News
Draft FY 2023 Six Year Improvement Program (SYIP) Available
The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) has published the draft FY23 SYIP. The SYIP documents all transportation projects (roadway, transit, bike/pedestrian) that will be funded in the next six years in Virginia. Residents and localities in our region had an opportunity to review the projects in the draft SYIP, and provide comments to the Secretary of Transportation, our Staunton District CTB representative, VDOT and DRPT staff on Monday, May 2nd at Blue Ridge Community College. Localities in our region will receive funding through multiple funding programs for paving, bike and pedestrian, safety, and transit projects in the FY23 SYIP. The CTB will approve the FY23 SYIP at the June 22, 2022 meeting.
Localities Selected to Participate in Work from Home Pilot Program
This April, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) launched a Work from Home Pilot Program and selected three localities in the Central Shenandoah Region to participate: Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, and Highland County. (DHCD also selected the Town of Luray and Marion.) Through the Pilot Program, the National Main Street Center and Virginia Main Street will provide technical assistance to assess remote work and residential attraction as a community revitalization strategy. The program kicks off this May and will result in place-based recommendations and a feasibility report.
COVID-19 accelerated remote work trends and enabled many to relocate and telework. DHCD’s Work from Home Pilot Program will help localities pursue, prepare for, or respond to remote work migration. At a regional level, remote work has been discussed in terms of COVID-19 recovery and economic development. The CSPDC’s COVID-19 Economic Impact Report, prepared by Chmura Analytics, includes a remote work analysis, and information on telework plans, remote work trends, and broadband. More remote work resources are available on the CSPDC’s COVID-19 Recovery Webpage.
New Statewide Broadband Mapping Tool Unveiled
The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) recently revealed the statewide broadband mapping tool, ‘Commonwealth Connection’. This online tool developed by DHCD and Virginia Tech allows users to view broadband coverage in their area, filter the data by speed and technology type, find vertical assets and public WiFi hotspots, and conduct speed tests. The information is based on information submitted by internet service providers (ISPs) in Virginia and can be compared with FCC’s broadband coverage data. View this new mapping tool here.
CSPDC Staff to Present on Housing Programs at Shenandoah Valley Partnership Spring Forum
The Shenandoah Valley Partnership (SVP) will be hosting a Spring Economic Development Forum on Friday, May 20th from 9am-11am at Blue Ridge Community College’s Bettie Plecker Center. The meeting will center around housing challenges and opportunities in the Shenandoah Valley. Developers, local officials, housing providers, realtors, builders, and economic developers around the region are invited to attend.
CSPDC staff will be attending the event and will provide a brief presentation on the PDC’s housing programs and initiatives, including the PDC Housing Development Program, which provides affordable housing gap funds to regional housing developers, the upcoming Regional Housing Study, and the HOME Down Payment Assistance program. Local government representatives will present on policy changes they are implementing to provide expanded housing choices as well as the housing-related challenges they are facing. Additionally, SVP has invited experts from across the state, including representatives from Virginia Housing, to speak to the future of housing in the Shenandoah Valley.
FTA Awards CSPDC $1.2 Million for Transit Hub Rehabilitation
The Federal Transit Administration awarded CSPDC a $1.2 million Bus and Bus Facilities Discretionary Grant to rehabilitate the BRITE Transit Hub at 240 North Lewis Street in downtown Staunton. The federal grant is matched with state and local transit funds, and will rebuild the surface parking lot with a concrete bus lane, defined parking, ADA sidewalks and a passenger boarding area with shelters and safety lighting. CSPDC will also coordinate with public and private partners to install 4 electric vehicle charging stations on the lot. The PDC anticipates construction of the new Hub in 2023.