News
Lewis Street Transit Hub Recognized with National Civic Improvement Award
The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) is proud to announce that the Lewis Street Transit Hub has been honored with a Civic Improvement Commendation from the Garden Club of America. The award recognizes “outstanding efforts which enhance, protect, or restore the local environment and improve the community.”
The Augusta Garden Club, a local chapter affiliated with the Garden Club of Virginia, nominated the project for this national honor. The club praised the thoughtful transformation of the site, particularly highlighting the use of native plants as an added value to the project.
In the nomination letter, the club’s Awards Chairman Marie Thomas shared, “This project has it all – improvement of an eyesore, proper use of governmental grants, and sensitivity to the needs of the neighborhood and travelers. This area was formerly an abandoned space that the Planning Commission has incorporated into a lovely green space to allow beauty and peace for citizens who use public transportation.”
The CSPDC team, represented by Ann Cundy and Paula Melester, accepted the award on April 9, 2025 during the Augusta Garden Club’s April meeting. In reflecting on the achievement, Ms. Melester emphasized that the award is a celebration of the entire project team — from funding partners, to the landscape architects and engineers at Kimley-Horn and Associates, the City of Staunton, and the contractors who brought the vision to life.
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of everyone involved, the Lewis Street Transit Hub now proudly carries the title of an “Award-Winning” site, enhancing the community and providing a welcoming space for transit users.
Congratulations to all who contributed to this transformational project!
The Lewis Street Transit Hub Rehabilitation was funded through a Federal Transit Administration Bus and Bus Facilities (5339) grant matched with state funding provided by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). You can read more about the project here.
SAWMPO Completes Phase II of Long-Range Transportation Plan Update
The Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (SAWMPO) is updating the 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), a comprehensive strategy designed to guide transportation investments across the region over the next 25 years. This plan aims to address the evolving mobility needs of the community, ensuring a more connected, safe, and efficient transportation network.
The LRTP is updated every five years through a multi-phase process emphasizing public involvement. The 2050 update kicked off in August 2024 and includes three phases of public engagement. Phase I – the visioning phase – was completed in Fall 2024. You can read more about Phase I here.
Building on initial insights, during Phase II SAWMPO presented a list of potential transportation projects for public review. Over 200 comments were received via an interactive map hosted on the CSPDC’s new public engagement platform CSPDC Connects.
MPO staff spoke to elected officials and community members directly about the proposed project list. Staff presented the proposed list at Staunton City Council, Waynesboro City Council, and the Augusta County Board of Supervisors meetings and held three public meetings in Staunton, Waynesboro, and Stuarts Draft where they answered questions from residents about the proposed projects.
The next phase involves developing a draft plan incorporating public feedback and project evaluations. This draft will be available for community review and input later this year before finalization.
CSPDC Housing Study Topic of JMU Stakeholder Discussion
On April 29th, JMU’s Office of Economic & Community Development hosted a discussion session on the CSPDC’s Regional Housing Study. The session provided space for local housing planners, service providers, real estate, and finance partners to engage with the Housing Study’s data and recommended solutions more deeply. Twenty community leaders collaboratively worked through two case studies with the goal of identifying next steps community partners can pursue to address our region’s housing issues. This is the first of a series of quarterly discussion sessions JMU will host over the next year on a variety of pressing community topics.
Waynesboro Traffic Playground Holds Ribbon Cutting
On May 3, 2025, the City of Waynesboro held a ribbon cutting for the new Rotary Traffic Playground at 101 Short Street. The facility features a small-scale road network with traffic signs, crosswalks and a roundabout. The Playground is designed for bicycle safety education and serves as a controlled environment where children or new riders can practice cycling skills before transitioning to public roads or the adjacent South River Greenway.
The Rotary Club of Waynesboro, the Waynesboro Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Central Shenandoah Valley Office on Youth partnered on the Playground. The Shenandoah Valley Art Center created murals for the Playground, while local fourth grade elementary students provided design input that was incorporated into the final layout.
The facility is open to bicycles, scooters, and electric-assist equipment. Users are expected to follow basic traffic rules such as riding on the right side of the road and obeying all posted signs.
For more information about operating hours and rules, visit: https://www.waynesboro.va.us/2275/Rotary-Traffic-Playground
GO Virginia Region 8 Hosts Project Pipeline Brainstorming Sessions
GO Virginia Region 8 recently wrapped up a series of four Project Pipeline Brainstorming Sessions. Community members, employers, chamber representatives, economic developers, industry leaders, and other regional stakeholders came together to identify local needs, propose project ideas, and collaborate on solutions within GO Virginia’s key focus areas: startup ecosystems, cluster scale-up, workforce development, and site/infrastructure development. The sessions, held at Laurel Ridge Community College, the Shentel Center, the VA Innovation Accelerator, and the Shenandoah Valley Partnership office explored the GO Virginia grant process and upcoming funding opportunities while brainstorming potential projects that may be eligible for GO Virginia funding.
GO Virginia is a statewide business-led economic development initiative with funding to invest in collaborative projects that lead to high-paying jobs. The mission of GO Virginia is to encourage collaboration among business, education, and government. GO Virginia Region 8, one of nine regions in Virginia, includes the CSPDC’s ten cities and counties plus another 6 localities to the north.