ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – You can’t go far in the Roanoke Valley without coming across one of the area’s greenways.
Since 1995, the plan has been to have multiple greenways and even have a greenway connecting the Roanoke Valley and the New River Valley.
Isaac Henry, Transportation Planner for Roanoke County, believes it can be done.
“The Roanoke River Greenway has always been the region’s top priority. Ever since 1995 it has planned to run all the way to Montgomery County,” Henry said.
But it can only be done though with the community’s support.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission hosted some community meetings to allow people in the area to share their thoughts on proposed paths for the greenway.
“The goal of these public meetings is to just learn about the community’s preferences for this section of greenway because we want the greenway to serve the residents of Western Roanoke County,” Henry said.
While there have been some residents in the area concerned about its effect on their property, others are very excited about the expansion.
It’s still very early on in the planning stages of the expansion, but the commission wants to plan ahead.
“We have no concept of how we’re going to do this. This is not something that we’re going to take people’s land for. We just want to know if is it possible,” Frank Maguire, Greenway Coordinator for the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission said.
They hope to have a finalized path by the summer of 2023.
“What we’re talking about today … realistically … 10 years,” Maguire said.
You can find a map of the Roanoke Valley Greenways along with some of the amenities by following this link.