Information Charlottesville

The body that approves funding across the Commonwealth of Virginia will meet this week at the Residence Inn on West Main Street in Charlottesville, steps away from a now-canceled project. 

The Commonwealth Transportation Board will begin with a workshop at 8:30 a.m. that will feature a large amount of state-wide business. One item to watch is a discussion on the fifth round of Smart Scale, which is a mechanism that helps decide what transportation projects are funded.  (workshop agenda) 

The CTB will make a final decision in June, but here are three area projects currently in the running:

• Avon Street Multimodal Improvements  (only for the Druid Avenue to Avon Court section) – $15.8 million (Charlottesville-Albemarle MPO)
• US 250/Peter Jefferson Parkway Intersection Improvements, Park and Ride, and Access Management – $20.55 million (Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission) 
• Belvedere Boulevard/Rio Road Intersection Improvements – $4.89 million (Albemarle County)

On Wednesday is the action meeting unless the workshop on Tuesday finishes early. Opportunity for public comments is taken at this meeting. (action meeting agenda)

The CTB meeting is just steps away from what had been Phase 1 of the West Main Streetscape. Charlottesville had slowly assembled money for a nearly $50 million project to be built in four phases, but canceled them last year in order to put the local match toward the renovation and expansion of Buford Middle School. (read my story)

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