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Commuter Services Bike & Walk to Work Week Initiative Underway
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RRRC Commuter Services is sponsoring the Bike More, Drive Less promotion in advance of National Bike to Work Day on May 18th. In the Rappahannock-Rapidan region, residents are encouraged to bike or walk to work or lunch, and provide feedback via a short online survey. Those completing the survey by May 25th are eligible to win one of three custom Dutch Bicycles, similar to models used in bike-sharing programs across the country.
RRRC Commuter Services offers ride-matching services for commuters via carpools and vanpools, as well as other information on regional transit routes, commuter bus information, and multi-modal transportation. To reach Commuter Services, you may call Kristin Lam Peraza or Terry Snead at (540) 829-7451 or check out Commuter Services online or on Facebook.
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Three Census Tracts in the Region Nominated as Opportunity Zones
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Three census tracts in the region - one each in Culpeper County, Fauquier County, and Orange County - were recently nominated as Opportunity Zones to the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Federal agency overseeing a new revitalization tool known as the Opportunity Zone and Opportunity Fund. The three tracts in the Rappahannock-Rapidan region are shown below, and a map of the nominated zones across the state is available via the Department of Housing and Community Development. Areas including Remington, the Town of Orange, portions of the Town of Culpeper and Bealeton, are included in the nominated tracts.
As identified in the Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, each state was allowed to submit nominations of qualified census tracts based on a proportional allotment across the country. In Virginia, 212 tracts were nominated and align with local and state economic incentives and priorities. The Opportunity Zone program will generally allow investors to receive tax benefits on unrealized capital gains through investment in qualified and designated census tracts. The nomination of opportunity zones by Virginia is an initial step in the implementation of this program. |
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GO Virginia Updates: Culpeper County Award and Council Nominations Sought
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Governor Ralph Northam recently announced approval of a GO Virginia grant award to Culpeper County to support workforce training initiatives for machinists and welders at the Carver Center. The project was supported by contributions from Culpeper and Fauquier counties, and received strong support from the Regional Commission and Piedmont Opportunity Corridor Council (GO Virginia Region 9). New Pathways Tech Inc. will operate the facility in collaboration with Germanna Community College and the American Institute of Welding.
The award is the most recent for planned activities at the newly-renamed Carver Center, to include the ongoing work by Culpeper County, New Pathways, G.W. Carver Agriculture Research Center, G.W. Carver Food Enterprise Center, Rapidan Master Gardeners, Virginia State University, and Virginia Cooperative Extension, among others.
Also at this time, the Piedmont Opportunity Corridor Council (GO Virginia Region 9) is accepting nominations for Council members to serve terms beginning July 1, 2018. Members are sought to represent Chambers of Commerce in the area, as well as private sector at-large members. More information can be found at http://www.govirginia9.org and nominations are due by May 31, 2018.
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Solar Workshop Presentations Now Available
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More than 70 participants attended the Shedding a Light on Solar workshop hosted by RRRC and the Piedmont Environmental Council on April 13th near Remington, including local elected officials, planning commissioners, county and town staff, and interested citizens. Attendees heard from a diverse range of state agency representatives, solar energy professionals, and local planners from other areas of Virginia, and can take information back to their respective localities as solar energy projects from utility scale to rooftop installations continue to emerge in the region.
Presentations from the workshop are available on RRRC's website, and a follow-up discussion is planned for the May 17th meeting of the RRRC Land Use and Environment committee. Please contact Michelle Edwards (medwards@rrregion.org) or Joe Costello (jcostello@rrregion.org) at (540) 829-7450 with questions. Thank you again to all who attended and especially our panel of speakers for their insights and perspectives!
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Six-Year Improvement Program Public Hearing Scheduled for May 7th
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The Commonwealth Transportation Board, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) are holding the annual Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP) Public Hearings across Virginia for transportation projects recommended for funding for the FY 2019-2024 SYIP. The SYIP allocates public funds for highway, road, bridge, rail, bicycle, pedestrian, and public transportation projects.
In Culpeper, the SYIP Public Hearing will be held on Monday, May 7th beginning at 4:00 p.m. at the VDOT Culpeper District Auditorium. Meeting materials may be found on the Commonwealth Transportation Board website.
Comments may also be submitted on road/highway projects to six-yearprogram@vdot.virginia.gov or on rail/public transportation projects to drptpr@drpt.virginia.gov by May 30, 2018.
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