Waynesboro council backs multiple transportation grant applications and adds transit stop upgrades to CIP

Waynesboro City Council on Wednesday approved resolutions supporting state and federal grant applications to fund several local transportation projects and updated the city's capital improvement plan to list a proposed transit-access project.

City staff asked the council to endorse three Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) revenue-sharing applications: an updated East Main Street streetscape, a signal replacement at East Main and Delphine Avenue, and a roundabout at Rosser Avenue and Thirteenth Street. Leslie Tate, director of community development, told the council the East Main streetscape cost estimate rose to an estimated $5,600,000 after 30% engineering was completed and that staff trimmed scope to keep the project economically feasible.

Tate said the East Main project was originally approved as a $2.2 million Smart Scale project in 2018 and that engineers reduced scope to avoid redoing existing sidewalks on part of the corridor. “Now that we've done completion of 30% engineering plans, the cost estimate for the project is significantly higher and estimated at $5,600,000,” Tate said.

Council also approved seeking revenue sharing to make up shortfalls for a $2.9 million project to replace the signal at East Main and Delphine (previously considered as a roundabout) and a roughly $919,000 project to construct a roundabout at Rosser and Thirteenth. Tate said the Rosser/Thirteenth project has engineering nearly complete and identified the roundabout as the most cost-effective solution based on traffic analysis.

Separately, the council adopted a resolution supporting a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) application for the Waynesboro Transit Access Project. Tate described the TAP proposal as an $1,300,000 project to upgrade five existing bus stops across the city — including the Walmart, Mountain View Apartments, a King Avenue/DMV-area stop, Speedway, and Kroger — with bus pads, shelters, improved ADA curb ramps and small sidewalk segments. The TAP program provides an 80% grant with a 20% local match.

The council heard brief discussion about the time lag between state funding awards and project starts, and how that gap can increase costs; a council member attributed those schedule and cost changes to state-level processes rather than local staff. One councilor who identified themself as a VDOT employee abstained from votes on the VDOT-related revenue-sharing and TAP resolutions; all other councilors voting on those items voted in favor.

The council also voted to update the city’s unplanned and unfunded section of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to add the Transit Access Project so it appears in the city’s capital planning documents — an element that factors into TAP application scoring. City staff said the CIP update is a placeholder until exact funding or a project year is determined.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution supporting VDOT revenue-sharing application for East Main Street streetscape: approved, council vote 4–0 with 1 abstention (VDOT-affiliated councilor abstained). City match estimated roughly $1,700,000 on a $5,600,000 estimate.

- Resolution supporting VDOT revenue-sharing application for East Main & Delphine signal replacement: approved, vote 4–0 with 1 abstention. Total estimated cost $2,900,000; prior revenue-sharing award $1,100,000; resolution seeks additional funding to cover the shortfall.

- Resolution supporting VDOT revenue-sharing application for Rosser & Thirteenth roundabout: approved, vote 4–0 with 1 abstention. Estimated project cost $919,000; Smart Scale award $578,937; city contribution approximately $170,000.

- Resolution supporting TAP application for Waynesboro Transit Access Project (five bus-stop upgrades): approved, vote 4–0 with 1 abstention. Project estimate $1,300,000 (80% grant / 20% local match).

- Motion to update the CIP unplanned/unfunded list to include the Transit Access Project: approved, vote 5–0.

Why it matters

The council’s endorsements let staff pursue competitive state and federal funding that will determine whether these projects move forward. The CIP update also positions the transit-access project to score more strongly for grant programs that favor projects already reflected in local capital plans.

What’s next

Staff will submit the revenue-sharing and TAP applications according to VDOT and TAP deadlines, refine cost estimates as engineering advances, and return to council as grant decisions or final designs require action.