I submitted this statement to the City Council in December 2020 after the adoption of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. I was unable to attend the City Council meeting, which was much easier to attend when it was conducted with a Zoom and/or Facebook Live call-in option.

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I want to thank the members of the City Council and the City of Roanoke for creating a comprehensive plan that prioritizes equity, health, and safety in so many areas.

Over the last 20 years Roanoke has created a great greenway system and many miles of bike lanes, and I am glad the 2040 plan continues investments in biking and walking to create complete neighborhoods. The City’s plan says that “complete neighborhood[s] [are ones] built at a human scale, [are] pedestrian friendly and bikeable, and meet the needs of people of all ages and abilities.” 

In the Livable Built Environment priorities, Policy 3 “Create accessible neighborhoods” there is an action item to create a “transportation mobility priority plan prioritizing pedestrian and bicycle accommodations.” I think a City plan for high quality pedestrian and bicycle facilities is very important so that the City can deliver the accessible and complete neighborhoods envisioned by the City’s Plan.

The importance of planning for pedestrian and bicycle facilities can be seen in Roanoke’s Greenway system, which has had three plans adopted about every ten years since 1996. Planning for the greenway system as a whole and for its constituent parts has helped make the greenway a touchstone of the City of Roanoke.

The pedestrian and bicycle plan called for in the City’s 2040 plan, should be a plan for the City of Roanoke, draw from neighborhood plans over the last 20 years, and look forward to meet the needs of Roanoke’s future. The last regional bicycle plan was adopted in 2012 and I hope a bicycle and pedestrian plan for the City is a priority in the next few years.

Large projects, like the Downtown Roanoke Urban Loop contained in the current downtown neighborhood plan, need planning to become reality. A City pedestrian and bicycle plan will also help the City compete for state and federal funds needed for such projects. 

I want to thank everyone who contributed to creating the City’s 2040 plan and look forward to the improvements promised for biking and walking, and for equity, health, and safety.