Harrisonburg Downtown 2040 is a 20-year Master Plan for Downtown Harrisonburg, focused on identifying and communicating a clear vision of actionable goals and objectives in collaboration with the City of Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR), and the community at large. Monteverde Engineering & Design Studio was commissioned alongside Interface Studio (project lead), Merritt Chase, and Ninigret Partners to lead the planning and design efforts of the “Downtown Mobility Plan”, which aims to provide tools and guidelines necessary to ensure the Downtown transportation network is functional and conducive to smart growth for the next 20 years plus. In addition to providing thoughtful and intentional planning strategies to downtown’s mobility network, Monteverde was an integral partner throughout the entirety of the design process, including public outreach, stakeholder engagement, development of public realm and streetscape improvement strategies, and preparation of a cost-conscious implementation plan. Monteverde’s role has proven critical to the plan’s positive reception by all stakeholders, including the public at large.
In June of 2023, the City received notice that they were the recipients of a $14.3M Federal grant - Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE). This grant aims to fully fund the City’s Downtown Harrisonburg Streetscale and Mobility Transformation Plan, which will transform one lane on Liberty Street into two-way separated bicycle lanes. Additional actions include the connectivity to adjacent Bluestone Trail, installation of landscaped medians, and improvements to intersections, including replacing crosswalks and signal poles, for pedestrian circulation.