Next summer, intersections along Beverley Street and Johnson Street will be upgraded to provide for better and safer accommodations for pedestrians. This summer, in advance of these intersection improvements, the City of Staunton will be closing one travel lane on a two-block stretch of Beverley Street and letting pedestrians take over the space for a month.

Next summer’s intersection improvements along Beverley Street between Lewis and Coalter streets will change the look and feel for both pedestrians and drivers. To introduce the community to some of these changes, we plan on hosting a demonstration project this summer and will be seeking feedback from you—both here on this page and out and about on Beverley Street.

Next summer’s project will include new pedestrian signals and buttons, higher visibility crosswalks, and improved ADA corner ramps. When the new ADA ramps are installed, they will be installed on curb extensions that will narrow Beverley Street at each intersection down to a single lane for cars. This design shortens the crossing distance across Beverley Street for pedestrians and increases safety and visibility of all users—both pedestrians and drivers. The limited public right-of-way downtown and the City’s topography (hills!) were also reasons why we’re going with the curb extension design for the new ADA ramps.

More information on next summer’s project can be found here: https://www.ci.staunton.va.us/government/projects/downtown-intersection-improvements-project

During the demonstration project this summer, the main thing we’re hoping you notice is that there will be places for you to spend time on Beverley Street. Expect to see some DIY benches and small trees and flowers, at a minimum. The outside (right) travel lane on Beverley Street will be closed to traffic and open to pedestrians. To separate this expanded pedestrian/sidewalk space from cars, we’ll be installing flexible delineators, similar to the ones installed on Johnson Street in front of the Wharf parking lots. We are still working out all of the details, but we hope to be able to add some other elements that help make an inviting space that people want to spend time in. Our grant-funded project budget is small, but our creativity is not! In addition, we plan on having in place that will link to this website and the survey to comment on the project.

The Beverley Street Demonstration Project is expected to be in place from June 1^st through the end of June, at least. We’d like to have this project in place for at least 30 days to give everyone a chance to experience it and provide their thoughts on the project.

In 2022, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) concluded a safety study that analyzed ten intersections across the City, including ones within the downtown area along Beverley Street. The study’s focus was increased safety for pedestrians and motorists and included recommended street and signal improvements. The City followed up by applying for and receiving nearly $2.2 million in federal funding through VDOT for the design and construction of intersection improvements at nine downtown locations, including six along Beverley Street. This project is currently in the design phase and is planned to be advertised for construction Summer 2027. The funding program is the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), and for short, the City refers to these improvements as “the HSIP Project” or “the HSIP Improvements”. More information on these can be found on the project webpage:

https://www.ci.staunton.va.us/government/projects/downtown-intersection-improvements-project

The HSIP Improvements will change Beverley Street within downtown, even though the construction will just be limited to the intersections themselves. Along with pedestrian signal upgrades and higher visibility crosswalks, new ADA ramps will be installed that will narrow Beverley Street before and after each intersection and reduce the number of vehicle travel lanes from two to one. This will bring the pedestrian crossings up to current standards, shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians, and make both drivers and pedestrians more visible to each other.

Before those permanent changes happen, the City wants to make the community aware of the changes to Beverley Street through a month-long demonstration project that will also provide the opportunity for feedback on the temporary improvements to the pedestrian space.

The Beverley Street Demonstration Project is being designed and funded through the Virginia Department of Health’s Virginia Walkability Action Institute. This summer, the City of Staunton, in partnership with the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, will reconfigure a two-block section of Beverley Street from the intersections of Augusta Street to Market Street. We’ll be blocking off the outside lane to traffic and utilizing temporary furniture, plants, and signage to expand the sidewalk space available to pedestrians. The elements will remain in place for at least a month, to give the community a chance to experience the space and provide feedback to the City.

No. The demonstration project is designed to stay within the footprint of the existing outside travel lane. By repurposing the outside (right) "through-lane" into a pedestrian area, we are able to test new features without removing existing parking spaces. On-street parking will remain available as usual throughout the week.

To ensure delivery operations to Beverley Street businesses remain smooth, a dedicated loading zone will be maintained on each block for the duration of the pilot.

The Shop and Dine Out program will continue as scheduled. The temporary safety markers (delineators) will remain in place 24/7, but their spacing is intended to accommodate tables, chairs, or retail displays of adjacent businesses that will be put out during the Sop and Dine Out days.

The city-provided benches, planters, and "Outdoor Living Room" features will remain in place each day during the month-long demonstration period. This creates an inviting atmosphere that encourages visitors to linger in front of shops along Beverley Street beyond the Shop and Dine Out Days.

No. This is a "Try Before We Buy" demonstration. We are using DIY materials—like removable benches and temporary planters—specifically so we can adjust the design based on feedback from the community to identify what elements are the most important.

No. The permanent 2027 project is specifically focused on intersection safety. While the 2027 construction will install permanent curb extensions that narrow the street to a single lane at each intersection, we are still exploring what the current right-hand travel lane will become.

This summer’s pilot is a grant-funded opportunity to reimagine how that right-hand lane could be used in the future. By temporarily repurposing the lane into a pedestrian space, we can gather data and community feedback on whether a permanent "amenity lane" (for seating, greenery, or public space) is something Staunton wants to pursue.

Currently, there is no funded project or official plan to permanently repurpose the travel lane. Any future project of that nature would require separate planning, funding, and continued community engagement. This pilot is simply the first step in that conversation.

• Susan Wilson, Transportation Planner: 540.490.1115 or wilsonsl@ci.staunton.va.us
• Josh Knight, Engagement & Communications Manager: 540.332.3812