Press Release-Arlington Avenue/Wadsworth Street Greenway Replacement:

The City of Radford will begin planting new trees along Wadsworth Street and Arlington Avenue as a part of the Wadsworth Street/Arlington Avenue Corridor Preservation and Maintenance Project, in the next several days.  This project is about three years in the making and is a part of the Radford Beatification Commission’s Master Plan for the City of Radford. 

The project area includes the corner of Main Street and Arlington Avenue continuing along Wadsworth from Third Street to Eighth Street which has historically been a signature space for the City and an important part of our overall tree canopy with many of the trees likely dating back to Radford’s founding.  The shaded street helps reduce the heat island effect that asphalt can produce in the summer and the beautiful colors in fall and spring are beloved by residents and visitors alike.

The Wadsworth Street/Arlington Avenue Corridor Preservation and Maintenance project was first conceptualized several years ago as residents noticed several of the trees along these streets were not fully leafing out in the spring.  Members of the Radford Commission for Beautification and Municipal Forestry met with a representative of the Virginia Department of Forestry to walk the entire street and evaluate each tree as to its health and vitality.  After that inspection, the notes from that visual evaluation were used to help develop a plan for the conservation and care of the trees that could be saved along with a plan for removal of dying, dead and unsafe trees and replacement where possible – all keeping public safety, practicality and community beautification in mind.  In 2010, a final layout was developed with multiple phases to be undertaken as resources become available.  Rather than wait until trees within this district reach a tipping point, where so many die that it is a full restarting of the planting process, the goal is to gradually trim healthy trees, remove sick or dead trees and plant new trees within cycles over several years to preserve this historically rich and lush corridor for the good of our community and its residents.

Since the project began, a number of diseased and dead trees have been removed and approximately 20 replacement trees are planned for the current phase.  Additional changes may occur over the next few years as additional trees decline and resources become available to replace them.

Questions about this project can be directed to the Radford City Engineer and the Radford Commission for Beautification and Municipal Forestry through the website or by calling 731-3603.