Cristina Finch, Director of Transportation, to lead National Capital Region Transportation Plan
Cristina leaves the Regional Commission after over twelve years of service

Cristina Finch, a lead transportation planner with the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission for over twelve years, and Director of Transportation for the past six, will be leaving the Regional Commission to become the principal planner behind the National Capital Region’s transportation plan for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Cristina’s last day with the Regional Commission will be April 7th.

“Cristina has been the driving force behind a number of critical and transformative regional planning efforts during her tenure at the Regional Commission,” says Executive Director Jeremy Holmes. “Her insight, intelligence, and attention to detail has successfully shepherded through projects looking at everything from the region’s transit vision to bike and pedestrian facilities analyses, to the allocations made via the annual Surface Transportation Block Grant program.”

Among Cristina’s major accomplishments was the recent Roanoke Valley Transportation Plan update, which included not only a thorough documentation of the region’s transportation needs and the priorities to address over the next 20 years, but a significant overhaul of the overall technical and decision-making process used to help decide where and how Federal dollars are applied to transportation projects in Roanoke’s urbanized area. The update, which started before the COVID-19 pandemic, wrapped up earlier this year.

Cristina stated, “I am very proud of the collaborative work accomplished during my time at the Regional Commission to advance the transportation planning and programming process. Most importantly I am happy to have contributed to making life better for people through transportation advancements.”

The Commission staff and members of its supporting transportation technical committees and policies boards wish Cristina well in her new endeavors in the National Capital Region.

The Regional Commission will be advertising for the Director of Transportation position in the coming weeks at https://rvarc.org/about-rvarc/jobsinternships/.

The Roanoke Valley Transportation Planning Organization (RVTPO) is seeking public input on transportation funding requests through the Surface Transportation Block Grant program. Please take the survey here.

The survey is now closed! Thank you to everyone who participated.

Comments will be accepted until Wednesday, March 1, 2023, and public hearing will be held at 1:00 pm on Thursday March 23, 2023, at 313 Luck Avenue SW, Roanoke VA.  

Regional Commission Hires Director for Roanoke Valley Collective ResponseRoanoke, VA (February 14, 2023)- The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission named Robert Natt as the new Director of the Roanoke Valley Collective Response, providing key leadership in our region’s response to the addiction and mental health crisis.

Natt has been involved with the Collective Response since its inception in 2018, serving as a founding member of the Steering Committee and current member of the Collective Advisory Committee.  He has previously served as a Marketing Consultant for Carilion Clinic, a Partnership and Business Development Director for the Vinod Chachra IMPACT Lab at Radford University, as well as President of his own firm, Robert Natt Productions.  Natt additionally serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Partnership for Community Wellness (formerly the Prevention Council of Roanoke).

Natt holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Commercial Media and Communication from James Madison University, a Master of Science degree in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Certificate in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

“It is an honor to serve our region in such a meaningful capacity,” said Natt.  “I look forward to continued collaboration with stakeholders to build community, enhance services, and offer hope to those who need it most.

“Robert’s deep history with the program up to this point, plus his vision for its growth to provide services and coordination across our entire service area, will be critical in positioning the Collective Response to access the resources necessary to assist our member localities in addressing issues of addiction and recovery,” said Jeremy Holmes, Executive Director of the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission. “The role of the Collective Response as a convener and coordinator of the regional response to the addiction crisis has never been more important.”

Lee Clark, CEO of the Rescue Mission and Co-chair of the Collective Advisory Committee said, “Robert’s understanding of complex community issues and collaborative leadership style are a perfect fit for what this role demands.  His vision for the future and focus on the present show that he is committed to addressing the immediate challenges of today while working with other regional organizations to build a brighter future for tomorrow.”

Phil North, Board of Supervisors member for Roanoke County and Chair of the Regional Commission added, “We’re excited to see Robert take this important role on the Commission’s leadership team, and the breadth of skills and experience he brings to help the organization support its membership outside of his work with the Collective Response.”

Natt plans to focus his first several months on the job in partnering with localities and organizations to increase collaboration, and pursue funding opportunities through the Opioid Abatement Authority. Natt’s first day with the Commission will be February 16th, 2023.

The Roanoke Valley Alleghany Regional has earned recognition as a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Business from the League of American Bicyclists! 

