Action Needed: Connect Our Schools Comments by 11/23

On Thursday evening, November 9, the City of Harrisonburg held a design public hearing on the Connect Our Schools (Garbers Church Shared Use Paths) projects to show the proposed route and receive feedback. At this stage, design work is considered over halfway completed but the right of way has not yet been acquired. With over 70 folks in attendance, visitors were able to look at maps, ask questions of city staff and the consultants who have been brought in for the project (VHB). The materials from the meeting are on display in the lobby of Harrisonburg City Hall along with comment forms. You can see all the maps of the projects on the city website by clicking here.

You have until Thursday 11/23 (Thanksgiving) to complete the online survey about the project. Here is what we ask you consider conveying to the city in your comments:

• Commend the city for identifying the power line corridor as the preferred route to connect Thomas Harrison Middle School to Hillandale Park. A trail on the power line corridor will keep students and community members off of roads and minimize potentially dangerous intersections.
• Encourage a connection to US 33 in this phase of the project to allow for more access points to this important and exciting trail.
• Ask the city
  to include plans and provisions for lighting and wayfinding signs along the trail.
• Help the city to prioritize projects: Question two asks how you would prioritize future aspects of this project. We think that the connection to Thomas Harrison Middle School along with a connection to US 33 is the most important next steps in this process.
• Ask the city to plan for these trails to serve as meaningful transportation corridors in addition to their recreational benefits.
• Please THANK the city for their work on this project. When completed, it will be the single largest pedestrian and bicycle project our city has ever undertaken.

Want to learn more? Read the comments your bicycle Coalition submitted earlier this year in regards to this important project. Click here to read comments.

Comment Form [1.6MB]

Poster 1: Garbers Church Shared Use Path

Poster 2: Garbers Church Shared Use Path [1.0MB]

Poster 3: Garbers Church Shared Use Path [1.5MB]

Poster 4: Garbers Church Shared Use Path [0.8MB]

Poster 5: Garbers Church Shared Use Path [3.5MB]

Poster 6: Garbers Church Shared Use Path [2.1MB]