Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission (RVARC) based in Roanoke, Virginia has received a 2018 Aliceann Wohlbruck Innovation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for the Regional Study on Transportation Project Prioritization for Economic Development and Growth.

 

The RVARC staffs the Roanoke Valley Transportation Planning Organization whose Policy Board approved the Regional Study on Transportation Project Prioritization for Economic Development and Growth in April 2018. The effort was the first time private and public stakeholders worked together to study how transportation and economic development goals are aligned, understand regional transportation needs as they relate to economic growth, review an economic profile of regional economic trends and conditions, and identify priority transportation needs and projects related to economic development.

“The Aliceann Wohlbruck Innovation Awards program recognizes the important and wide-ranging work of regional development organizations in communities across the country” said 2017-2018 NADO Doug Elliott, executive director of the East Central Iowa Council of Governments, located in Cedar Rapids. “These awards demonstrate the value of regional development organizations and highlight their critical role in promoting economic development for the nation’s rural and small metropolitan communities.” 

NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The association’s Innovation Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.  

Award-winning projects were honored during NADO’s 2018 Annual Training Conference, held October 13 – 16 in Charlotte, NC.

For more information about this award-winning project, contact Tim Pohlad-Thomas at timpohladthomas@rvarc.org.

RVARC hosted the Statewide Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee quarterly meeting in October. This was a great opportunity to interact with bike/ped staff and advocates from all over the state. Hot topics included electric scooters (which haven’t arrived in Roanoke yet) and electric bikes on greenways. Electric bikes are forbidden on Roanoke City greenways.

For more information, contact Rachel Ruhlen at rruhlen@rvarc.org

The RVARC parking lot was nearly empty October 4 as employees celebrated the second annual RVARC Bike to Work Day. This employee-led initiative involved a potluck breakfast and five employees (nearly 1/3 of the staff) biked to work.

For more information or photos, email Rachel Ruhlen at rruhlen@rvarc.org.

The Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee conducted its first walk/bike/disability road audit. Volunteers walked, biked, & wheeled Andrews Rd and Norris Dr to the Lick Run Greenway, a path identified in the 2018 Greenway Plan as a neighborhood connection. In cooperation with locality staff, volunteers will continue to audit neighborhood connections to greenways as well as by recommended locations identified in the Pedestrian Vision Plan.

For more information, Contact Rachel Ruhlen at rruhlen@rvarc.org

The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission is always working with localities on projects that benefit the region. Some of these projects are listed below.



For more information on ongoing projects contact  Tim Pohlad-Thomas   or visit  RVARC.org .