1990 Bikeway/Walkway Plan
Table of Contents
PURPOSE
This plan was written to serve as a guide to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors
in the development of county biking/walking routes. Due to unsafe conditions,
many routes discussed in this plan are currently not designated as routes. It
is anticipated that this plan will encourage the funding of lanes and trails where
they are needed.
HISTORY
In previous years, bike planning for Montgomery County
has been on a limited basis. While Montgomery County was included in the 1974
regional bike plan prepared by the New River
Valley Planning District Commission, the county itself did not initiate bike
planning until 1989.
In 1976, for the nation's bicentennial, the TransAmerican
Bike Trail was developed. Montgomery County was fortunate to have part
of this prominent route running from the northeast to the southwest of the
County. This was the first designated bike route in the unincorporated part
of Montgomery County.
In 1989, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors
approved the funding of 3.9 miles of bike lanes along Lusters Gate Road (St Rte
723) to be completed when the road is widened and improved by the Virginia
Department of Transportation. Following the approval of this project, the
Board requested that a county-wide bike plan be prepared as part of the revision
of the Comprehensive Plan.
JUSTIFICATION
There are numerous reasons to justify the writing of
a county bikeway/walkway plan. With a growing emphasis on fitness and health,
more and more people have begun exercising regularly (According to a survey, the
Bicycle Federation has estimated that in
1984 more than 75 million Americans rode bicycles and 1.6 million commuted to
work by bicycle). Montgomery County, with its natural beauty and rural character
provides an almost ideal location for bicyclists. Due to the County's growing
population and increased commercial growth however, many citizens are finding
that some roads have become too dangerous from increased traffic. While recreational
bicycling can easily be accommodated in the rural portions of the County, residents
who are interested in safely traveling between Blacksburg, Christiansburg, or
Radford by foot discover that this is no longer possible. A good bicycle/pedestrian
plan works to encourage the development of lanes and trails where they are needed
to provide safe routes for non-motorized travel.
While providing safe routes is one of the most important
goals of a bikeway/walkway plan, there are also several other reasons. The encouragement
of commuting to work by bicycle reduces traffic along overcrowded roads, reduces
air and noise pollution, and helps save natural resources. A plan can foster cooperation
with other localities by extending existing town routes into the County and can
encourage economic development by promoting regional "bike rides". And lastly,
a major purpose of a bike plan is to save county money. By encouraging lanes and
trails only where they are needed and by taking into account alternative funding
sources, a bike plan guides decision makers in the efficient funding and development
of biking/walking routes.
PROCESS
In April 1989, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors
passed a resolution requesting that a bike plan be written as part of the revision
of the Comprehensive Plan. A committee of county citizens and representatives
from related groups was formed and began meeting in September 1989.
Any interested citizen was welcome to participate
in this group. Some active members included representatives from: the Town of
Christiansburg, the Blacksburg Bikeway/Walkway Committee, the Virginia Tech Civil
Engineering Society, and the Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Commission.
The committee met approximately twice a month for several months developing the
county bike map. The plan was written with a ten year time span but it was recommended
that it be reviewed every five years.
The plan was also written with a regional perspective.
Recommendations from the Blacksburg plan were included and several routes designated
in Montgomery County could easily be extended into neighboring counties. Input
was also received from the Mountain Valleys Bike Path Committee which is studying
a bike link between Roanoke's Explore Project and Montgomery County..
To publicize the plan and to receive citizen input,
the Bikeway/Walkway Draft Map was presented and discussed at four county comprehensive
plan citizen meetings held in February of 1990. During these meetings comments
were received on the plan and were brought back to the full committee for review.
GOALS
This plan seeks:
-
To encourage a lesser dependency
on cars as a form of transportation and to increase bicycle use as a mode
of transportation.
-
To help preserve the natural and
scenic environment of the County.
-
To take full advantage of all
available grant money.
-
To provide safe connecting routes
between Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and other localities.
-
To help educate the public on
safe bicycling practices and on courtesy among drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
-
To help promote coordination and
cooperation among local governments.
-
To expand the County's recreational
facilities by providing on and off road hiking and biking trails.
-
To provide safe biking/walking
lanes where they are appropriate such as to schools, population centers, or
parks.
FUNDING SOURCES
In developing and prioritizing proposed bike routes,
the Bikeway/Walkway Committee carefully considered the costs involved. It was
felt that if the plan's recommendations were expensive, they would not be funded.
Therefore, many of the proposed routes are designated as "shared roads". For these
routes, the committee felt that the current road was safe for cyclists and that
it should only be marked with signs to designate the road as a bike route (the
State would possibly fund these signs).
