The Harrisonburg Rockingham Metropolitan Planning Organization (HRMPO) has successfully concluded its FY24 Dinkel Avenue-Friedens Church Road Study. Led by consultants Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB), in collaboration with VDOT and local authorities, this comprehensive analysis evaluated the 3.28-mile corridor stretching from I-81 Exit 240 in Rockingham County to Main Street (Route 42) in the Town of Bridgewater. HRMPO goals for this study were to align the future projected land uses of this corridor with the transportation infrastructure by balancing multimodal needs with existing freight traffic and other demands.

VHB conducted a comprehensive analysis of existing conditions, followed by future travel demand forecasts based on anticipated land and developed proposed typical roadway cross sections. This study was completed as a companion to Rockingham County Comprehensive Plan updates that occurred during the same time period. The study identified several opportunities for future analysis, including periodic reassessments as the corridor develops, a potential traffic control device study at key intersections, and an access management study to optimize traffic flow and safety. These additional studies will help ensure the corridor’s infrastructure continues to meet the community’s evolving needs.

The CSPDC worked closely with the project team, providing transportation data and feedback throughout the process.

The finalized report can be found here: https://hrvampo.org/current-studies/dinkel-avenue-friedens-church-road-corridor-study/

The CSPDC previously announced in October 2023 that The Advancement Foundation (TAF) President Annette Patterson was selected as 1 of 40 Fellows for the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) Appalachian Leadership Institute (ALI), their fifth annual class. Last month, Ms. Patterson graduated from the ALI after completing the 10-month program that included six skill-building seminars, conducting field visits across Appalachia, and a capstone event in Washington, D.C. The Class of 2023-24 meets again in September for an opportunity to work together at an ALI alumni network session in North Carolina.

The ALI is a leadership training opportunity that trains Appalachian community leaders to use economic development as a tool to propel positive change. As a result of the program, ALI graduates are better equipped to drive collaborative solutions to the biggest challenges faced in the Appalachian region. The CSPDC congratulates Ms. Patterson and her classmates on a job well done! We look forward to our continued collaboration with Ms. Patterson and TAF staff on the next phase of the Virginia Innovation Accelerator project. Approved plans include converting the former 38,000 square-foot Mundet building in Buena Vista into a space for small-scale manufacturing, commercial kitchen use, business acceleration, and product development. The space also will promote training, outdoor recreation, tourism, and community events.

For more information on the ARC ALI, please contact them directly at leadership@arc.gov, (202) 884-7700, or visit https://www.arc.gov/academies-and-institutes/leadership/.

The Town of Elkton was awarded a $155,000 grant from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation for Phase II of the Downtown Marketplace project to improve greenspace. The funding focuses on improving downtown greenspace and tree canopy cover and providing outdoor recreation and engagement amenities such as pathways, sitting areas, a sensory play area, a pollinator garden, and a native tree identification path.

The CSPDC provided application assistance through the PDC’s Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) program, which facilitates the implementation of tree planting and other best practices that enhance water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) will be expanding the Virginia Breeze bus lines with a new east-west route connecting Harrisonburg and Virginia Beach in 2025. The Tidewater Current will be the fifth Virginia Breeze route launched by DRPT, which has seen great success with its other four routes that operate north-south bi-directional service 365 days a year. The Virginia Breeze links rural and urban communities across the Commonwealth.

The Tidewater Current will include potential stops in Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, New Kent, Williamsburg, Newport News, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. A one-way ride on the Tidewater Current is estimated to take less than seven hours, and ticket prices will be determined closer to the launch date.

Other Virginia Breeze routes include the Valley Flyer, Blacksburg to Washington, D.C.; the Capital Connector, Martinsville to Washington, D.C.; the Piedmont Express, Danville to Washington, D.C.; and the Highlands Rhythm, Bristol to Washington, D.C. For additional information on the Virginia Breeze, visit www.virginiabreeze.org.

Over the past several weeks, CSPDC staff coordinated with local governments, regional authorities and service organizations, and other community stakeholders to identify and appoint personnel to the CSHMP Steering Committee. The Steering Committee members will provide their local knowledge to inform the plan’s development by prioritizing which threats and hazards to focus on, reviewing local mitigation strategies that address identified risks, encouraging public input (future survey), and facilitating the adoption of the FEMA-approved CSHMP by the 21 local jurisdictions served by the CSPDC.

The CSHMP identifies threats, hazards, and vulnerabilities within the CSPDC region. It also communicates locally developed mitigation strategies geared to make communities more resilient. Furthermore, having a FEMA-approved and locally adopted Hazard Mitigation Plan allows the area’s jurisdictions to apply for hazard mitigation grant funds.

The first meeting will be held Tuesday, July 16, 2024 from 10 AM to 12 PM at the Augusta Community Care building (conference rooms 1-3 on first floor) located at 64 Sports Medicine Drive in Fishersville. Additional meetings are planned for October 2024 and March 2025. Contact Senior Planner Steve Bolster at steve@cspdc.org or (540) 885-5174 ext. 112 if seeking additional information.