Stafford officials holding information meetings on transportation study

STAFFORD — (Press Release) Officials are asking for citizen comments regarding the top-scoring road projects identified by a road evaluation. County staff presented an analysis of 114 roads/road segments to the Board of Supervisors in November 2018.

The Board directed staff to conduct further research on 63 roads/road segments, to include recommended improvements and cost estimates for those improvements. A broad range of criteria was used to score each road, to better identify those roads meriting a higher priority for improvement as well as the types of improvements required.

While the Virginia Department of Transportation holds the primary responsibility for building, maintaining and operating the state’s roads, bridges and tunnels, Stafford County has also assumed responsibility and invested more than $57 million of County funds in transportation infrastructure over the last eight years.

The County has initiated and helped fund 22 road improvement projects that might never have happened without County support. The Board of Supervisors understands that more needs to be done and has undertaken an objective, data-driven Comprehensive Road Evaluation to determine how best to plan for road improvements in the County while identifying sources for funding.

The Board wants to inform residents about this study and solicit their input, and is inviting interested citizens to attend two upcoming public meetings, one of which will be broadcast online on Facebook.

“Our Youth Driver Task Force safety study 10 years ago resulted in the completion of many road improvements in the County. The current study seeks to identify the next list of transportation priorities for consideration,” said Keith Dayton, project manager for this effort. “We continue to be proactive in identifying problem roads and formulating transportation solutions with our current road study. These meetings are designed to provide an opportunity for public involvement as we move forward.”

Stafford will hold an information session on Monday, January 14, 2019, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Activity room at the Anne E. Moncure Elementary School, 75 Moncure Lane, Stafford, VA 22556. A presentation detailing the evaluation process and the recommended road improvement list will start at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be broadcast live on Stafford County Government’s Facebook page.

A second meeting is scheduled in the Edward E. Drew Middle School auditorium on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Drew Middle School is located at 501 Cambridge Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22405.

Questions and comments will be collected from the meetings. If citizens are unable to attend the meeting or watch it online, residents may access the presentation by visiting the County website at www.staffordcountyva.gov or by emailing Keith Dayton at [email protected].