ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – A busy stretch of Plantation Road could soon look different as county leaders move forward with a pedestrian safety plan following concerns about crashes and a lack of sidewalks near high-traffic stores.
The corridor between Food Lion and Walmart has become one of the region’s biggest pedestrian safety concerns, according to county officials. With shopping centers, schools and housing nearby, people are regularly seen walking along the shoulder or crossing through traffic to reach stores and bus stops.
Maronda Dunbar, a Roanoke City teacher who drives through the intersection daily, said the danger is hard to miss.
“You definitely have a lot of kids who are going to be walking here to Walmart, walking over here to get a snack, and there’s not a lot of safe ways to do that,” Dunbar said.
Dunbar said she sees families and children making the trip on foot every day.
“You’re going to see a lot of people pushing strollers, which is needed because a lot of people don’t have transportation,” she said.
Survey reveals community concerns
A county survey found residents share those same concerns, with many calling for sidewalks, crosswalks and better pedestrian access throughout the corridor.
Roanoke County Transportation Planner Nathan Grim echoed those worries during the latest Board of Supervisors meeting, pointing to the area’s crash history.
“There’s been a lot of crashes, especially in those entrances to Food Lion and Walmart,” Grim said.
According to the county’s road safety assessment, there were 87 crashes in the study area between 2020 and 2024, including five severe injury crashes. The Virginia Department of Transportation’s Bike and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan also ranked the intersection in the top 1% of statewide need — a designation that underscores the urgency of the project.
Miranda, a community member, said the behavior of pedestrians in the area adds to the risk.
“And they’re always walking in big groups. And sometimes they’re teenagers and they’re like 12 and 13. They don’t pay attention to the cars around them. So, it just makes it more dangerous,” she said.
What’s planned
County leaders are now moving the project from the study phase into design and funding. Transportation planners recommend improving bus stops, adding crosswalks between stores and reconfiguring lane markings on Hollins Road to add a center turn lane — improvements expected to take shape within the next couple of years.
Sidewalks are also part of the plan, though those improvements are likely still years away. Project development is also largely dependent on what funding and grants can be secured in the upcoming years.
For the people already navigating the area on foot every day, county leaders hope the changes will make the trip significantly safer.