PedalSafe ROA has been selected to receive a $15,000 Flagship Grant through the 2024 AARP Community Challenge program to reconfigure intersections along the Ferdinand Ave corridor between Elm Ave and Riverside Blvd SW. The project seeks to reduce speeding, improve sidewalk and crossing visibility, and increase cyclist and pedestrian safety, and is made possible due to the generous support of AARP with funding support provided by Toyota Motor North America.
About the Ferdinand Ave Corridor project
The Ferdinand Ave corridor links the West End, Mountain View, and Old Southwest neighborhoods to the Roanoke River Greenway, the Mountain View Recreation Center and Community Garden, Grandin Village, and Valley Metro bus stops. It also connects the Wasena neighborhood to Highland Elementary school.
Neighborhood residents and community members regularly walk and bike to these and other locations along Ferdinand Ave, yet the existing infrastructure encourages dangerous driving behavior and does not provide safe crossing conditions. Recent traffic studies by the City of Roanoke found traffic speeds of over 50 miles per hour in this area.
The Flagship Grant will be used to modify intersections on the Ferdinand Ave corridor with artistic pavement markings and temporary vertical barriers. These improvements will extend curblines, reduce turning radii, and shorten crossings to increase cyclist and pedestrian visibility, reduce speeding, and promote overall safety. Community artists and residents from the Mountain View and Old Southwest neighborhoods will have the opportunity to engage with the City of Roanoke and PedalSafe ROA to design and install the artistic traffic calming measures.
“Our long term goal is to demonstrate how permanent redesigns here and at other critical locations can lead to better compliance with speed limits and greater safety, especially for walkers and bikers,” said PedalSafe Chairperson Ken McLeod. “The ultimate goal is to enhance livability in Roanoke’s neighborhoods.”
PedalSafe ROA was chosen as one of 334 grantees from over 3,350 applications nationwide. Project updates and volunteer opportunities will be shared throughout the grant implementation period. All project work will be completed by the end of 2024. Please follow PedalSafe ROA on Facebook (PedalSafe ROA) or Instagram (@pedalsaferoa) for updates. PedalSafe ROA will have a public meeting on July 8th at 6:30 pm at the Kirk YMCA to discuss this and other projects.
