ROANOKE, Va. – The City of Roanoke is asking people to share their concerns and feedback on traffic safety throughout ‘Vision Zero Roanoke Community Engagement Week’.
Rob Issem is the city’s Vision Zero project coordinator.
“The number one thing that we hear from residents is about speeding. They want traffic to be slower, especially in their neighborhoods, around parks and around schools. This is an urban environment so there’s a lot of pedestrian activity...motorists driving slowly and pedestrians crossing carefully,” Issem said.
The engagement is happening in three different ways throughout the week. The first is through a series of open engagement sessions, the first of which happened on Thursday.
- Monday, August 5 Time: 5:00 PM Location: Big Lick Brewing – 409 Salem Ave SW
- Tuesday, August 6 Time: 5:00 PM Location: McCadden Park – 1616 19th St NW Time: 6:30 PM Location: Fire Station 8 – 2328 Crystal Spring Ave SW
- Wednesday, August 7 Time: 5:00 PM Location: Berglund Center Special Events Center – 710 Williamson Rd
- Thursday, August 8 Time: 4:00 PM Location: Williamson Road Library – 3837 Williamson Rd
The city also has a series of walk audits planned in specific problem spot areas.
The walk audits are open to the public; however, space is limited and preference will be given to PAC members. If you are interested in participating in a walk audit please contact Rob Issem at robert.issem@roanokeva.gov.
- Tuesday, August 6
- Southeast Roanoke: Tour Route: Bullit Ave, Jamison Ave, and 9th Street Meeting Time: 9:00 AM (Walk starts at 9:15 AM) Meeting Location: Church parking lot at Murray Ave and 9th Street (enter from Murray between 9th and 8th Streets)
- Southwest Roanoke: Tour Route: Franklin, Mclanahan, Broadway, and Avenham Meeting Time: 1:00 PM (Vans leave at 1:15 PM) Meeting Location: Roanoke Public Works, 1802 Courtland Road NE
- Wednesday, August 7
- Northwest Roanoke: Tour Route: Salem Turnpike and Melrose Ave Meeting Time: 10:15 AM (Walk starts at 10:30 AM) Meeting Location: Roanoke Envision Center, 2607 Salem Turnpike NW
- Thursday, August 8
- Northeast Roanoke: Tour Route: Williamson Road, Hershberger, and Valley View Blvd (Short walks from several van stops including Liberty/Courtland, 10th and Williamson, Hershberger) Meeting Time: 1:00 PM (Vans leave at 1:15 PM) Meeting Location: Williamson Road Library, 3837 Williamson Rd
You can also give feedback through an online survey.
Roanoke partnered with Toole Design, a consulting firm that’s worked on other Vision Zero projects throughout the country. Andy Clarke, Toole Design’s Director of Strategy, will be in Roanoke throughout the week to help with community engagement.
“For us the data we gather from the crash analysis is only half the story. The data we gather from the community is the other half. The lived experience of people in the community can tell us an awful lot about not just where crashes have happened in the last five years but where people feel unsafe,” Clarke said.