The Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce have collected signatures from over 10,000 residents and visitors to the area who support establishing passenger rail service to the Town of Bedford.
The petitions – presented to Delegate Terry Austin on November 22, 2016 – were collected by the two organizations at the Bedford and Smith Mountain Lake Visitor Centers, online and at special events.
The two chambers also jointly conducted an online survey of local businesses and residents that revealed information about how people intend to use passenger rail service in Bedford.
A strong majority (86%) of those surveyed said they would use service from Bedford at least once per year. Charlottesville, Washington, D.C. and New York City were the most likely destinations for business travel, which is currently completed using a personal vehicle. These destinations will all be served by the new rail service.
Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce President Susan Martin comments that, “The support from the community and the region has been overwhelming. This opportunity will have a major impact on tourism, economic development and overall quality of life for our residents.”
“It is very gratifying to see the strong level of support for a passenger rail station in Bedford,” said Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Vicki Gardner. “This confirms that a Bedford station will have a great positive impact on tourism at Smith Mountain Lake, D-Day Memorial and other area attractions.”
The two chambers of commerce are part of an area-wide effort called the Bedford/Franklin Regional Rail Initiative (BFRRI) that is dedicated to securing a Bedford station soon after the commencement of passenger service to Roanoke.
BFRRI released the findings of a study earlier this year that assesses the feasibility of a passenger rail station in the Town of Bedford serving the region of Bedford County and northern Franklin County. The study concluded that the Bedford Station locally based usage would produce an additional 26,000 annual trips beyond what the Lynchburg and Roanoke stations will produce.
This study and other information about the Bedford passenger rail station are available at www.bedfordareachamber.com or www.visitsmithmountainlake.com.
