Ashland to Petersburg Trail Study Online Meeting

To navigate through the meeting, click on the arrows on the right and left side of your screen.

If you have comments or questions on any of the material included in this online meeting, please submit your comments and feedback using the contact information provided at the conclusion of this presentation. You are also invited to complete an online survey and explore interactive mapping, where your feedback is requested as well.

Your comments are important to the development of the study, and we hope that by making available many opportunities to review study materials and give your input that you will share your thoughts on any issues and challenges.

This meeting is an opportunity for you to learn about the project and provide input on active transportation needs, so that VDOT can gather public comments on where people walk, bike, or would like to walk or bike. VDOT is also asking for feedback on important criteria to consider during the development and evaluation of potential multi-use trail corridors to improve active transportation in the study area. For reference, active transportation can include any mode of non-motorized transportation such as walking or jogging, biking, and human powered transportation.

VDOT has initiated the Ashland to Petersburg Trail Study to identify a preferred corridor for a multi-use trail that will extend between Ashland to Petersburg, a distance of approximately 40 miles. The Ashland to Petersburg Trail Study involves collaborative planning among local, state, and federal government agencies as well as interested stakeholders, with input from the public, to identify an agreed upon multi-use trail corridor.

The process for the Ashland to Petersburg Trail Study will include the identification of opportunities, constraints, and project costs to arrive at a preferred multi-use trail corridor that connects people and places across the Richmond metropolitan region.

When complete, the Ashland to Petersburg Trail Study will also recommend identified segments along the preferred corridor, which is intended to inform development of future active transportation projects in the Richmond metropolitan region.

As we look at this chart, you will see how VDOT plans to advance the study’s development, including the identification and documentation of needs; evaluation of multi-use trail corridor options, and recommendations for a preferred corridor as well as identified segments along the preferred corridor. Throughout the entire study process, agency, stakeholder, and public involvement will remain a critical component. Keep up-to-date with the study’s progress by visiting our website at ATPTrailStudy.org and look for additional opportunities for public input.

The Ashland to Petersburg Trail Study will identify a preferred corridor for multi-use trail segments, with the purpose to address active transportation needs in the Richmond metropolitan region. The recommended improvements identified in the Ashland to Petersburg Trail Study will enhance connectivity to existing active transportation facilities or areas of interest, like work, school, or shopping. It will also improve safety for the non-motoring public; and it will be developed consistent with statewide, regional, and local transportation planning missions.

We encourage you to provide input on active transportation needs in the study area. Please let VDOT know what needs you think should be addressed or issues that should be considered as part of this study.

What are the types of trails? They could be…

• Urban
• Suburban
• Rural
• And Rail

Depending on the location and community where the trail is located, the type of facility and design has to be customized to accommodate for bicyclists, pedestrians, and other active transportation users, like wheelchair users as an example.

Determinations of the trail types and location of the multi-use trial corridor requires the following evaluation considerations.

As part of the study process, evaluation considerations are important for both determining the final corridor of each priority corridor segment and ranking each segment in order of importance. These evaluation considerations may include:

• Environmental conditions, such as natural and cultural resources, as well as the possibility for the project to receive necessary environmental permits and approvals for construction
• The safety of users on the trail
• The trail’s connections to other existing active transportation facilities as well as to destinations of interest such as schools, work or recreation areas
• The estimated cost of constructing the trail
• The routing of the trail corridor and other design considerations
• And lastly, potential right of way impacts.

VDOT needs your input to help determine which evaluation considerations are most important to the community or if there are others that should be considered.

Thank you for your interest in the Ashland to Petersburg Trail Study. As previously mentioned, your feedback is a critical component of the study development and VDOT has developed a number of ways that you can provide your input.

Submit comments by mail to:
Palmer Stearns, Project Manager
Virginia Department of Transportation
2430 Pine Forest Drive
Colonial Heights, Virginia 23834

By phone: 804–524–6012.

By email: ATPTrailStudy@VDOT.virginia.gov

You are also invited to complete an online survey and explore interactive mapping, where your feedback is requested as well.

Additional opportunities for public involvement, in addition to agency and stakeholder coordination, will be incorporated as part of the overall study process. Keep up-to-date with the study’s progress by visiting our website: ATPTrailStudy.org