Waseena business owner warns council Greenway detour plan will push users into traffic and create safety hazards

Jeff Todd, owner of Roanoke Mountain Adventures and a Waseena neighborhood resident, told Roanoke City Council on April 15 that the planned detour for the Waseena Bridge closure is not a proper Greenway detour. Todd said the current plan would reroute cyclists, pedestrians and mobility-device users onto public streets alongside vehicles "with no protection, and there's no separation," increasing the risk of collisions and emergency access problems.

"The continuity, the connectivity of the Greenway will be compromised right in its very center," Todd said, urging council to reallocate on-street parking, use temporary protective delineators or bollards and to call upon the city's Vision Zero coordinator and the Greenway Commission for alternatives. He noted the project timeline could stretch two-and-a-half years and said simple, low-cost mitigations could preserve safe, continuous access.

City Manager (Bob) told council staff had just received additional input from the Greenway Commission and would reexamine the detour plan, communications and parking trade-offs. "We'll take a look at that," staff said, and confirmed the commission and affected property owners would be part of further discussions. Council members recommended considering temporary bollards and other cost-effective protections if an alternative route cannot be found.

The exchange concluded with staff committing to follow up with neighbors and the Greenway Commission to refine the plan and return to council with options.