Albemarle Supervisors approve plan to keep Free Bridge Lane car-free

For decades, Albemarle County has had a growth management strategy in place that seeks to concentrate density within designated growth areas. To guide development, planning staff have put together several documents such as the Pantops Master Plan.

Albemarle Supervisors last adopted an update of that document in June 2019 and one of the projects called for in the plan is to convert Free Bridge Lane into a “green street.” (view the idea)

Last summer, Supervisors agreed to a one-year pilot project to close the roadway to traffic to create a car-free promenade. They were asked at their meeting on August 6 if they wanted to make the change permanent.

“Albemarle County Parks and [Community Development Department staff] has heard very positive feedback from the public on the park,” said Alberic Karina-Plun, a transportation planner with the county. “There is better access to the river, a safer feeling for pedestrians and bikers on the road because there’s no cars going through and a continuous extension of Darden-Towe park and the Old Mills Trail.”

In order for Free Bridge Lane to remain car-free, Albemarle County has to ask the Virginia Department of Transportation to discontinue the road and that will take several months culminating in approval by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.

Karina-Plun said parks staff has the budget to maintain the promenade and that Facilities and Environmental Services can manage projects to enhance the infrastructure should the Board want to provide capital funds.

The project has the support of Rivanna District Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley who provided a count of users between November 1 and July 28.

“The numbers are 37,979,” said LaPisto-Kirtlet. “That’s how many people have taken advantage of Freebridge Lane. And frankly, not everybody in the county still knows that it’s closed. So I think we can see that number only increasing.”

There are no specific plans for what additional infrastructure may be built as part of the permanent closure or a cost estimate.

The Board agreed to send a letter to VDOT asking for the road to be discontinued. A future step is for staff to return to the Board with a resolution to approve the end of Free Bridge Lane as a roadway.

The county continues to seek ideas for what could happen at the Free Bridge Promenade on the Engage Albemarle website. Take a look and submit yours.

Before you go: This particular story was posted on August 13, 2025 in an edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement And then posted here! What is here? You tell me? Leave a comment.