BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – Roanoke County, Botetourt County, and the Town of Vinton are continuing their collaboration on a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan through the Federal Highway Administration’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program.
The initiative aims to prevent deaths and serious injuries on local roadways, focusing on all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders.
Following a series of initial meetings in May, where over 400 surveys were collected, officials have identified high-risk areas for crashes. The next phase involves gathering community feedback on proposed solutions to address these concerns, particularly the issue of speeding, which emerged as the top concern among residents.
Thomas Ruff works for the Timmons Group, a traffic-engineering consultant firm that’s helping with some of the community engagement. He wants what’s recommended by the end of this process to be a long-term solution. He and his team kicked off the second round of meetings on Tuesday in Botetourt County.
“Hopefully, by fixing some of these top locations, we can move down the list and keep improving,” Ruff said.
Proposed solutions will vary depending on the location, ranging from simple fixes like installing rumble strips to more complex interventions, such as constructing roundabouts.
“The intent is to finalize recommendations and develop cost estimates and a solid plan for the top locations,” officials stated. “Each locality will then pursue the necessary funding to implement these improvements,” Ruff said.
A new round of open-house community meetings will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the following dates and locations:
- Wednesday, September 4, 2024: Colonial Elementary School, Botetourt County
- Thursday, September 5, 2024: Hollins Library, Roanoke County (North)
- Monday, September 9, 2024: South County Library, Roanoke County (South)
- Tuesday, September 10, 2024: Vinton War Memorial, Town of Vinton
Residents are encouraged to attend these meetings and provide feedback before the survey closes on September 30, 2024. More information can be found on the localities’ respective Safe Streets and Roads For All web pages: