Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission News
Celebrating 50 Years of Regional Service
Regional Commission Through the Years
2014
The Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority was created with support and assistance of the Regional Commission.
Commission Member Billy Martin Receives VAPDC President's Award
Commissioner Martin was Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) President for two years (2014-2016), and most recently completed his tenure on the VAPDC Board.

"Billy has made outstanding contributions to VAPDC," said Immediate Past President Coiner. "We are grateful for his ongoing passion and dedication to regionalism and the work of PDCs."

The VAPDC President's Award recognizes an individual who has been involved directly in planning district commission activities and who has contributed significantly to promoting regional planning and VAPDC activities in Virginia.

The award was presented to Mr. Martin at the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission meeting on October 24th.
Commission Receives Award for Walk, Bike, Disability Assessments
The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission was awarded the 2019 National Association of Developmental Organizations (NADO) Impact Award for the Bike, Walk, & Disability Assessments.

The Impact Awards program honors NADO members for their creative approaches to advancing regional community and economic development and improved quality of life. These projects have made significant impacts on their regions and demonstrate the diversity of services and program delivery provided by regional development organizations across the country.

Regional Commission Partners with VDOT and Virginia Tech on Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts
RVARC is partnering with Virginia Tech and the Virginia Dept of Transportation (VDOT) to count bicyclists and pedestrians. Virginia Tech provided automated counters which are counting on 10th St NW and on Campbell Ave SW for several months. VDOT provided automated counters which will be moved around the valley every few weeks to count traffic at different locations. In addition to the trail count program on greenways, which is in its 10th year of operation, and permanent counters VDOT placed on Memorial Ave bridge several years ago, we will have one of the most robust bike/ped count programs for a region of our size.
Works from RIDE Solutions 2019 Writer by Bus Debut at Hollins University
Hollins University hosted the debut reading by 2019 Writer by Bus, Lucy Marcus. Lucy read a selection from her chapbook of short stories “Dandelion Wishes,” the result of her time riding and writing about Valley Metro this summer.

Lucy was joined by previous Writers by Bus Melanie Almeder, Meighan Sharp, Shari Dragovich, and Tim Thornton, who each read selections from their own works. The evening covered the wide range of writing styles explored in the Writer by Bus program to date – short fiction, poetry, essays, and journalism.
Writer by Bus – a component of the  Art by Bus  initiative – partners with the Roanoke City Arts Commission to select an author through a competitive process each year. The author is given a bus pass and the opportunity to ride Valley Metro over the course of one or two months, and then write about their experiences and the things that have inspired them. The goal is to tell the stories about the lives affected by public transportation – the riders, their neighborhoods, and the community in general.

Limited-edition hardcopies of “Dandelion Wishes” and all previous chapbooks are available for sale on our webstore, while free PDFs can be downloaded from the  Art by Bus page .
McAfee Knob Survey Released by Regional Commission
McAfee Knob is one of the most photographed spots in the Roanoke Valley, receiving thousands of visitors every year, including you. We need your help to make it a safe destination for everyone. Please take five minutes at this link to answer some quick questions about a potential shuttle service to the trailhead parking lot. 
RSVP Today for the Regional Commission's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Ongoing Projects
The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission is always working with localities on projects that benefit the region. Some of these projects are listed below.

  • Greenway Support
  • Local Food Plan
  • Rural Bikeway Plan
  • Urban Forestry Council
  • Working with local governments, tourism organizations, and the private sector on a promotional campaign for the Roanoke River Blueway
  • Working with the regional local foods partners to examine "Food Hub" needs in the region

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