Virginia Named Top State to Do Business in 2019
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“We’ve had unprecedented ridership growth of 22 percent over the last three years when most systems in our industry are facing declines. Through employee dedication, innovation and the support of our stakeholders we’ve taken the organization to new heights while never compromising our high standards.” – Tom Fox, BT DirectorBlacksburg Transit has 50 buses that serve 13 routes in Christiansburg and Blacksburg, including on Virginia Tech’s campus. Virginia Tech students and employees can even ride for free when they use their Hokie Passport. BT passengers can also make connections to other bus lines that serve Radford, Roanoke, and Washington, D.C. Click here to learn more about Blacksburg Transit including maps, routes, and schedules.
Pulaski County, VA – Motor Mile Field at Calfee Park was chosen by the Ballpark Digest Best of the Ballparks annual fan voting competition as the best rookie-level ballpark in America.
Calfee Park beat out two-time champion TVA Credit Union Ballpark, home to the Johnson City Cardinals in the semi-final rounds of voting. The ballpark has received numerous updates since the Shelor Automotive Group purchased Calfee Park in 2015. Some of these updates include:
The most recent update completed right before the 2019 season included a three-tiered party deck and new boxes, increasing the park’s capacity to 3,200.
“This is the result of five years of continued improvements and support of the community. We’re proud of this ballpark and the upgrades over past years that have helped Calfee Park meet the standards of the New York Yankees and Minor League Baseball.”– David Hagan, Calfee Park owner
The Pulaski Yankees are midway through their season with a winning record, putting them at the top of the Appalachian League division. Tickets are available at pulaskiyankees.net, at the Calfee Park box offices, or by calling (540) 980-1070.
Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly-skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”
Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.
New River Valley – RIDE Solutions, a grant-funded program, provides alternate transportation options to those living in the greater New River Valley area.
RIDE Solutions is a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Agency “dedicated to expanding the efficiency and life of the roadway network and reducing the environmental impacts – air pollution – of vehicle emissions”. The ultimate goal is to connect individuals and businesses in order to reduce traffic, improve air quality, and support safer roadways. However there are many added benefits to those who participate such as social interaction, better quality of life, and increased job access.
RIDE Solutions provides carpool matching, links to cycling/walking resources, and bus trip planners. Recently they launched a new mobile app which not only helps users better find and communicate with their ride shares but also allows them to receive points for logging their commutes. These points can be cashed in for over 2,000 different rewards at local and national retailers and restaurants. The new app even allows commuters to participate in long-distance, event, and one-time ridematching.
Not only is RIDE Solutions great for the environment, but it also helps you save money. For example, a commuter living in Blacksburg and working in Radford can easily save almost $2,000 each year by carpooling every day. Check out their map HERE to find out who is commuting near you. Plus if you use the app for events, like the upcoming Floyd Fest, you can save on gas and parking making your experience even better.
Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly-skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”
Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VA – Virginia’s New River Valley completes the last portion of the 10-mile Huckleberry Trail.
The Huckleberry Trail runs from northwest Blacksburg all the way to the Christiansburg Recreation Center and Christiansburg High School. The newest portion of the trail connects to Brush Mountain in northwest Montgomery County where mountain bikers will be able to utilize the newly opened Blacksburg Rotary Mountain Bike Park, located at the south end of the trail.
The trail is great for biking, running, walking, and taking in the sites of historic New River Valley such as Merrimac Mine Heritage Park, which pays tribute to the old mining company town.
To read more about more upcoming outdoor recreation opportunties, read Su Clauson-Wicker’s articles of Blue Ridge Country.
Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly-skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”
Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.
VIRGINIA’S NEW RIVER VALLEY – Floyd County and Citizens received a Virginia Telecommunication Initiative Grant, which was announced last month. This grant is $348,018 to get high-speed internet to Copper Hill, a village in Floyd County, but that’s not where the connectivity ends.
At the end of the year, 60% of Floyd County will be connected to high-speed internet.
By 2021, 97% of Floyd County will be connected.
The gigabit internet Citizens plans to implement over the next 3 years will be about 1,700 miles of fiber-optic cable all across Floyd County.
Plus, Citizens’ internet speed will be about 40 times faster than what the Federal Communications Commission calls high-speed internet.
At the company’s public announcement event, Congressman Morgan Griffith said:
“Right now, in the commonwealth of Virginia, the most modern county is Floyd County. Welcome to gig country.”
For more information about this huge announcement, see coverage by Jacob Demmitt at the Roanoke Times.
Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly-skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”
VIRGINIA’S NEW RIVER VALLEY – At the end of March, Governor Northam announced that both Floyd and Giles counties received Virginia Telecommunication Initiative Grants. These grants come from federal and state funds that have be designated for broadband improvement projects across Virginia.
Now Montgomery County and the City of Radford will be joining in the effort to make sure all the communities in the NRV have better internet connectivity. The two localities plan to conduct a study that will find areas that have insufficient internet service. It will also look into how to remedy those insufficiencies.
The NRV Regional Commission conducted a survey in 2017, in which Montgomery County residents reported insufficient internet speeds from Blacksburg (30%), Christiansburg (36%), and Montgomery County (48%).
Before making improvements, the localities need to understand exactly where the greatest needs are. That’s why they’re in the process of hiring a consultant to create a plan for both localities. Bids on the project were due in late April.
The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development awarded Montgomery county a $30,000 grant to help pay for the the plan’s development.
Find more details from Jacob Demmitt at the Roanoke Times.
Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly-skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”
VIRGINIA’S NEW RIVER VALLEY – Blacksburg was recently named one of the safest towns in Virginia by SafeWise. This is the fifth annual Safest Cities report by SafeWise.
Crime rates in Virginia are below the national average. In fact, all cities had fewer than 1.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
1. Bridgewater
2. Berryville
3. Vienna
4. Blacksburg
5. Tazewell
The safest city rankings are determined through FBI crime data, population thresholds. For more information visit the methodology page from SafeWise.
Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly-skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”