A March work session brought information on local long-range transportation and housing plans to Staunton City Council.
The information will allow members of city council to make decisions and plans specific to Staunton‘s needs.
“We are the regional transportation body,” said Director of Transportation for the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission Paula Melester, who provided the update for council. “So we work on transportation projects of all modes.”
Melester said that the commission handles bicycle, walking, vehicle — “all things transportation.”
Staunton Vice Mayor Brad Arrowood serves as a representative of city council on the commission’s policy board and is also chair of the policy board.
Phase 1 in updating the 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan gathered community response biking and walking issues on Beverley Street‘s intersections, Central Avenue, New Street, Market Street, near Gypsy Hill Park and the Greenville Avenue Corridor. Congestion is a concern for Richmond Avenue, Greenville Avenue, at various intersections downtown and on Churchville Avenue near Gypsy Hill Park. Residents also relayed that top safety issues exist at the intersection of Greenville Avenue and Johnson Street, Beverley Street, Central Avenue, New Street, Market Street, Greenville Avenue from Johnson Street to Churchville Avenue, Richmond Avenue, West Beverley Street and North Augusta Street north of Frederick Street.
According to Melester, most of the safety issues were related to walking and biking.
Transportation goals from phase 1 include addressing safety, efficient system management, accessibility for the disabled, land-use coordination, economic development and environmental sustainability.
The 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), a 25-year plan for the area, which is updated every five years, is available online.
“It’s helpful for us to understand where the highest needs in the community are so that we can study those needs sooner rather than later,” Melester said.
Melester said that two main study areas recommended are on the intersection of U.S. 11 and Woodrow Wilson Parkway and the Augusta Woods Drive Shared-Use Path.
“So those would be potential studies that the SAWMPO would conduct in a future year to prepare estimates and concepts of how we could fix those so that they would be ready for potential opportunities in the future,” Melester said.
Melester asked city council members to reach out to their constituents and encourage them to get engage in feedback on local transportation. Residents may sign up on the LRTP page for regular email updates.
Staunton Housing Planner and Grant Coordinator Rebecca Joyce shared that the Central Shenandoah Regional Housing Study was released in January 2025, which includes local and regional findings.
According to the study, 71 percent of houses in Staunton include at least one individual who is working, but lack of affordable housing affects recruiting and retaining employees in the region.
Forty percent of houses in the region are inhabited by individuals who are over age 60. Single seniors are unable to afford median rent prices and will struggle if they do not own a home.
Forty percent of homes in Staunton were built before 1960, which discourages seniors who believe they cannot keep up with repairs.
Solutions for a pathway to affordable housing and housing for families include leveraging upcoming housing survey and strategy efforts to educate residents on options. The city must also project quantifiable demand for housing based on incomes and housing types to determine new funding.
Other solutions for the city’s housing crisis are to create alignment between housing and economic development activities, and to address the vacant and blighted properties that could be used for new, affordable housing.
Through April, public engagement activities will be held to discuss the city’s housing strategy. The city’s goals are to produce housing, preserve housing and provide housing stability. Staunton does not have a HUD-certified grant counselor, which would enable first-time home buyers to access grant funding. The city is looking into obtaining a counselor and will also work on creating its own Housing Commission.
“We’re trying to find out what we can realistically do as a city to help this along,” said Arrowood.
Staunton Mayor Michele Edwards asked about the role that developers might have in increasing the stock of affordable houses. According to Joyce, the city is looking at what is affordable, however, most of developer-owned land in the city has been purchased.
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Rebecca Barnabi
