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Pittsylvania supervisors weigh Safe Streets grant to fund safety work on three corridors
Summary
At a June 17 work session, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors discussed pursuing a Safe Streets for All implementation grant to fund safety improvements along Franklin Turnpike, U.S. 29 and Kentuck Road; the grant requires a 20% local match and has a June 26 application deadline.
At a June 17 work session, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors discussed pursuing a Safe Streets for All implementation grant to fund roadway safety projects on three priority corridors in the Danville metropolitan planning area: Franklin Turnpike, U.S. 29 and Kentuck Road.
The discussion centered on grant logistics, candidate improvements and how much local matching money the county might commit. County staff said the implementation grant requires a 20% local match and that the county currently has about $173,299.49 in a grants local-match/contingency account, including $75,000 budgeted for fiscal 2025 and $67,434 budgeted for fiscal 2026. The grant application deadline was given as June 26.
Mr. Arnold, a county staff member presenting the West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC) recommendations, said the MPO map shows “only about 7.9% of the roads in the MPO’s transportation network are . . . colored in,” and that those segments make up the high-injury network. He summarized WPPDC recommendations for the county corridors, ranging from relatively low-cost measures such as speed feedback signs, improved signage, pedestrian crossing upgrades and targeted education to higher-cost engineering projects including roundabouts, new traffic signals and medians.
For Franklin Turnpike, recommended measures include a new traffic signal at Franklin Turnpike and Orphanage Road, a shared-use path on the west side of the corridor, replacing a two-way left-turn lane with a median, improved lighting and speed feedback signs. On U.S. 29, recommendations include roundabouts at some intersections and turning-lane improvements; on Kentuck Road, WPPDC recommended speed cameras/photo enforcement near several nearby schools, wider edge lines, center-line rumble strips and evaluations of school-zone passing zones.
Board members pressed staff on costs and application strategy. Mr. Bowman and others asked whether the Safe Streets grant duplicated other VDOT-funded initiatives; staff said the Safe Streets for All implementation grant is a separate program and could complement — but not substitute for — other projects pursued through VDOT programs. Several supervisors urged maximizing the county’s application: one supervisor proposed applying for roughly $350,000 to $375,000 in grant funds, noting a $75,000 local match would allow the county to seek a larger award.
Mr. Garrett Van Allen, a staff member who reviewed the county’s available funds, confirmed the grants local-match balance of $173,299.49 and explained the $75,000 already budgeted for FY25 could be used toward the match. Staff told the board they would work with WPPDC to identify which corrective measures could realistically be included in an application that fits the county’s chosen local-match commitment.
No formal vote or binding commitment was taken during the work session. County staff and WPPDC were asked to continue developing the application and cost estimates and to return to the board at the business meeting for formal action.
The item remains time sensitive because of the June 26 application deadline; board members directed staff to prepare the paperwork and cost estimates for consideration in the upcoming business meeting.
