BoAT/Virginia Capital Bike Trail
Momentum has been building in the effort to extend the Birthplace of America Trail (BoAT) / Virginia Capital Trail from Williamsburg to Fort Monroe. The vision is to extend the existing 52-mile Virginia Capital Trail (which extends from Downtown Richmond to Williamsburg) through the Hampton Roads region, providing over 100 miles of continuous walking and biking trail. The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC)/Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) and RVA757 Connects have made this a priority.
The HRTPO submitted a grant application through the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program to request funding to design / build sections of the BoAT / Virginia Capital Trail extension. A total of $16 million was requested through this program, which would be combined with over $3 million of local match monies provided by local governments to build approximately 8 miles of trail on the Peninsula. Segments of the trail proposed for this funding are locating in Williamsburg, Newport News, and Hampton. In addition, the HRPDC/HRTPO coordinated a regional effort which resulted in Congressional Representative Bobby Scott submitting a request to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for an additional $3.9 million to build another 2.75 miles of this trail in Newport News.
In addition, the city of Virginia Beach has submitted a complimentary request for a 3-mile section of the trail on the south side that extends from the Newtown Road Light Rail station to Virginia Beach Town Center. The HRPDC/HRTPO coordinated regional support letters for this segment of the trail.
RVA757 Connects has written a letter of support for this grant package. If approved, this grant application will kick start momentum for this exciting regional effort!
If the project segments outlined above are funded, approximately 65 miles of the BoAT/Virginia Capital Trail extension project will remain to be completed on the Peninsula. HRPDC/HRTPO staff has worked with VDOT to secure Michael Baker as an on-call consultant for this project. HRPDC is coordinating a meeting with the Michael Baker consultant team and city managers/county administrators at the end of August to identify next segments of the trail which should be evaluated and advanced in the design process so that they may be matured as future grant proposals.
If you are passionate about the Virginia Capital Trail, contact your state-level representative.