We’ve joined nearly 300 local businesses, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies across the United States designated at the Gold Level. This cohort is transforming the American workplace to be more welcoming to our customers and employees who bike. So many more have joined or returned to the bike movement during the pandemic, and we are proud to support the health and well-being of our community by being more welcoming to people choosing to bike.

“This round of awardees features shining examples of current and aspiring Bicycle Friendly Businesses working in tandem to boost the number of places in their community where traveling by bike is not only possible but encouraged,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “We hope that more businesses, nonprofits, public agencies, and other organizations will continue to build off one another’s efforts to improve bicycling and employ this holistic approach to building a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.”

 The Bicycle Friendly Business award recognizes an organization’s contributions over months and years to the movement to build a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.

Learn more about the League’s Bicycle Friendly Business program at bikeleague.org/business. If you have feedback on how we can continue to be even more welcoming to people who bike, don’t hesitate to let us know. 

Bicycle Friendly Business is a Registered Trademark of the League of American Bicyclists; used with permission.

The Chesapeake Bay scored a 32 on the 2022 State of the Bay report. This is the same score the waterbody received on the 2020 State of the Bay report. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) issues a biennial State of the Bay report that analyzes the best available information about the Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts. The report uses a number of indicators to determine how progress has been made. This includes looking at levels of pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus as well as population numbers of oysters, rockfish, and other keystone aquatic species. Each indicator is given a score and associated grade. Those scores are used to determine the overall health index of the Chesapeake Bay.

The largest score jump came from the oyster category, which had a score increase of five points. Oysters are important members of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. They filter sediment and nutrients from the water, provide habitat for juvenile rockfish and other fish species, and are a staple of the region’s food culture. The blue crab’s score dropped five points, representing the largest score decline out of all indicators.

Image 1. 2022 State of the Bay Indicator Scores.

When the first State of the Bay report was released in 1998, the Chesapeake Bay scored a 27 (D). Scores have been up and down over the years, but the long-term trend shows that cleanup efforts are having an impact on the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the watershed as a whole.

The Chesapeake Bay would receive a score of 40 (C) if the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint were to be fully implemented. This means that enough Best Management Practices have been installed to help the Chesapeake Bay reach its cleanup goal. A milestone has been set to have all practices installed by 2025. The cleanup effort would need to see great acceleration to achieve this goal. Watershed partners have stepped up their efforts to make a push to reach the goal. The James River Association and Chesapeake Bay Foundation operate a cost-free tree planting program for Upper and Middle James River Watershed landowners. Landowners who would like to see more trees planted along streams on their property can enroll in the program to establish riparian buffers on their property. Virginia lawmakers have also worked to pass legislation that supports cleanup efforts. The 2021 General Assembly session saw hundreds of millions of dollars become allocated towards wastewater treatment facilities in need of upgrades. These improvements will enhance the treatment process and reduce pollutant loads coming from treatment plants.

Image 2. State of the Bay progress graph.

The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission is supporting the cleanup effort by facilitating conversations about the Chesapeake Bay and finding opportunities for communities to complete water quality improvement projects. Learn more about water quality initiatives in the area at upperjameswatershed.org. Contact Gabriel Irigaray, girigaray@rvarc.org, for more information about how to complete a water quality improvement project in your community.

The Roanoke Valley Transportation Planning Organization (RVTPO) had completed a month long period of accepting comments on the draft Roanoke Valley Transportation Plan, including FFY 24-27 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

A public hearing will be held at 1:00 pm on December 15th, 2022, at 313 Luck Avenue SW, Roanoke VA. For accommodations call (540) 343-4417 or E-mail: bhill@rvarc.org. Hearing impaired persons call 711 for access. The RVTPO strives to provide reasonable accommodations for persons who require special assistance to participate in public involvement opportunities. The TIP development process satisfies the requirements for public participation and adoption of the Transit Program of Projects. The RVTPO fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in all programs and activities.

View the updated Roanoke Valley Transportation Plan, materials, and survey on our website www.rvarc.org/draft-transportation-plan. 

The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission has released the annual report of activities for FY22.

2022 Annual Report

The comment period is now closed.

The Roanoke Valley Transportation Planning Organization (RVTPO) is accepting comments on the draft Roanoke Valley Transportation Plan, including FFY 24-27 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). To participate and review the survey or plan, visit the survey links or website below.

