Table of Contents

How a single downtown project could shape Harrisonburg’s transportation future and why the Bicycle Coalition is weighing in.

Why the Bicycle Coalition is Talking About the Proposed Housing Developments and Why You Should Care

The City of Harrisnoburg postponed the vote on this project at their meeting on 8/12/2025. Stay tuned for more information on the path forward.

Would you like more backstory on the Project:

8/13/2025: Lots of different opinions prompt council to wait six weeks to decide on Link Apartments project
8/7/2025: The Link apartments would be a net positive for Harrisonburg
8/11/2025: Needed housing or eyesore? People of Harrisonburg get their chance to weigh in on apartment complex
8/10/2025: Community Perspective: A Gentle Plea to Keep R-3
8/12/2025: Zoning Rules are Not a Constant
9/2/2025: Community Perspective: What is the Link and Why I Don’t Support the Project

You might have seen some headlines or heard some chatter about a proposed downtown project called The Link. It’s a sizable mixed-use development planned for the current Lindsay Funeral Home location along Liberty Street, right in the heart of Downtown Harrisonburg.

Maybe you haven’t been following the details. Maybe you’re wondering why a Bicycle Coalition is weighing in on a private development at all. Isn’t that outside our lane? And, given the project’s scale and the strong feelings on all sides, why touch something this controversial?

At the core: how and where we build directly shapes how and whether people can walk and bike. That means projects like this are squarely within our mission.

Why Developments Like The Link Matter for Biking and Walking

When big projects happen in a downtown core, close to jobs, schools, groceries, transit, and existing or planned bike/walk infrastructure, they have the ability to change the transportation equation for many people.

The Link’s location is a short walk or ride to JMU, the farmers market, downtown jobs, restaurants, local businesses, and bus stops. It will also sit next to the future Liberty Street two-way cycle track, which will be one of Harrisonburg’s most transformative active transportation projects.

By putting more homes here instead of at the edge of town, we:

Reduce car dependence and the traffic that comes with it.
Support local businesses with more foot traffic.
Preserve farmland and green space by preventing sprawl.
Make transit, walking, and biking more practical for everyday trips.

What We Like in This Proposal

Reduced Parking: We commend any development that charges separately for parking. This allows residents to choose to go car-lite or car-free without subsidizing parking spaces for others via rent. Parking policy and walkable/bikable communities are inextricably connected. When we continue to overbuild parking, we make our communities harder to navigate on foot or by bike.
Active Street Frontage: The plan places the building at the sidewalk with hopeful ground-floor activity. The proposal does not ring the building with parking lots facing the street, making walking and biking safer and more inviting.
Downtown Housing Density: The city of Harrisonburg’s adopted plans call for more people to live downtown. This project is one step in that direction.
Student Housing: We believe more JMU students should live close to campus. That means more student housing in Downtown. This is better for everyone. Fewer car trips to campus, less congestion, and less sprawl on the eastern side of Harrisonburg and into the county.

Understanding Why the Bicycle Coalition is Talking About the Proposed Housing Developments and Why You Should Care

Where We See Room for Improvement

Affordability – More housing is good, but affordability matters. We’d like to see ways for a broader range of people to live in Harrisonburg, specifically near our urban downtown center, whether through price variety or contributions to broader housing programs.
Street-Level Mixed Use—We’d love to see more space on the ground floor for shops, services, or community uses—places that draw people in and keep the street lively all day.
Micromobility Options – Shared bikes, scooters, and other small electric mobility options could make it even easier for residents and visitors to get around without a car. This is the type of development that could be integrated into a city-wide network.

Why the Bicycle Coalition Is Speaking Up

Our mission is to build better communities for biking and walking—and that doesn’t just mean building trails. It means looking at the whole ecosystem that makes active transportation possible: safe streets, accessible housing, vibrant public spaces, and a mix of uses that keep neighborhoods thriving.

When development happens in the right places, biking and walking can be safer, more practical, and more appealing. When it happens in the wrong places or ways, it can make them harder and more dangerous.

We’re not here to rubber-stamp or reject The Link. We’re here to say: this is what works for a walkable, bikeable Harrisonburg, and this is where it could be better.

Yes, that means wading into issues related to housing, land use, and development. But these aren’t side issues; they’re the foundation of a community where biking and walking are real choices for everyone.

We’re too late if we only speak up about bike lanes after buildings are constructed and streets are set. The best time to make a community bikeable is when it’s being designed.

That’s why we’re talking about The Link. And that’s why we’ll keep speaking up—so that the Harrisonburg of the future is one where everyone, no matter where they live or how they get around, has safe, affordable, and joyful transportation choices.

Why the Bicycle Coalition is Talking the Proposed Housing Developments and Why You Care