ROANOKE, Va. – The Town of Vinton, and Roanoke and Botetourt Counties want to make their roads safer with an initiative called Safe Streets and Roads for All.
Vinton, Roanoke and Botetourt Counties were awarded $280,000, with a $70,000 match from the localities. The funds were used so each location could conduct its own studies and find ways to make the roads safer.
You have until this Thursday, Jan. 16 to read and comment on Roanoke County’s plan.
Between 2015 and 2023, there were 494 car crashes where people were seriously hurt and 47 fatal car crashes.
Roanoke County has different suggestions for making its most dangerous corridors and intersections safer in the plan.
“That’s what we identified with the study are the top ten corridors and intersections for severe injuries and fatalities. So, we’re looking at the worst of the worst to try to fix the worst of the worst so that hopefully we’re having fewer injuries and fewer fatalities on our county roads,” said Roanoke County Assistant Director of Planning Megan Cronise.
Cronise said one of the suggestions is taking a closer look at the Electric Road East corridor from Brambleton Avenue to the Roanoke City line.
Roanoke would be proposing allowing RCUTS or Thru-Cuts east of the Colonial Avenue intersection.
The county is also suggesting reducing the width of the I-81 median at North Electric Road and I-81 ramps at Exit 141.
Again, Roanoke County said you have until January 16 to read and comment on the plan. It will then make any changes, hold public hearings and later apply for funding from the Federal Highway Administration to implement some of these changes.
Meanwhile, the Town of Vinton has a similar plan that you can read and make comments on until Jan. 24.
Three people were killed and 56 seriously injured in car crashes in Vinton between 2015 to 2023, including three pedestrians and three bicyclists, according to its Safe Streets and Roads for All plan.
One of the suggestions is making changes to the Hardy Road Corridor where 234 crashes happened between 2015 to 2023.
Vinton is also proposing installing a roundabout at the Hardy Road and Vinyard Road intersection.
Another corridor it would like to make safer is Washington Avenue from South Pollard Street to Mitchell Road where 168 crashes happened from 2015 to 2023.
The town is suggesting reducing the number of its travel lanes, adding bike lanes and widening its sidewalks.
“We have over 24,000 cars that travel for example Route 24 every day, so we want all road users to be safe and especially reduce severe crashes in the town. So, we want to keep both our residents safe but also the commuters that use our roads every day. We want to keep them safe,” said Town of Vinton’s Assistant Planning and Zoning Director Nathan McClung.
In the spring, it will apply for funding from the Federal Highway Administration to implement some of the suggestions for its intersections and corridors.
Botetourt County has similar plans, and you have until Jan. 17 to review it and make any comments.