City of Staunton

June 13, 2025 – The City of Staunton will begin restriping Churchville Avenue on Wednesday, June 18, marking a key step forward in a long-planned multimodal transportation project to create dedicated bike lanes connecting downtown Staunton to Gypsy Hill Park and Shutterlee Mill Road.

Due to contractor availability, this work will happen in phases. The June 18 striping will concentrate on the center double yellow line and intersection stop bars. The remaining bike lane markings, directional arrows, crosswalks, and edge lines are scheduled to begin shortly after the July 4^th celebration.

“We know the Churchville Avenue restriping has taken longer than originally anticipated, and we take full responsibility for that delay,” said Director of Public Works Dave Irvin. “While contractor scheduling and weather have created some challenges, we’re committed to completing this important safety project as quickly as possible. We sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience and ask drivers to continue using extra caution in that corridor.”

Seven Years of Planning and Community Input

The project has been underway since the development of Staunton’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan in 2018. Churchville Avenue was identified as a high-priority connection due to its proximity to both downtown and Gypsy Hill Park, making it ideal for both recreational and commuter bicycling.

"This project reflects years of working closely with the community, across city departments, and with the Timmons Group, one of the city’s on-call engineering firms," said Director of Community Development Rodney Rhodes. "We've taken the time to study traffic patterns, gather public input, and conduct a thorough engineering analysis to ensure the final project design improves safety and connectivity while minimizing disruptions to vehicular traffic."

Project Details and Changes

Location: Churchville Avenue from Lewis Street to Englewood Road, and on Englewood and Shutterlee Mill Road to Route 262.

What's Changing: The project implements a "road diet" approach, utilizing the avenue's existing width to create dedicated bike lanes through restriping rather than costly reconstruction. Changes include:

• Removal of select center and right-turn lanes along Churchville Avenue between Englewood Drive and Albemarle Avenue
• Removal of the westbound right-turn lane and eastbound left-turn lane on Churchville Avenue at the Spring Hill Road intersection
• Modified lane markings at the Churchville Avenue and Donaghe Street intersection
• Shared lane (sharrow) markings added to Shutterlee Mill Road and Englewood Drive

Engineering Analysis and Traffic Studies

In response to public feedback, particularly from a dedicated meeting in October 2022, city staff conducted additional traffic studies and engineering reviews. This included intersection analysis, drone footage, and coordination with Public Works, Engineering, and the Staunton Police Department.

Findings presented to City Council in June 2023 confirmed:

• Removal of the westbound right-turn lane and eastbound left-turn lane at the Spring Hill Road intersection will not significantly affect traffic flow
• Existing turn lanes at some intersections do not meet modern standards and widths
• Adjusting signal timing will help maintain smooth traffic movement

Part of Staunton's Transportation Vision

This project reflects the city’s commitment to building a safer, more connected transportation network. By expanding multimodal options, the Churchville Corridor will better serve drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. It supports citywide goals around sustainability, accessibility, and economic vitality. It also complements other active transportation projects, including ongoing enhancements on West Beverley Street. 

For project updates and more information about Staunton's bicycle and pedestrian improvements, visit www.staunton.va.us/ChurchvilleBikeLanes or call 540.332.3812.