As Roanoke prepares efforts to improve safety along the busy Williamson Road commercial corridor, City Manager Valmarie Turner spoke to area business owners during a networking lunch on Tuesday.
“We’ve heard you about traffic,” Turner said. “We’ve heard you about infrastructure.”
On Tuesday, the city announced that a new phase of its Envision Williamson Road project is launching Sept. 29. The Williamson Road travel lanes from Pocahontas Avenue to Angell Avenue Northeast — about a 1.7-mile stretch — will be repainted for a six-month trial period, the announcement said.
“The project will reconfigure the road to one lane in each direction,” Turner said. “With a dedicated center turn lane to improve safety, traffic flow and business access.”
The road reconfiguration is expected to reduce traffic congestion and rear-end collisions, as well as improve pedestrian safety and emergency access, she said. The changes will be evaluated using traffic data, business feedback and safety performance, she said.
“This is not the end,” Turner said. “We still need for you to come and partner with us.”
In recent years, Roanoke has probed the idea of reconfiguring Williamson Road, although some area business owners expressed opposition to any form of “road diet.”
However, the road is Roanoke’s most dangerous by several metrics, including motorist and pedestrian safety, a consultant told the city council in May.
Almost 300 crashes killed 49 people during a five-year period from 2019-2023, putting Williamson Road among the 1% of most perilous roads across the entire state, the consultant said.
The road’s antiquated four-lane, undivided design is what makes it so unsafe, officials said previously. It’s a design popularized in the 1950s and ’60s, but began to be corrected as early as the late ’70s, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Also at the Greater Williamson Road Area Business Association luncheon where Turner spoke, Mayor Joe Cobb said the reconfiguration project is an opportunity for public safety.
“We rarely get a chance to actually pilot something, to test it out for a while,” Cobb said. “That’s the benefit of this. Test it out for six months, and then we can figure out: is it workable?”
Something has to be done to improve safety, he said. Consternation often accompanies changes, but a safer road will benefit businesses and the neighborhoods adjoining Williamson Road, he said.
More broadly during the lunch meeting, Turner spoke about the city’s seven key priorities: education, community safety, human services, infrastructure, good government, livability and economy.
“I’m often asked about my vision and mission for the city,” Turner said. “My job is to ensure that I carry out the mission and vision of city council.”
Turner said her first challenge when she started as manager in January was balancing the city’s $400 million budget. City staff are already planning for the 2027 fiscal year that starts next July, she said.
“Will it be another tight year? Probably,” Turner said. “Especially considering the potential cuts that we may receive in our federal and state grants.”
On economic development, Turner said she named Angela Vernon as the city’s executive performance administrator, to serve as a new resource for businesses.
“That position focuses strategically on bridging the gap between small businesses and local government,” Turner said. “Another priority for me is housing. Ensuring that residents at all income levels can call Roanoke home.”
The city is recruiting for a Housing Programs and Policy Officer, who will work out of the city manager’s office, Turner said.
“That position will be responsible for the strategic development, implementation and evaluation of housing initiatives throughout the city,” she said. “We’ll start interviews in the coming weeks.”
She said city efforts will continue on community engagement to foster “trust, inclusion and civic pride.” She said listening sessions are planned for local government to learn how it can more meaningfully engage with Roanoke residents.
“We really want to provide services with the end user, the resident, in mind,” Turner said.
Luke Weir (540) 566-8917
luke.weir@roanoke.com
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