The Afton Express, a commuter bus service connecting Staunton, Fishersville, Waynesboro, Charlottesville, and Fifth Street Station in Albemarle County will begin operating September 1. Three buses, outfitted with Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, and bike racks, will be used to operate four morning and four afternoon service routes, five days a week. The first bus was painted silver and branded with the distinct Afton Express logo in June with others to soon follow. All rides will be free during the month of September. Standard fares, beginning October 1, will be $3 one way, with 10 ride farecards available for purchase for $25. A comprehensive marketing campaign for the bus service is scheduled to launch in late July. To stay up-to-date, “like” and “follow” the Afton Express on Facebook and Twitter.

A new source of funding through Virginia Housing will help the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) and its housing partners create more affordable housing units in the region. On July 13, Virginia Housing announced $40 million in grants to Virginia’s 21 Planning Districts. Based on its population, the CSPDC will receive $2 million over 3 years. The PDC Housing Development Program will promote regional approaches to planning and development, bring together local housing partners, and support housing projects that create new affordable housing units throughout the region. Through this opportunity, the CSPDC will work closely Virginia Housing and the region’s housing delivery partners including local governments, housing authorities, non-profit organizations, developers, and other groups working to address the need for affordable rental and homeownership housing units. The CSPDC plans to bring stakeholders together to launch the program this fall.

In February, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation awarded the City of Buena Vista a $78,000 grant to create a new public gathering place on the corner of 21st Street and Magnolia Avenue. Together the City and the ActionBV Committee (comprised of local citizens) plans to transform the site into a community Town Square, providing seating, bike racks, and outdoor recreation information. To promote the use of the Town Square site, ActionBV aided in the installation of a mural and hosted a public movie night in May.

The ActionBV Committee has also recently been accepted into the Citizens Institute on Rural Design’s (CIRD) cohort to begin redesigning and enhancing the entrance to Buena Vista’s River Walk. CIRD is a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts that empowers local citizens to use their unique artistic and cultural resources to guide local development.

Both projects support the revitalization of downtown and will create a more welcoming City for residents and visitors to enjoy. Community enhancement grant opportunities such as these are made available on the CSPDC Grant Resource Guide.