Four months have passed since Albemarle County launched a one-year pilot of closing Free Bridge Lane to through traffic. The roadway runs along the Rivanna River between U.S. 250 and Darden-Towe Park and the Pantops Master Plan called for new recreation areas.
“I’m proud to announce that in November and December, because we have a counter, 2,302 people used the Free Bridge Lane,” said Rivanna District Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley. “From January to March 3, 6,405 people used Free Bridge Lane.”
During the pilot of what’s called the Free Bridge Promenade, Albemarle staff will continue to monitor its usage. So far there are no testimonials on the county’s webpage on this initiative.
“At the end of the year we’ll evaluate next steps,” said Abbey Stumpf, Albemarle’s director of communications and public engagement.
I asked people on BlueSky if they had any stories to tell about the area. One response came from the city’s transportation planning manager.
“This pilot provides a missing low stress link for bikers and walkers between downtown and Darden Towe Park,” said Ben Chambers.
Have you been out there? What do you think?
Before you go: This story was first sent out in the March 6, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. That newsletter and this website are part of Town Crier Productions, a journalism experiment centered around public meetings. This is not a nonprofit but instead a small business you can support by buying a paid subscription, taking out an ad, or sharing the information with people you may know. There is also Patreon, but if you pay through Apple’s IOS, Apple gets a thirty percent cut. I’m trying to work out a new solution. It’s an experiment!
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