Roanoke is a great destination for cycling, but more needs to be done to make riding a bike safe for all who live here. As an advocacy organization our goal is to make sure that the city of Roanoke, and the Roanoke region, is investing in creating safer places to ride and a community that embraces the benefits of cycling. Below are some opportunities to improve bicycling in Roanoke.
Safe Streets and Roads for All
Also known as SS4A, this grant program was established in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and is administered by the US Department of Transportation. This grant program provides $5 billion in funding over five years with up to $1 billion available in FY2022. The first step is a commitment from municipal leadership setting a goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries.
The city of Roanoke’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan calls for the city to create and implement a Vision Zero Action Plan to reduce injury and death. PedalSafe Roanoke supports the city pursuing a SS4A grant to accomplish this goal and lay a foundation for safe street improvements in the city. Based on data from 2016-2020, the city of Roanoke has a higher rate of traffic deaths per capita than Roanoke County or the city of Salem.
Bike Minds
The Bike Minds Project is a facebook page for Bike/Like minded people who are do-ers and want to make a difference in road safety for pedestrians and cyclists. A place for conversation for ideas, solutions and follow ups to existing projects.
Started after the death of Tabitha Thompson, the Bike Minds Project distributes bike safety literature and adopted a section of Route 11 in memory of Tabitha who was killed by a driver on that route.
Williamson Road
Williamson Road had 500 crashes and 5 fatalities in the last 5 years. It accounted for 11% of all fatalities in Roanoke during that time. The Virginia DOT identified Williamson Road based on its poor safety record and encouraged a SmartScale grant to address the safety problems. If funded this project will hopefully be completed by 2028.
By adding a center turn lane and bike lanes the road will make it so that pedestrians only need to cross one lane of car traffic at a time. There will be fewer backups for turning vehicles and people merging and then stopping causing congestion.
According to the city’s report to City Council, 95% of the project area will get new sidewalks, providing a dramatic opportunity to improve transit stops and curb cuts.
Greenway Connections
Roanoke’s Greenways are an incredible asset and have become a distinctive feature of Roanoke. It is incredibly exciting that the Roanoke River Greenway will be completed within the borders of Roanoke next year. It is a great time to think about the greenway’s future.
Connecting better to downtown should be a priority, both the Roanoke River Greenway and Lick Run Greenway have significant gaps downtown. Missing wayfinding, confusing and dangerous intersections, and no or limited bike facilities mean that the Greenway has gaps that will prevent more people from being comfortable biking downtown.
Connections on Jefferson Street and Franklin Road would be great starts on better connecting our community centers to the Greenway system. Several schools could be part of key connections and wayfinding could be improved everywhere.
Safe Routes to Schools
For years Roanoke’s schools have been neutral or discouraging to students biking and walking to school. Schools have been purposefully closed off in some cases and routes are not always well marked with cross walks. A Safe Routes to School program can address community violence concerns and build partnerships with the community, while improving student mental health.
A traffic garden at the West End Center and bicycle skills training is a great example to build on. Traffic gardens allow young students to learn the rules of the road and how to ride a bike in a safe environment.
Bicycling and walking can give youth better mobility without the need for a car. Better mobility can enable getting to and from before and after school activities without a car. This gives parents more flexibility and children more independence.