Tag Archives: Lewis Street Hub

CSPDC Honored at ACEC Virginia Engineering Excellence Awards

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Pictured Left to Right: Jeff LaHood, Jon Oliver, Chloe Harwood, Paula Melester, Ann Cundy, Duncan Stewart, and Alan Saunders

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia recognized CSPDC with a Merit Award for the Lewis Street Transit Hub Project at the 2026 Engineering Excellence Awards Gala on February 5th. The gala, held at the Dewey Gottwald Center at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, celebrated outstanding engineering achievements across the Commonwealth. CSPDC’s Executive Director, Ann Cundy and Director of Transportation Paula Melester joined Lewis Street Hub project team members Duncan Stewart (MBP), Alan Saunders (DRPT), and Chloe Harwood, Jeff LaHood, and Jon Oliver (all of Kimley-Horn) for the evening’s festivities. Paula and Jeff LaHood accepted the award on behalf of the project team. 

The Lewis Street Transit Hub, completed in August 2024, represents a significant investment in BRITE Transit’s regional infrastructure and passenger experience. The Merit Award recognizes the project’s achievement in innovation, complexity, and value — a testament to the strong collaborative effort among CSPDC, Kimley-Horn, MBP, and DRPT throughout planning, design, and construction. CSPDC is proud to share this recognition with all the partners who helped bring this important transit facility to life. 

Lewis Street Transit Hub Recognized with National Civic Improvement Award

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The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) is proud to announce that the Lewis Street Transit Hub has been honored with a Civic Improvement Commendation from the Garden Club of America. The award recognizes “outstanding efforts which enhance, protect, or restore the local environment and improve the community.”

The Augusta Garden Club, a local chapter affiliated with the Garden Club of Virginia, nominated the project for this national honor. The club praised the thoughtful transformation of the site, particularly highlighting the use of native plants as an added value to the project.

In the nomination letter, the club’s Awards Chairman Marie Thomas shared, “This project has it all – improvement of an eyesore, proper use of governmental grants, and sensitivity to the needs of the neighborhood and travelers. This area was formerly an abandoned space that the Planning Commission has incorporated into a lovely green space to allow beauty and peace for citizens who use public transportation.”

The CSPDC team, represented by Ann Cundy and Paula Melester, accepted the award on April 9, 2025 during the Augusta Garden Club’s April meeting. In reflecting on the achievement, Ms. Melester emphasized that the award is a celebration of the entire project team — from funding partners, to the landscape architects and engineers at Kimley-Horn and Associates, the City of Staunton, and the contractors who brought the vision to life.

Thanks to the collaborative efforts of everyone involved, the Lewis Street Transit Hub now proudly carries the title of an “Award-Winning” site, enhancing the community and providing a welcoming space for transit users.

Congratulations to all who contributed to this transformational project!

The Lewis Street Transit Hub Rehabilitation was funded through a Federal Transit Administration Bus and Bus Facilities (5339) grant matched with state funding provided by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). You can read more about the project here.