If awarded the City of Roanoke commits to completing a Complete Streets demonstration project for a month in duration at the intersection of Orange Avenue & 11^th Street and along the 11^th street corridor.

The project focuses on two critical corridors and one intersection in the City of Roanoke, Virginia. Orange Avenue (US 460), a 2.1-mile, high-speed arterial between Lafayette Boulevard and Gainsboro Road, is a designated Corridor of Statewide Significance and part of the City’s High Injury Network, with an ongoing VDOT safety study. 11th Street NW, between Orange and Shenandoah Avenues, spans seven blocks dominated by auto-related uses and vacant lots, dividing adjacent neighborhoods and limiting safe connections. Together, these corridors form a barrier for predominantly Black, low-income communities, reinforcing historic disinvestment and unsafe conditions.

• Project Pipeline Melrose Ave / Orange Ave: The Virginia Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (OIPI) is currently conducting a Project Pipeline study of Orange Avenue, this effort is assessing design alternatives to improve safety, congestion, and multimodal access, along the entrire corrodr, necesary to seek state and federal fundign for implementation projects. Including in this corridor is the 11th Street NW and Orange Ave intersection.
  • The Project Existing Conditions report linked here, oulines the 2020-2024 carsh analysis for the corridor and the results of a public survey conducted in May of 2025. The Orange Ave & 11 Street report assetements are indlcuded in pages 38-41 of this document.

• Roanoke Emerging Neighborhood Centers Vision Report (2022): This reports outlines strategies for enhancing neighborhood centers to supoort community development, and economic growth in City neighbohoods that curently lack community centers and a cohesive vision. It oulines recent focus engagement around 11th street, where residents described the corridor as unsafe, unattractive, and lacking essential services. Community intercept surveys revealed recurring concerns: disinvestment, vacant properties, and limited safe options for walking or biking.
  • Link to document: https://planroanoke.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Emerging-neighborhood-centers-plan-compressed.pdf. Reference pages 27-39 for 11th Street Focus.

• Roanoke Main Street Mosaic: led by Main Street America and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). This prestigious opportunity empowers communities to build stronger, more equitable local economies by expanding access to investment capital and fostering vibrant, healthy downtowns. The Roanoke Main Street Mosaic will leverage the program to provide capacity-building grants to businesses across five key neighborhoods: Gainsboro, 11th Street NW, Melrose @ 24th, West End, and 9th Street SE. Their initiative emphasizes affordable housing, shared ownership opportunities, and community-driven investment. By applying the Capital Absorption Framework, the program will spur economic growth and attract capital to Roanoke’s underutilized neighborhood business districts.

Melrose-Orange Target Area (MOTA)

Between 2014 and 2019, the City allocated HUD funds in the Melrose-Orange Target Area. The MOTA encompasses portions of the Loudon-Melrose and Melrose Rugby neighborhoods. The boundaries extend from 10^th Street NW to 24^th Street NW, from Hanover Avenue NW to Loudon Avenue NW. Through the MOTA community engagement efforts, the City learned about the needs and desire for change along 11th Street and at the intersetion of Orange Avenue. This effort lead to current porgrams and investment described above.The intent of targeting an area for the multi-year commitment of HUD funds is to encourage private investment and improve neighborhood sustainability. Learn More: https://planroanoke.org/mota/

City Neighborhood Plans

While the City’s Comprehensive Plan helps shape the big picture of what Roanoke will look like in 20 years, Neighborhood Plans are where urban planners and community members work together to focus on the fine details. The City currently has 27 neighborhood and area plans that cover a wide range of topics, ranging from economic development and infrastructure to community design and residential development. The City is currently developing a comprehensive review and update of these neighborhood plans. For this application we reference the following current plans:

• Gilmer Neighborhood Plan: https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1234/Gilmer
• Gainsboro Neighborhood Plan: https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1232/Gainsboro?bidId=
• Melrose-Rugby Neighborhood Plan: https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1240/Melrose-Rugby?bidId=

Co-lead local government organization

• Jurisdiction name: City of Roanoke, Virginia
• Lead contact name: Dwayne D’Ardenne
• Title: Transportation Division Manager
• Email: Dwayne.D'Ardenne@roanokeva.gov
• Phone: (540) 853-1756
• Partnership: The City of Ronaoke is grateful for our collaboration with Xavier Duckett and the Humble Hustle Company to host co-working spaces while expanding both community engagement and entrepreneurial programming in Northwest Roanoke neighborhoods, particularly in areas affected by historic disinvestment along corridors like Orange Ave and 11th St NW.

The Humble Hustle's focus on creating innovative and inclusive spaces aligns directly with the City's Complete Streets and Vision Zero goals, as well as our commitment to community-led revitalization efforts. Their grassroots engagement approach and established relationships within the neighborhood make them an essential partner for this demonstration project, ensuring that safety improvements reflect authentic community priorities and help rebuild trust between residents and local government.

Co-lead community-based government organization

• Organization name: Humble Hustle - https://www.thehumblehustle.org/
• Lead contact name: Xavier Duckett
• Title: Founder / Executive Director
• Email:hello@xaviertramaine.com
• Phone:757-372-5609
• Partnership: The Humble Hustle Company, Inc., established in 2015 and officially incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2016, is dedicated to empowering black youth and fostering connections within diverse communities. Our mission centers on creating innovative and inclusive spaces that inspire hope and promote giving through various programs.
  The Humble Hustle Company, INC maintains a collaborative relationship with the City of Roanoke through grant funding and shared initiatives. Since October 2023, this support has allowed us to expand community engagement and entrepreneurial programming, generating measurable outcomes that strengthen both social and professional development for residents. This partnership continues to reflect a shared commitment to fostering a more vibrant, inclusive, and connected Roanoke.

1. Darlene Lewis, Founder & Executive Director, The Hope Center
2. Mike Hamlar, President & Owner, Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home
3. Kristin Adkins, Population Health Manager, Virginia Department of Health
4. Erynn Miller, Community Health Educator, Carilion Clinic Community Health and Outreach
5. Andrea Garland, RVARC TDM Director & 2023 Smart Growth America Complete Streets Changemaker
6. Doug Jackson, Roanoke Arts Commission, Arts & Culture Coordinator
7. Ross Campbell, City of Roanoke, Director of Public Works
8. Marc Nelson, City of Roanoke, Director of Economic Development
9. Wayne Leftwich, City of Roanoke, Planning Manager
10. Carol Corbin, City of Roanoke, Community Engagement Manager
11. Molly Hunter, City of Roanoke, Neighborhood Services Coordinator
12. Rob Issem, City of Roanoke Transportation Complete Streets & Vision Zero Coordinator