Other proposed routes were designated as either "lanes"
or "trails". All roads recommended for lanes were coordinated with the Virginia
Department of Transportation's Six-Year Road Plan with the intention that
bike lanes would be constructed when regular road improvements occurred. This
is the most cost effective way to fund bike lanes and can be done incrementally
as roads are improved. It is estimated that lanes developed independent of VDOT
road improvements cost approximately twice as much as projects completed when
road improvements occur.
The funding of trails (off road routes) was only
recommended where lanes were not feasible. These routes were only proposed near
existing or future parks so that state grants would apply. The following grants
apply to bikeways/walkways:
|
Type of Grant
|
Source
|
Program Description
|
Qualifying Route
|
|
VA Outdoors Grant
|
Dept. of Conservation & Recreation
|
50% grants for parks involving
water and/or projects with a county-wide focus
|
Huckleberry Trail (promote as
a linear park)
|
|
Recreational Access Roads
|
Dept. of Conservation & Recreation
|
Funds to construct, maintain,
& improve access roads & bike trails in historical or recreational
areas
|
Huckleberry Trail, 114 Trail
to proposed New River Park, connector Trail from Huckleberry to Mid-County
Park
|
|
VA's Orphaned Land Program
|
Dept. of Mines, Minerals, &
Energy
|
For reclamation of land which
is hazardous or an attractive nuisance due to surface mining
|
Huckleberry Trail in the Merrimac
area
|
DEVELOPMENT OF ROUTES
The following factors for bikeway/walkway routes
were considered:
Population Centers
According to the Center for Public Service Montgomery
County is the fastest growing locality in Southwest Virginia. Between 1980 and
1988, Montgomery County grew by 3,715 people while Roanoke County's population
increased by only 2,555 people. A population increase also results in an increase
of new housing units, subdivisions, mobile home parks, and services needed to
accommodate the population. Traffic also increases and roads become dangerous
for non-motorized travel.
To serve this increasing population, county growth
areas were identified as locations that should be served by biking/walking routes.
These locations have experienced an increase in housing through subdivisions,
mobile home parks, or by a large number of single family homes. Areas considered
to be "growth centers" included: Bethel, Ellet Valley, Elliston/Lafayette, Ironto,
Laurel Ridge, Mt. Tabor Road, Plum Creek, Preston Forest, Prices Fork, Riner,
and Shawsville.
Commuter Links
Montgomery County currently has two major commuter
links between Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford. US Route 460 between
Blacksburg and Christiansburg is the most direct route for travel between these
two towns. This strip of road also provides access to the New River Valley mall,
the Market Place Shopping Center, Mid-county Park, and various other businesses.
Route 114 between Christiansburg and the Montgomery County Line has also experienced
development and growth. This road serves subdivisions, mobile home parks, one
elementary school, and a growing number of businesses. This road also serves
as a direct link between Christiansburg and Radford.
Both of these roads suffer from a lack of good
shoulders, high-speeding cars, and congestion. These dangerous conditions make
these popular roads inaccessible to walkers and bikers.
Parks
Recreational facilities should be easily accessible
by foot or bicycle. Existing parks addressed in this study included: Mid-County
Park located off US Route 460, Plum Creek Park located off of Radford Rd (Rt
11), the '76 Bikeway, McCoy Falls, Pandapas Pond, and the nearby Blue Ridge
Parkway. Proposed Parks considered in this study included: New River Park located
at Peppers Ferry on Route 114 and Little River Park in the southwestern portion
of the county.
Other
Recommendations from the Blacksburg Bikeway/Walkway
Plan were considered and where appropriate included into the County Plan. Popular,
scenic biking routes throughout the County were also evaluated and considered
for inclusion in the plan.
DEFINITIONS
TRAIL: A separate path which is for the exclusive
use of non-motorized vehicles. It usually contains a separate right-of-way from
those facilities used by other modes of transportation. The path should have a
minimum width of five feet and should be paved. (Example: Huckleberry Trail in
Blacksburg)
LANE: A portion of the roadway that has been designated
for the exclusive use of bicycle travel with a minimum width of four feet. (Example:
bike lanes in Blacksburg)
SHARED ROAD: This is a bike path that shares
the right-of-way with motor vehicles, or where a bicycle path is not designated
except by signs. (Example: current '76 bike path)
#1 PROJECT: Refers to the abandoned Huckleberry railroad
bed. Due to the ideal location of this route (paralleling Rt 460 between Blacksburg
and Christiansburg) and since most of the route is owned by the County, this is
recommended to be cleared and paved as a trail. This project is also the #1 recommendation
of the Blacksburg Bike Plan.
