Citizen input sought for Winchester area Route 7 study

The Virginia Department of Transportation, the City of Winchester, Frederick County, and the Winchester and Frederick County Metropolitan Planning Organization are seeking public input as part of a STARS study for a portion of Route 7.

The study location extends from the Route 7 (Berryville Avenue) and Pleasant Valley Road intersection in the City of Winchester to the Route 7 (Berryville Pike) and Greenwood Road (Route 656) intersection in Frederick County.

An evaluation of the study corridor’s existing and future transportation conditions will be the basis of recommended improvements. The study goal is to enhance the safety and mobility for all transportation system users.

Numerous roadway segments and intersections along this 2.3-mile section of Route 7 have received a Potential for Safety Improvements (PSI) designation. Annually VDOT determines PSI locations using the previous five years of crash data. When the number of crashes exceeds anticipated crashes based on roadway characteristics, the location is identified as a Potential for Safety Improvement site.

Citizens can review study materials at www.virginiadot.org/Rt7WinchesterSTARS.

A public survey is available at route7starsberryville.metroquest.com.

The survey opens on May 14 and closes on May 28.

VDOT is serving as the project manager for the study with Michael Baker International consulting developing the study, supporting analysis, and improvement concepts. The study team is also composed of technical staff from the City of Winchester, Fredrick County and the WinFred MPO.

Final study recommendations will be considered by the city and county for advancement through state transportation funding programs.

The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at www.VirginiaDOT.org.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.