Fluvanna Board adopts 'Safely Blue Ridge' plan to seek federal safety funding

Fluvanna County supervisors voted unanimously May 7 to adopt the Safely Blue Ridge comprehensive safety action plan, a document county staff and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission say will let the county pursue federal and state implementation grants.

The plan, presented by Gurion Gerviewski of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, maps the county’s high-injury network and recommends engineering, policy and community approaches aimed at reducing fatalities and serious injuries. Gerviewski said adoption will position Fluvanna County to be an eligible applicant for the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program and will support Smart Scale, Highway Safety Improvement Program and revenue-sharing applications.

Board members raised two site-specific concerns during the presentation. Supervisors sought assurance that a proposed roundabout at the Dixie intersection would preserve the historic Porter Fork site; project team members and VDOT staff told the board the roundabout could be designed to preserve the site. The board also asked about striping on Venable Road where bike-lane markings were omitted during repaving; staff said they would follow up with VDOT about missing white lines on repaved curves.

The board approved a draft resolution of support by motion from Supervisor O’Brien and second from Supervisor Sheridan; the vote was 5-0. County staff said the project team will update crash data on the plan website annually to refine priorities and described next steps for pursuing implementation funding.

The plan lists systemic, corridor and nonengineering solutions and identifies potential partners, including VDOT and regional agencies. Adoption does not itself authorize construction or change any roadways; it makes the county eligible to apply for external funding for projects in the plan.