Albemarle Supervisors endorse Smart Scale applications

Albemarle County is submitting eight projects through the latest round of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Scale process. 

“A resolution of support from the Board of Supervisors is required for all project applications within the county,” said Jessica Hersh-Ballering, a principal planner in Albemarle’s Department of Community Development. 

Albemarle is able to send in so many projects within its territory because both the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission are making submissions on the county’s behalf. 

“The Smart Scale grant program is the primary method for funding large scale transportation projects in Virginia,” Hersh-Ballering said. “Smart Scale is a competitive program with funding going to the projects with the highest score. Smart Scale scores are ratios of a project’s benefit versus the project’s cost. To calculate the project benefit, reviewers will consider how the project will impact six factors which include safety, congestion, accessibility, land use, economic development, and the environment.” 

For the second cycle in a row, the city of Charlottesville will not make a submission due to a large backlog of funded projects that have not yet been built. 

Supervisors saw a version of the list back in January and since then nothing has been added but a decision was made not to proceed with projects that will come out a “pipeline study” of the Ivy Road corridor. 

‘That project is still in the study phase with VDOT and we will have the option of applying for that funding in future founds of Smart Scale,” Hersh-Ballering said. 

1. Old Trail Drive and US 250 West Intersection Improvements – “This project would construct a 2 and 1 hybrid roundabout at the Old Trail Drive/250 intersection with pedestrian crosswalks and appropriate safety features on the northern and eastern legs of the roundabout.”

2. US 29 and Plank Road Intersection Improvements – “Construct Restricted Crossing U-Turns (R-cut) at US 29 and Plank Road, Sutherland Road/Rabbit Valley Road; and near Woodson Store Lane. Extend the left-turn lane for northbound US 29 at the crossover near Woodson Store Lane.”
3. Rio Road and Hillsdale/Northfield/Old Brook Improvements – “Reconstruct the existing two signalized intersections as a hybrid, multilane double roundabout. Construct shared use path encompassing the double roundabout and extending both north and south from the double roundabout on the east side of Rio Rd. SUP extends west onto both sides of Hillsdale to connect to existing sidewalk on the south side of Hillsdale via an added bike ramp. Integrate pedestrian crossings on all legs of the intersection. SUP connects to existing sidewalk along the south/west side of Rio Rd; SUP connects to existing SUP on the north/east side.”
4. Barracks Road and Georgetown Road Improvements – “Reconstruct the existing signalized intersection of Georgetown and Barracks Roads as a hybrid roundabout with at-grade pedestrian crossings on all legs of the intersection. Access management along Barracks Road between Georgetown Road and westbound on- and off-ramps to US29/250. Construct a SUP along the west side of Barracks Road between Georgetown Road and Bennington Road. Construct sidewalk along the west side of Barracks Road between Bennington Road and the existing sidewalk at the first crossover on Barracks south of the US29/250 interchange. (view the materials for more info)
5. US250/Peter Jefferson Parkway and Rolkin Road Project Pipeline Bundle – “The project includes access management treatments to US250 at Peter Jeff. Pkwy and pedestrian improvements at US250 and Rolkin Rd. US250/Peter Jeff. Pkwy improvements.” There are multiple aspects here. (view the materials for more details) (MPO submission)
6. I64/Fifth Street Interchange Improvement (Exit 120) – “Convert existing signalized diamond interchange to a diverging diamond interchange at the connection of I-64 and 5th Street (Exit 120). Includes a shared use path between the NB and SB lanes with crosswalks to the NE and SW. On the northern end of the DDI, the shared use path will be extended on the east side of 5th St to the entrance to Holiday Inn (including crossing 5th Street Landing) and on the SW side from the interchange to Pinehurst Court.” (MPO submission)
7. Barracks Road Pipeline US 29/250 Interchange and SUP – “The Barracks Road Pipeline US 29/250 Interchange Project will include 1) hybrid roundabouts at both 29/US250 interchanges, allowing for a reduction in the lanes in the SB direction to accommodate a shared use path on the west side through the interchange, and 2) a continuous shared use path along the west side of Barracks Rd from Bennington Road to Emmet St.”
8. Barracks Road Pipeline Corridor Improvements – This is a separate submission of the entire package for #4 and #7. Read the presentation for more details. 

The applications are due on August 1 and preliminary scores will be released in the winter. 

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