Transportation improvements establish more walkability, safer sidewalks and all-around community support.
Dan Smith
Crosswalks allow for easy and safe access to the popular library location (plus great coffee from RND Coffee!).
Sarah Reid grew up in Vinton, but raising a family there shed new light on the challenges.
“When my husband and I wanted to buy a house, the schools and the kind of house we could buy with our money, Vinton became very attractive to us,” she says.
Soon after they bought their 1925 Craftsman, the new library was built, and she realized there wasn’t a safe way to walk from their neighborhood to the downtown area because they had to cross Washington Avenue. She wrote to the town about this and asked if a “signalized” crosswalk could be installed.
Dan Smith
Sarah Reid: “When my husband and I wanted to buy a house, the schools and the kind of house we could buy with our money, Vinton became very attractive to us.”
“It was then that a relationship began to develop, and I found out how forward-thinking the town staff was,” she says. Her suggestions were welcomed by the town fathers, says Town Manager Pete Peters.
“When we get good suggestions, we try to put the person making them on a committee,” he says. Sarah Reid’s were so good and so persistent that she wound up on the planning commission working on a new plan for a safer town, proving that not only does the Town of Vinton listen to their residents, but welcomes them into the conversation of finding and investing in solutions to the problems. Better transportation options and more walkability are just two of the many ways Vinton is investing in its future.
“The intersection was already on its radar and the [officials] were receptive to hearing my concerns,” Reid says. “The result is the crosswalk at the intersection of Pollard and Washington. After that experience, I joined the traffic safety committee, and eventually, a steering committee that focused on improvements for pedestrians and bikes. I now serve on the Planning and Zoning Commission.”
Meanwhile, Vinton has replaced seven of 11 signal intersections with upgrades so far. The lights are responsive to emergency services, clearing the way for their vehicles. GPS was installed to allow synchronization of traffic lights, allowing traffic to breeze through town.
Infrastructure upgrades so far have equaled about $2 million for the 3.2-square-mile town with 8,000 residents. “We probably will spend about that much more,” says Peters. The signals “hadn’t been updated in 40 years, so everything was outdated.”
There has been a strong effort to improve walkability. New crosswalks on Hardy Road and Gus Nicks Boulevard that aren’t at intersections were designed. Greenways are being expanded and connected with other greenway spurs.
1 of 2
Town of Vinton
Plans for the Glade Creek Greenway expansion
2 of 2
Town of Vinton
Plans for the Hardy Road crosswalk
“We are trying to connect exterior neighborhoods with downtown for the interior amenities,” Peters emphasizes. “There has been a need to drive downtown, but now we are trying to make it walkable.” There is also an effort in the offing to update bus routes from Roanoke to downtown Vinton “so you don’t have to go to Roanoke first.”
Removing roadways and finding walking avenues is a focus these days. Vinton is a spur on the Roanoke Valley’s nearly 20 miles of greenway and full connection could be a major accomplishment.
“We want families to go out and recreate with the kids,” says Peters. “They can walk or bike around town. With those options realized, travel will be faster and there will be fewer cars on the road, which will almost certainly be safer.”
“Safety is our No. 1 goal,” says Assistant Planning Director Nathan McClung. “If we make roads safe for bikers and pedestrians, it is safe for everybody. Transportation is the No. 1 impact here. We have 24,000 people passing through each day.”
Mountain View Road, which overlooks Vinton, was initially built as a farm road, but its two-mile length will be rebuilt by 2024, upgrading its value. In 2022, Vinton spent a lot of money on paving, and it will repeat that this year. That paving “enhances residences, helps business and is more aesthetic,” says Peters. “It’s the trifecta.”
Cleveland Avenue, a major connector between downtown and Vinton’s major shopping mall, has been dramatically upgraded and street lighting has been added elsewhere. “We are starting to see results,” says Peters, “and next year, we will be fully functional. People are expecting this and they want walkability. The older parts of town have been built out and there is a lot of occupancy in the older buildings. As those buildings age out, they are bringing in younger residents who can afford them. We just finished a housing study, and the trend is for younger residents. What we are lacking is the middle demographic, but it isn’t serious.”
“I have also been influenced by towns I’ve seen while traveling,” says Reid. “Pedestrian zones, bike lanes, and other street improvements have helped other places (and their businesses) be successful and they make the place feel more like a community. I want to continue to bring that inspiration back to Vinton and find out which of those things could work here and make the town even better.”
Possible next steps are to keep the momentum going with new businesses and town improvements, and continue road improvements for pedestrians and calm the traffic on them. Reid says it’s great to have outdoor seating at Vinyard Station, but the road noise is bad. She would like to see an effort to bring in more trees or covered walkways to the downtown area, since the summer heat is oppressive and makes it uncomfortable to stroll the downtown area without shade.
“If we want more people to visit and enjoy Vinton all year long, this will be an important factor to consider,” Reid says. “Adding more trees could also invite more small parks and sitting areas — more things that would encourage people to stay in the town longer.”
With the improvements to transportation and walkability, and so much more, Vinton continues to prosper in drawing in new businesses and residents, making it the ideal place to call home.