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Board adopts Move Safely Blue Ridge safety action plan to qualify county for state and federal roadway safety funding
Summary
Louisa County adopted the Move Safely Blue Ridge comprehensive safety action plan, which identifies priority crash corridors and countermeasures and makes the county eligible to apply for federal/state implementation grants. Supervisors unanimously approved the plan after staff explained funding opportunities.
County staff and regional partners presented the Move Safely Blue Ridge comprehensive safety action plan and the Board of Supervisors voted to adopt it, making Louisa County eligible for certain state and federal roadway safety implementation funds.
The plan, prepared with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) and consultant Kimley‑Horn, prioritizes roadway departure crashes, impaired driving, occupant protection and speeding. Presenters said 62% of fatal and serious crashes were concentrated on roughly 8% of county road mileage, and the plan identifies site‑specific countermeasures — sight‑distance improvements, turn‑lane additions, centerline rumble/mumble strips, curve delineation and other spot improvements — for high‑priority locations.
A TJPDC regional planner told the board adoption is required for Louisa County to be an eligible applicant for implementation funding, including rounds of the Safe Streets and Roads for All and other federal programs. “The adoption of this plan will enable Louisa County as eligible applicant for that implementation funding,” the planner said.
Board discussion touched on technical details. Supervisors asked whether VDOT had reviewed countermeasures and whether rumble strips could be specified as lower‑noise “mumble” strips in areas where residents object. VDOT representatives and consultants explained that measures would need to meet VDOT requirements and that some countermeasures are intended as preliminary design steps to support grant applications.
Supervisor comments were supportive: supervisors who had seen the plan at TJPDC and previous briefings said they saw no negative consequences to adopting it and that adoption would allow the county to pursue grants. One supervisor noted several priority locations identified in Trevilians and along East Jack Jouett Road; another encouraged pursuing Smart Scale and other competitive funding streams.
The board voted unanimously to adopt the Move Safely Blue Ridge safety action plan, which staff said will require periodic crash‑data updates and will be used to support future grant applications. Consultants and staff said adoption does not obligate the county to fund projects if grant applications are unsuccessful; it simply makes the county eligible to compete for implementation dollars.
