STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) – The 25-year Long Range Transportation Plan will set a roadmap for the transportation needs of people in the Greater Augusta area.
Every five years, the state of Virginia requires communities to update their 25-year plan to address various transportation deficiencies in the region. Whether it’s private transportation, public transit, or pedestrian traffic, the plans give people the opportunity to voice their concerns about transportation issues. The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) is working on the plan for the Staunton, Augusta County, and Waynesboro (SAW) areas to provide citizens with access to various transportation options.
Paula Melester, director of transportation at CSPDC, said people often overlook transportation and the needs some people in the community may have. The plan would allow residents to see the desires of others and compare them to their own.
“If you look at it from the perspective of someone who has their own car and drives to their destination, their perception of the traffic issues in our community may be different than someone who takes the bus and tries to walk safely from home to the bus stop,” Melester said.
Melester also said that transportation isn’t just vehicles on the road. It could be shared paths, different footpaths, and vehicles. If someone is traveling from one destination to another, Melester said that counts as transportation and can be applied to this plan.
“Transportation is very dynamic and doesn’t involve just one thing,” Melester said. “We hope that when people take the survey and see how many different ways they have to voice their opinion, they realize that a transportation network is so much more than roads and cars.”
Melester said the transportation system is well connected now, but there can still be improvements. She hopes people will use the survey as an opportunity to learn about the needs of the area and let officials know about the personal problems they see.
“We have a large population that uses our regional transportation system, which is the Brite Bus,” Melester said. “We hear from a lot of people who just say, ‘Hey, I have a car, but I’d rather walk to the grocery store.’ They want trails, not only to get where they need to go, but for recreation.”
Here you will find a link to the survey and can make your contribution.
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