News
PDC Housing Development Program Update
The CSPDC’s PDC Housing Development Grant, which awarded a total of $1.66 million in gap funding for seven affordable housing developments in the region, has made significant process in recent months. As of April 2024, 27 of the 58 planned affordable housing units have been completed and are either occupied or prepared for occupancy, with the remaining 31 under construction or in pre-development.
Notable program updates for this quarter include:
- Construction was completed for 8 of the 19 affordable units planned for the Suter Street Development, a collaborative project between Central Valley Habitat for Humanity and PDY, LLC in Harrisonburg. The 8 completed affordable units are part of a total 10 units that were built on Suter Street by PDY, LLC, with the remaining two units being sold at a ‘below market’ rate. The 11 units being built by Central Valley Habitat are all under construction and will be completed over the next year.
- The Pump Street Apartments project, which provides 6 units of permanent supportive housing to extremely low-income individuals experiencing substance use disorder or chronic homelessness, was completed in this quarter. The project is fully leased.
- Project financing was completed for the Fairfax Hall renovation in Waynesboro, and construction is set to begin in late-April 2024.
- The Greenhouse Village Project, which will bring 8 affordable homeownership units to Rockbridge County, is well-underway, with several units either complete or in final construction phases.
All units will be completed no later than June 30, 2025.
Pictured Above: Completed Pump Street Apartments project in Staunton. This development was an adaptive-reuse project, converting a former local glass company into 6 affordable units and an office for local non-profit, Valley Supportive Housing. The six new units add to the existing six units already in place on the top floor of the building.
Attend the Spring 2024 Staunton District CTB SYIP Meeting
The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) will conduct a public meeting in the VDOT Staunton Construction District to give citizens the opportunity to provide comments on projects and programs to be included in the Fiscal Year 2025-2030 Six-Year Improvement Program (FY2025-2030 SYIP), including highway, rail and public transportation initiatives. These projects and programs represent important improvements to address safety, congestion and preservation of Virginia’s transportation network.
The Staunton District Spring Six Year Public meeting will start at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at Laurel Ridge Community College, 173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645. Formal public comment on projects proposed to be included in the SYIP will be accepted at the meeting. Written comments may also be submitted during the meeting, or they may be mailed or e-mailed afterwards and accepted until May 20, 2024.
If you cannot attend the meeting, you can submit your comments online, in writing to Infrastructure Investment Director at 1401 E. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219, or e-mail to Six-YearProgram@vdot.virginia.gov. For transit and public transportation, send your comments to DRPTPR@drpt.virginia.gov, Public Information Office, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation 600 East Main Street, Suite 2102, Richmond VA, 23219.
For more information, please visit https://www.ctb.virginia.gov/planning/springmeetings2024/default.asp.
Bath-Highland Network Authority Public Notice of a Meeting
On April 8, 2024, at 1:00 p.m., the Bath-Highland Network Authority will hold a meeting at the Bolar Ruritan Club, 38 Bolar Lane, Monterey, VA 24465. For more information about the meeting, please contact Steve Bolster at 540-885-5174 or steve@cspdc.org.
Bonnie Recognized for Service in the Region
On March 1, Bonnie was recognized for her 29 years of service to the region. Frank Friedman, Mayor of Lexington and vice-chair of the CSPDC, presented Bonnie with a Commendation from Delegate Ellen Campbell of the Virginia House of Delegates for her service to the Commonwealth and the region. Bonnie has retired as Executive Director of the CSPDC having worked with the CSPDC since 1994. Bonnie will stay on part-time until her replacement is hired.
2023 Afton Express Annual Report Now Available
The CSPDC is pleased to present the 2023 Annual Report for the Afton Express Commuter Bus Service. The Afton Express launched in September 2021 and has grown each year since. With just over two years of operations under our belt, the Afton Express has become a fixture in the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro community – connecting commuters from their homes in the Valley to jobs, healthcare, shopping, and other opportunities in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.
In 2023, the Afton Express provided 16,482 passenger trips between the Shenandoah Valley and the Charlottesville Metropolitan region – a nearly 60% increase from 2022. The report provides a look at some of the highlights of the year, such as the expanded schedule implemented in February 2023. Performance metrics, such as ridership by month, stops, and individual trips are also included.
A new feature in this year’s report looks at the impact of the Afton Express. Using data collected through our RideShare Commuter Assistance Program, we can quantify the impact of the service by looking at the reduction of single-occupancy vehicle trips, the amount of money saved by commuters, and emissions prevented. Of course, this analysis uses data collected from just a portion of our riders, so the actual impact is potentially even more significant.
When measuring our performance for the past year, the most important metric is how well are we meeting the needs of our riders. By surveying riders, we gain important insight into the passenger experience. Feedback from passengers plays an important role in the planning of future service enhancements. Responses to a rider survey helped us create a passenger profile. This information and more can be found in the report.
The Annual Report may be viewed online HERE.
The CSPDC would like to thank our partners, without whom the Afton Express would not be possible.