SAW MPO updates Staunton leaders on 25-year Long Range Transportation Plan and new public engagement platform

Paula Meliester, director of transportation at the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, briefed Staunton City Council on March 13 on the SAW MPO’s update to the region’s 25-year Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). Meliester said the LRTP update began in May, takes roughly 18 months, and is refreshed every five years to keep project lists aligned with costs and changing conditions.

"One of the major goals of our LRTP update is public engagement," Meliester told council, describing a two-phase process: first collecting vision and goals from the community, then compiling proposed projects with local staff and VDOT and returning to the public for confirmation. The update covers all travel modes and the planning area connecting Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County, focusing on arterial corridors such as US 11 and US 250.

Meliester said the MPO has moved into phase two and published a project list and an interactive map hosted on a platform called Social Pinpoint that allows residents to view mapped projects, see an image and description for each location, and provide thumbs-up/thumbs-down feedback or written comments. The interactive map shows icons for intersection projects, roadways, walking/biking projects and future studies. Meliester identified two primary study recommendations for Staunton: the US Route 11/Woodrow Wilson Parkway intersection and an Augusta Woods Drive shared-use path study.

Councilors asked about how projects move from the MPO list into state funding cycles. Meliester said consultants will score projects by how well they align with LRTP goals — safety, system management, accessibility, land-use coordination, economic development and sustainability — and that alignment with VDOT’s SmartScale program will help improve a project’s chances for funding. "We know that hopefully the projects that come out at the top of that list will be very well aligned with the goals of that program and therefore be more likely to get funded," she said.

Council members praised the engagement design and encouraged staff and council to promote the online platform and upcoming open houses in March. Meliester said the MPO will publish a draft LRTP later this year for public comment before the policy board considers final approval.

The presentation included a list of proposed projects for Staunton that residents can download as a PDF from the LRTP website; Meliester asked council members to help publicize the platform to constituents.

The update will return to council as the MPO advances the draft plan and begins formal public comment later in the process.