ST-25-01: Route 42 - City of Harrisonburg

From Gay Street to Rockingham County Line

Project Purpose

This study will focus on identifying measures to encourage lower speeds, improve safety for turning movements, and enhance multimodal connectivity, including for pedestrians. The study will evaluate alternatives to preserve throughput on the two-lane segment from Gay Street to Edom Road, identified in the Harrisonburg Rockingham Metropolitan Planning Organization 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan as being over capacity in the future. The corridor also has barriers to use for people biking and walking to destinations such as nearby activity centers and the transit connections used for travel throughout the city and beyond, each of which will be considered. The study is intended to assess mid-term to long-term challenges and opportunities and will identify project recommendations that can be advanced for federal, state, and local funding opportunities.

Survey

The Phase 1 survey regarding current transportation needs on Route 42 (Virginia Avenue) between Gay Street and the Harrisonburg city limit was completed in May 2025. The study team will use the input obtained from the public to better focus on solutions and develop alternatives to address the identified needs.

VDOT and Harrisonburg Public Works hosted an open house for the study on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. There were two location/timeframe options to attend where the community had the opportunity to share their experiences, thoughts and questions related to traveling the area. The open house location/time options included:

• 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC) Detwiler Auditorium, 1501 Virginia Ave.
• 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Harrisonburg City Hall - Room 11, 409 S. Main St.

For more information:

ST-25-01 News Release - PDF, 450KB

Study Partners

• City of Harrisonburg
• Rockingham County
• Harrisonburg-Rockingham Metropolitan Planning Organization

Key Points of Contact

District Lead: Brad Reed

Lead Consultant: Ken Schuenemeyer

Schedule

Start date: March 2025

End date: August 2026