSPDC staff assists member jurisdictions with grant writing, providing supporting resolutions, and coordinating application materials in each transportation planning cycle. For more information contact Ann Cundy, (540) 885-5174, ann@cspdc.org.
2018 Draft Virginia Outdoors Plan Available for Comment
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has announced the release of the draft 2018 Virginia Outdoors Plan , which is Virginia’s comprehensive planning document for land conservation, outdoor recreation, and open-space planning.
DCR is accepting comments until June 29. For comments to be considered, they must be submitted through the DCR web portal. Please be aware that this is a draft document and still has additional formatting to occur. DCR requests that comments be focused on content only.
Chesapeake Bay WIPIII Development Underway
The Commonwealth will soon begin the Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) to determine pollution control measures needed to fully restore the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers to ensure they are in place no later than 2025. A major component of this process is the engagement of localities, Soil & Water Conservation Districts, and many other stakeholders in order to provide them with the opportunity to refine and identify best management practices and programmatic actions, at regional scales, that will meet local area planning goals. The CSPDC will be working in conjunction with Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to develop the District’s implementation of the Phase III WIP based on coordination with localities within the District. The development of the plan will begin in June 2018 and wrap-up in December 2018.
GO Virginia Approves Cyber Security Proposal
The GO Virginia State Board met on June 12 and approved Region 8‘s proposal to fund a Cyber Security Workforce and Jobs Program. GO Virginia funding in the amount of $200,000 and matched with $200,000 in local funds will be used to develop a self-paced hands-on cyber security training program at Blue Ridge Community College. The goal of the program is to train and credential 50 Tier I cyber security analysts over a 2-year period. Graduates of the program will be placed in jobs that have an average wage of $54,000.
National Bike Month Activities Throughout the Area
May is National Bike Month , an annual celebration to increase awareness and participation in bicycling as a healthy, economic, and sustainable transportation option. The CSPDC, along with its Bike the Valley and Rideshare Programs, are assisting the City of Staunton and Harrisonburg’s Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition with events and activities on Bike to Work Day, May 18th. The Staunton Bike/Walk to Work Commuter Breakfast will be held downtown at the Wharf parking lot from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Harrisonburg’s event will be at Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. Both events are free!
Visit Bike the Valley and Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition for updates on activities being held throughout May in addition to Bike to Work Day, including: Ice Cream Ride, Glowstick Ride on the Bluestone Trail, the Bike, Run, Sweat and Beers Ride, and the annual Ride of Silence. For more information on Staunton and Harrisonburg’s Bike/Walk to Work Day events and the CSPDC’s regional bicycle and pedestrian program, contact Ann Cundy ann@cspdc.org.
VAPDC and VAMPO Host Joint Workshop on June 8
The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) and the Virginia Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (VAMPO) will host a joint training conference on Friday, June 8, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The training conference will bring in state and federal speakers to discuss several planning topics including transportation and bike-ped planning, broadband opportunities, housing programs, and Title VI/Civil Rights training. To view a copy of the agenda and to register for the workshop, please click here .
GO Virginia Announces Next Round of Proposals
The GO Virginia Region 8 Council is now accepting proposals for projects to be funded through the Commonwealth’s GO Virginia initiative to grow and diversify regional economies. GO Virginia is an initiative by Virginia’s senior business leaders to foster private-sector growth and job creation through state incentives for regional collaboration by business, education, and government. The Region 8 Council has approximately $828,000 in per capita GO Virginia funds to award for collaborative projects that involve two or more localities and a private sector partner. Projects should be focused on the targeted industries and eligible activities identified in Region 8’s Growth and Diversification Plan . In addition to the per capita funds, approximately $11.3 million in competitive statewide GO Virginia funds are also available for projects where two or more GO Virginia regions partner.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the project application guide available on the Shenandoah Valley Partnership website prior to completing an application. The upcoming application deadlines are June 1, 2018, for per capita and competitive applications, and August 3, 2018, for per capita applications.
Click here for Region 8 Application Process Infographic.
Chesapeake Bay WIP III Begins
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has begun phase III of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP III). The State is required to submit a draft plan to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in March 2019 that will ensure pollution control measures needed to fully restore the Bay are in place no later than 2025.
DEQ has contracted with the CSPDC (and 14 other PDCs across the state) to assist the Non-MS4 localities in the region with refining and identifying Best Management Practices (BMPs) and programmatic actions, at regional levels, that will meet local area planning goals for the WIP. Our process will begin in June 2018 and wrap-up in December 2018.
A parallel process with the agricultural community will be taking place with services and technical assistance provided by the Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
For more information on this project and next steps please contact Liza Vick (540-885-5174), regional planner, at the CSPDC.