Vehicle and Roadway Survey

Pedestrian and Bicyclist Survey

Transit Survey

Comments will be accepted until November 27th, 2022, and a public hearing will be held at 1:00 pm on December 15th, 2022, at 313 Luck Avenue SW, Roanoke VA. For accommodations call (540) 343-4417 or E-mail: bhill@rvarc.org. Hearing impaired persons call 711 for access. The RVTPO strives to provide reasonable accommodations for persons who require special assistance to participate in public involvement opportunities. The TIP development process satisfies the requirements for public participation and adoption of the Transit Program of Projects. The RVTPO fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in all programs and activities.

View the updated Roanoke Valley Transportation Plan, materials, and survey on our website www.rvarc.org/draft-transportation-plan 

Outdoor Recreation Plan Announced for Alleghany Highlands

The RVARC and the Alleghany Highland Chamber of Commerce announce the launch of a new Outdoor Recreation Plan effort. This initiative is a partnership between the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, Alleghany County, the City of Covington, and the Towns of Clifton Forge and Iron Gate.  The plan will serve as a guide for growing outdoor recreation in the area and strengthening the impact of this sector on the local economy.

To participate in the survey to help shape the plan click below:

Resident Survey- https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WN628K2

Event Survey- https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WNXWPH8

Visitor Survey- https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WXHQF2H

Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
Contact: Elizabeth K Elmore
(540)343-4417
eelmore@rvarc.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Roanoke Valley Collective Response Receives $1.4 Million for Peer Recovery Network
Grant will create full time positions to work alongside Police, Fire and EMS 

Roanoke, VA (August 8, 2022) — The Roanoke Valley Collective Response has been awarded a $1.4 Million grant to develop a Peer Recovery Network. The award comes from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration and will support the development and expansion of the network over the next four years, creating three full time positions; including one coordinator and two Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CPRS) who are embedded with EMS and law enforcement during overdose reversal calls. The Collective Response’s proposal was identified as a project of  National and Regional Significance and will allow Peer Recovery specialists to work alongside first responders across the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany region.

“This grant is a vital investment in growing the ecosystem of recovery,” Niles Comer, Director of the Collective Response said. “Evidence supports the power of involving people with lived experience in addiction and recovery – peer recovery specialist – as the vanguards to promoting recovery and addressing addiction. This grant will work seamlessly to build out a Peer Recovery Network across community stakeholders of the Collective Response while working specifically with law enforcement and first responders to help in addressing the rise in drug overdose calls.”

The Peer Recovery Network will connect Peer Recovery Specialists, provide resources for peers, and develop a workforce network connecting peers to the employers who may be in need of their services and to motivate and assist businesses in the hiring of people with lived experience with Substance Use Disorder and involvement in the criminal justice system.

“Having a peer recovery specialist on substance abuse-related calls has been proven to remove communication barriers and move our patients into a more sustainable effort recovery program,” said Jeremy Hartman, Captain for Salem Fire EMS. “The successful connection to services has been vital to reducing the number of overdose-related calls for service.”

This initiative will provide assistance to EMS and law enforcement while simultaneously seeking to reduce repeat calls. The peer recovery specialists will serve as “care coordinators” after the hand-off from EMS and law enforcement and assist with reducing any barriers to accessing treatment.  introduce the individual into the spectrum of recovery.

The Roanoke Valley Collective Response works across systems to find new and effective strategies to solve the opioid and addiction crisis. Collective Response members span law enforcement, Emergency Medical Services, healthcare, local and state government, education, community support organizations, faith community, business community, and individuals and families personally touched by addiction.  The Collective Response was formalized as a program of the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission in 2021 through American Rescue Plan Act funds from the City of Roanoke.

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A program of the Roanoke Valley Alleghany Regional Commission, the Collective Response is a multi-sector initiative working collaboratively to create recovery-oriented solutions to the addiction crisis across the Roanoke Valley.
The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission (RVARC) is one of 21 regional planning agencies in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Member governments include the counties of Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, Franklin and Roanoke; the cities of Covington, Roanoke, and Salem; and the towns of Clifton Forge, Rocky Mount and Vinton. The mission of the Regional Commission is to be a leader in driving collaboration and strategy within our communities on issues that are critical to the economic growth, quality of life, and the sustainability of this region.