At its May 24 regular meeting, Staunton City Council approved a comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian plan for the city. The plan will inform city staff in the development of infrastructure and facilities that make Staunton more friendly to cyclists and pedestrians and expand the city’s bicycle and pedestrian networks.
City council accepted the plan presented by city staff, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Steering Committee, a six-member team, to define a non-motorized transportation network citywide.
The city received a $65,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Transportation, Office of Intermodal Planning, which funded the total cost of the plan. The steering committee partnered with consultants from Rhodeside & Harwell to create the plan, based on input from city staff and citizens and existing city plans and policies. The steering committee also gathered public input on drafts of the bicycle and pedestrian plan through two public meetings and online surveys.
“It was heartening to hear council members state that they want to implement as many of the improvements and as quickly as possible,” said Rodney Rhodes, the city’s senior planner. “Staff will work with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee to prioritize the infrastructure improvements and seek opportunities and funding sources for their implementation.”
After receiving public comments, the steering committee studied feedback and made revisions, providing the revised draft plan for further public review before introducing it to the planning commission at its March 15 meeting. The planning commission unanimously recommended adoption of the plan after conducting a public hearing on April 19.
Proposed bicycle and pedestrian routes were on display at City Hall and the Staunton Public Library and available online for about five weeks before a public hearing and vote by city council in May.
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Chris Graham
