The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 58
Charting a
Sustainable Path
Forward
written by
Aila Boyd
Local organizations
and businesses
are prioritizing
sustainability for the
region's future.
S
9th Street in Southeast Roanoke
was renovated late last year
as part of the city's " complete
street " initiative. The street was
modified to accommodate all
users. Notably, bike lanes were
added.
58 MARCH/APRIL 2024
ustainability is a broad concept that can
mean many things to different people.
Despite its many tentacles, dedicated
groups of individuals across numerous
organizations in the Roanoke Valley are
tackling both internal and external projects
one at a time in the hopes of charting
a more sustainable path forward.
The city of Roanoke has been leading the way towards
a more sustainable future since it started focusing on
climate action in 2006.
It's important that cities address sustainability concerns,
Roanoke City Council member Trish White-Boyd
says, because of the topic's wide-reaching impact on
matters related to the environment, economy and social
well-being. " By prioritizing sustainability, a city can position
itself for long-term success while safeguarding the
well-being of current and future generations, " she stresses.
Up until recently, the city has focused on internal sustainability
efforts, such as its buildings and fleet.
At the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building, several
sustainability initiatives have been adopted, including
automatic lights that go out when there's no motion
and dimmer switches so that rooms aren't being over
lit. " Some of them sound pretty minor, but they add up, "
Wayne Leftwich, planning manager for the city, says.
The city met a Better Buildings Challenge goal in 2018
in which it was able to reduce its energy use for city
buildings by 23%.
Streetlights are one of the city's biggest uses of energy.
To curb that use, it has partnered with AEP to install new
LED streetlights. The city pays the bill and AEP installs
the lights and helps with maintenance. Leftwich says
the switch will help " dramatically reduce " the amount of
energy that is being used. While the conversion process
is slow going, the goal is to have all LED streetlights in
the future.
In addition to working on streetlights, the city has also
been focusing on " complete streets, " meaning that streets
are either developed or modified in a way that accommodates
all users, including vehicles, bikes, scooters and
those on foot. Brandon Avenue and 9th Street are two
recent examples of complete streets. " We went in and
took it down to two primary lanes and added bike lanes, "
TheRoanoker.com
AILA BOYD
http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker March/April 2024
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker March/April 2024
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - Cover1
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - Cover2
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 3
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 4
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 5
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 6
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 7
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 8
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 9
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 10
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 11
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 12
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 13
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 14
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 15
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 16
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 17
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 18
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 19
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 20
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 21
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 22
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 23
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 24
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 25
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 26
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 28
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 30
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 31
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 34
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - Cover3
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - Cover4
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