HIGH PRIORITY: A project that is recommended to be
completed within the next one to five years.
MEDIUM PRIORITY: A project that is recommended to
be completed within the next five to nine years.
FUTURE ROUTE: A Project that is recommended to be
completed beyond ten years.
SUMMARY OF ROUTES
|
St. Rt/Name
|
Designation
|
Priority
|
Justification
|
|
Huckleberry Line
|
Trail
|
#1 Project
|
Co-owned right-of-way, good
commuter route, also #1 B'Burg project
|
|
M'County Park Park Connections
|
Lane/Trail
|
High
|
Link M'County Park to B'Burg,
C'Burg, and Huckleberry Trail
|
|
Lusters Gate Road (Rte 723
to Rte 603)
|
Lane
|
High
|
'76 Bike Route, VDOT 6-Year
Plan: August 1990, & serve growing area of County
|
|
Prices Fork Road (Rte 685)
|
Lane
|
High
|
VDOT 6-Year Plan: June 1991,&
link from B'Burg to Coal Hollow Road
|
|
Coal Hollow Road (Rte 705)
|
Lane
|
High
|
VDOT 6-Year Plan: December
1994 & link from Prices Fork Rd to Peppers Ferry Road
|
|
North Fork Road (Rte 603)
|
?
|
Medium
|
VDOT 6-Year Plan:? Scenic popular
biking route, waiting on road recommendation
|
|
Yellow Sulphur Road (Rte 643)
|
Lane
|
Medium
|
VDOT 6-Year Plan: November
1996 & link between B'Burg and C'Burg
|
|
Ellett Road (Rte 723 from 603
to
|
Lane
|
Medium
|
VDOT 6-Year Plan: January 197
& link between B'Burg & C'Burg
|
|
Mt. Tabor Road (Rte 624 to
Rte 628)
|
Lane
|
Medium
|
VDOT 6-Year Plan: January 1999,
Scenic & Popular Bike Route
|
|
Peppers Ferry Road (Rte 114)
|
Trail
|
Medium
|
Link from Coal Hollow Road
to proposed New River Park, traffic conditions require off-road trail
|
SHARED ROADS
Due to low traffic counts and the rural nature of
these roads, the following have been recommended as shared roads (map is included
with plan):
- Alleghany Spring Road (St Rte 637)
- Big Falls Road (St Rte 635)
- Bradshaw Road (St Rte 629)
- Catawba Road (St Rte 809)
- Childress Road (St Rte 693)
- Dry Run Road (St Rte 787)
- Fairview Church Road (St Rte 669)
- Fire Tower Road (St Rte 600)
- Glade Road (St Rte 693)
- Graysontown Road (St Rte 693)
- High Rock Hill Road (St Rte 612)
- Indian Valley Road (St Rte 787)
- Lick Run Road (St Rte 781)
- Lovely Mount Drive (St Rte 664)
- McCoy Road (St Rte 652)
- Merrimac Road (St Rte 657)
- Mt. Tabor Road (St Rte 624) to Dry Run Road (St Rte 628)
- Mt. Zion Road (St Rte 655)
- Mud Pike (St Rte 666)
- Norris Run Road (St Rte 708)
- North Fork Road (St Rte 603)
- Old Pike Road (St Rte 615)
- Pilot Road (St Rte 615)
- Piney Woods Road (St Rte 600)
- Riner Road (St Rte 8)
- Roanoke Road (US Rte 11/460)
- Tyler Road (St Rte 177)
- Union Valley Road (St Rte 669)
- Walton Road (St Rte 663)
- Wintergreen Drive (St Rte 787)
FUTURE ROUTES
The following routes are listed in
the plan as future routes. They are to be completed beyond a 10-year time frame.
(Map is included with plan)
|
St Rte/Name
|
Designation
|
Priority
|
Justification
|
|
Pandapas Pond
Road (US 460)
|
Trail
|
Future
|
Recommendation
in B'Burg Plan, serve Pandapas Pond
|
|
Craig Creek
Road (Rte 621)
|
Lane
|
Future
|
Serve Northern
portion of County including the Jefferson National Forest
|
|
Thomas Lane
(Rte 737)
|
Lane
|
Future
|
VDOT 6-Year
Plan: 1999, serve growing subdivisions & link to Prices Fork Road
|
|
Pilot Road
(Rte 615)
|
Lane
|
Future
|
Pave with lanes
as road is widened to link C'Burg to designated shared roadway
|
|
Nellies Cave
Road (Rte 681)
|
Lane
|
Future
|
Pave with lanes
when road is paved. Provides a direct link from Ellett Valley to Blacksburg
|
|
|
