The CSPDC has scheduled an annual stakeholder meeting to facilitate conversations and garner feedback regarding the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Virginia Outdoors Plan (VOP). The meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 12 at 2:00 p.m. These annual meetings are held across Virginia’s 21 planning districts to collect input on regional outdoor recreation and land conservation projects from local planners and government employees, outdoor recreation professionals and land managers, citizens, advocates, and nonprofit leaders. Input collected will be used in the 2023 Virginia Outdoors Plan to develop projects for future outdoor recreation implementation.

Applications for the 2022 Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) are due September 14, 2021. In August, Governor Northam allocated a historic $700 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding toward broadband infrastructure for unserved areas in Virginia. This funding will be distributed through the VATI program and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and will accelerate the Governor’s 10-year goal for achieving universal broadband access from 2028 to 2024. CSPDC staff will be assisting several localities this summer with their VATI applications and are excited for this opportunity to bring high speed internet to our rural communities.

In August, the Shenandoah Valley Partnership (SVP) contracted with Draper Aden and Associates to perform the Shenandoah Valley Site Enhancement project that is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2022. The project is funded through GO Virginia and will include Phase I environmental reviews, wetlands surveys, geotechnical subsurface evaluation, and characterization of each site for the Virginia Business Ready Sites Tier program. The six proposed sites located in GO Virginia Region 8, have been identified as having the greatest return on investment made possible by both public and private sector investments and commitments to the market. Project partners included the counties of Augusta, Frederick, Rockingham, and Warren. The CSPDC will be providing grant administration services for the duration of the project.

The Afton Express, a commuter bus service connecting Staunton, Fishersville, Waynesboro, Charlottesville, and Fifth Street Station in Albemarle County began operating on September 1. Three buses, outfitted with Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, and bike racks, operate four morning and four afternoon service routes, five days a week. All rides are free during the month of September. Standard fares, beginning October 1, will be $3 one way, with 10 ride farecards available for purchase for $25. Local funding for the Afton Express is provided by the cities of Staunton, Waynesboro and Charlottesville, the counties of Augusta and Albemarle, and the University of Virginia.

A ribbon cutting to launch the service and recognize project partners was held on August 16 at the BRITE Transit Facility in Fishersville. Over 50 local government representatives, stakeholders, Commissioners, and partners were in attendance. To stay up-to-date on this exciting new service, “like” and “follow” the Afton Express on Facebook and Twitter.