Safe Streets in Bluefield: City board approves transportation plan
Feb. 28—By GREG JORDAN
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD — A plan addressing issues such as inadequate street lighting and improvements including new streetscapes now needs funding after being approved Tuesday by the Bluefield Board of Directors.
In February 2023, the city of Bluefield was awarded a $497,550 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All Program. That grant was used to start the local Safe Streets for All plan.
During a town hall meeting, 10 proposed projects for the city's Safe Streets for All initiative were unveiled. Created with help from EL Robinson Engineering and AECOM, the initiative's goal is to enhance safety and foster the community's well-being.
City Manager Cecil Marson said the city board approved the plan Tuesday.
"That was the first installment of our grant that we worked federally as we've mentioned before, Bluefield is one of about six municipalities in the state that got that, so now our next phase is to go for implementation funding," Marson said. "That grant application is due by mid-May, so we're working on that diligently right now to get that done and get that submitted; and hopefully get the funding we need to do these projects."
Historically those federal grants come in anywhere from $10 million to $30 million, Marson said. The Safety Action Plan came to about nine different projects.
"We're going to take those and we're going to submit applications for all those different projects and we'll see what we come up with," Marson said.
The plans cover different aspects of Bluefield's streets.
"I think it's huge," Marson said about the plan's importance. "It looks at our road infrastructure. It looks at our streetscapes, sidewalks, bike lanes, the infrastructure underneath. It's historic for us. We're so fortunate to get these grants because it will help revitalize the city among all the other great stuff that's taking place here. I'm very excited about it and cautiously optimistic that we'll have success."
Work on the Safety Action Plan projects could start in a year and a half to two years, Marson said. The timeline will depend on grant funding.
"We'll hopefully find out sometime late this summer whether the grant was accepted or not, then we'll start that process," he said. "It will make it easier to get around the city, but it will also help beautify the city and get us the sidewalks that we want, the lighting that we want, the bike lane access we want. It's all part and parcel of a process to beautify our city and attract more folks to come move here and be a part of Bluefield."
Locations for Safe Street projects range from College Avenue, Stadium Drive, the Cherry Street/Maryland Avenue/Stadium Drive intersection, Cumberland Road, Princeton Avenue and other roads in the city.
—Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
