BRITE Celebrates Transit Equity Day
The BRITE bus system celebrated Transit Equity Day on Tuesday, February 4. This day of action honors Civil Rights activist and icon, Rosa Parks, for her commitment to dismantling inequality and racism. Park’s refusal to move to the back of the bus and subsequent arrest, helped spark the Montgomery bus boycotts in 1955, which then contributed to the 1956 Supreme Court decision decreeing bus segregation unconstitutional. The legacy of these battles highlights the importance of equity in public transportation. Public transit is a vital vein and resource to communities, giving access to jobs, appointments, shopping centers, and social gatherings, and historically, this critical infrastructure has not been equally accessible or available to all. February 4 is Rosa Park’s birthday, and Transit Equity Day honors her legacy and contributions to Civil Rights and the equal treatment of all individuals. To commemorate, all BRITE routes, including Afton Express, were fare-free on February 4.
Carrie Sensabaugh Joins CSPDC Staff
Carrie Sensabaugh, Administrative Assistant
Carrie Sensabaugh joined the CSPDC as Administrative Assistant in November 2024. Carrie brings extensive public and private sector administrative experience, working closely with Office & HR Manager Kimberly Miller to support the planners and finance team and ensure smooth office operations. A native of Augusta County, she balances her professional life with personal passions—enjoying beach getaways and spending time with her young golden retriever, Bella, and her cat, Lily. She looks forward to contributing to the PDC in her new role.
Rachel Kinzer Earns Chesapeake Urban Stormwater Professional Certification
Rachel Kinzer, Regional Planner
Regional Planner Rachel Kinzer recently earned a Chesapeake Urban Stormwater Professionals (CUSP) certificate from the Chesapeake Stormwater Network funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The certificate program covered essential topics in stormwater management and urban watershed restoration, from stormwater runoff impacts, implementing mitigation strategies, and improving local watershed management practices. Her training included hands-on learning through interactive engagements, live webinars, and study of municipal stormwater program operations. Rachel looks forward to applying key concepts from the program through her work with the CSPDC’s Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) program and the regional Hazard Mitigation Plan update.
Bath-Highland Network Authority Public Notice of a Meeting
On February 10, 2025, at 1:00 PM, the Bath-Highland Network Authority will hold an all-virtual meeting via Zoom in accordance with their Electronic Participation Resolution #2021-01 (amended July 10, 2023).
For more information about the meeting, please contact Rachel Kinzer at 540-885-5174 or rachel@cspdc.org.
Virginia Innovation Accelerator in Buena Vista Receives Additional IRF Funding
The Advancement Foundation received an additional $110,000 through the Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) program to support the ongoing renovation of the Virginia Innovation Accelerator (VIA). The funding will be used install an eight-inch interior sewer line and an exterior sewer main. This funding will supplement a $985,000 IRF grant and a $700,000 ARC grant The Advancement Foundation received earlier this year to convert the former Mundet building in downtown Buena Vista into space for small-scale manufacturing, commercial kitchen use, business acceleration, and product development. CSPDC staff are providing grant administration assistance for the project.