Suffolk, Virginia, is a quickly growing City that is committed to high quality future development. It is also a unique jurisdiction with the municipal structure of a City, but the character and context of a large, geographically diverse, multi-jurisdictional county, with both urban and rural areas.

Suffolk is the gateway to Hampton Roads. New regional development and the expansion of the Port of Virginia are bringing large increases in freight and regional through traffic. The transportation network is also an integral component of land use and community planning.

As the city grows, traffic congestion and safety issues need to be proactively addressed. At the same time, there will be a need for more transportation options besides driving a single occupancy vehicle.

EPR is part of a team led by Planning NEXT, along with McBride Dale Clarion, Clarion Associates, TischlerBise and Ninigret Partners, to facilitate the 2045 Comprehensive Plan update for the City. EPR’s role is to review and update the Transportation and Utilities chapters of the Plan, and provide support for coastal management, alternative energy and broadband recommendations.

EPR is using its expertise in the integration of land use and multimodal transportation, as well as its experience with the region to lend valuable assistance to the City and the consultant team in planning for future growth.  EPR previously developed the regional land use model for HRTPO and has studied various regional growth scenarios and their impacts on transportation, land use and economics.  They will add this broad interdisciplinary expertise to this team as they craft a resilient vision to accommodate future growth and change in the City.