Transportation Division to implement Safety Improvements along Brandon Avenue
Consistent with the City’s Complete Streets Policy, the Transportation Division has worked to develop a Safety Improvements project along Brandon Avenue. As part of the FY21 Annual Paving Program, Brandon Avenue between Colonial and Brambleton Avenue is scheduled to be milled and overlaid in June of 2021. Once the fresh asphalt is installed, new traffic lane markings will include not only vehicular travel lanes in each direction, but also a center turn lane, buffered bike lanes in each direction, and pedestrian crossing improvements.
Traffic Test
Brandon Avenue driving test December 2020
Local residents and commuters along Brandon Avenue will remember two distinct traffic flow tests – the first in December 2020 and the second in April 2021. The December traffic flow test demonstrated that implementing the Safety Improvement project resulted in approximately 2 minutes of additional westbound travel time through the corridor during the afternoon peak commute versus the existing conditions benchmark. Transportation’s traffic engineers subsequently upgraded and coordinated traffic signal equipment along Brandon Avenue between Franklin Road and Grandin Road. While signal coordination adjustments continue, the April traffic flow test demonstrated a complete reversal in that during the afternoon peak commute, westbound travel time through the corridor was reduced by approximately 2 minutes versus the existing conditions benchmark. In essence, new traffic signal equipment and signal timing coordination more than offset the congestion that could have resulted from the travel lane reconfiguration necessary to provide Complete Streets pedestrian and bicycling accommodations.
Community Engagement
We conducted a survey to present the project to ask residents of Brandon Avenue and commuters their opinion about the project.
- The survey collected 912, between November and December of 2020
- 63% of respondents are in favor of changing the lane configuration, and an additional 14% of the respondents support safety improvements along Brandon Avenue
For a complete summary of the survey results see the Survey tab on the left.
Survey Results
The survey responses indicated strong support from the community for safety improvements along Brandon Avenue.
What would change on Brandon Avenue?
Along Brandon Avenue between Colonial and Brambleton Avenue intersections, people behind the wheel have difficulty seeing to turn into or out of the Towers Shopping Mall, people on bicycles are not comfortable mixing with fast-moving traffic, and people on foot have too many conflicts with vehicles when crossing the street.
Brandon Avenue will be repaved in June of 2021 safety improvements will be implemented by simply altering the lane markings.
The dotted lines above denote the section of Brandon Avenue that will be paved in the spring of 2021.
What would the street look like?
Kenzie Beyers
In May of 2020, Kenzie Beyers lost her life when crossing Brandon Avenue. This is her story told by her grandparents, Sandy and Andy Beyers
Have a question?
Please contact the Transportation Division
Call us at 540-853-2676
Email: Transportation@roanokeva.gov
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