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Staunton to close one lane on Beverly Street for June demonstration; HSIP intersection upgrades planned
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Summary
Transportation planner Susan Wilson told council the Beverly Street Demonstration Project will close the right travel lane on two blocks for the month of June, add seating and plants, and run alongside HSIP-funded intersection improvements slated for 2027 construction.
Staunton officials on April 23 approved plans for a one-month demonstration that will remove one car travel lane on two blocks of Beverly Street and reallocate the space to pedestrians and street furniture.
Susan Wilson, the city’s transportation planner, told council the Beverly Street Demonstration Project will run for the month of June between Augusta and Market streets. "For the month of June and along 2 blocks of Beverly Street, we are going to close the right travel lane to cars and give it over to pedestrians," Wilson said. The project will use flexible delineator posts, place seating and plants in the closed lane and set aside loading/delivery zones in front of businesses such as Remedy Burger and Accordia.
Wilson said the pilot is funded in part through technical assistance and a small grant from the Virginia Walkability Action Institute (through the Virginia Department of Health) and that the CSPDC served as co-lead on design and logistics. She described outreach to businesses, a pre-project online survey (open now on the project web page), and planned intercept surveys during deployment. The city plans a June 1 installation and a kickoff ribbon-cutting event that afternoon.
The Beverly demonstration accompanies planned Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) intersection upgrades: Wilson said nine intersections are in the 30% plans — three on Johnson Street and six on Beverly Street — and that planned improvements include pedestrian push buttons, walk/don’t-walk signals on all corners, higher-visibility crosswalks (likely ladder-style thermoplast), new ADA ramps and updated traffic-signal equipment. She said staff aim to advertise construction in summer 2027 and estimated a 12–18 month construction schedule, contingent on nearby tunnel work finishing.
Council members asked about delivery access, spacing of flexible posts (Wilson said about six feet to allow navigation), and whether crosswalks would be auditory; Wilson said signals will include visual and auditory features and that materials are still under design. Businesses that spoke in the meeting praised staff outreach and the project fact sheet.
Wilson emphasized the pilot’s temporary nature: "This isn’t permanent. This is us trying out something before really committing to it," she said.
