Public has chance to comment on projects intended to improve pedestrian safety on U.S. 29

The way that transportation projects are developed and built has changed over time as different advances have been made in a variety of fields ranging from engineering to urban design to community engagement.

There are a variety of ways transportation projects get funded in Virginia during this era with a lot of decisions informed by through comparing different candidates with each other to see how well they purport to provide various functions. For ten years, this has been the basic principle behind the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Scale process.

But where do the ideas themselves come from?

One source is through VDOT’s Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions studies, known as STARS. Two such projects have been underway in Albemarle County and Charlottesville with one focusing on Seminole Trail between Hydraulic Road and Woodbrook Road and the other looking at the Route 29/250 Bypass interchange with Emmet Street.

A first round of input on both studies was held in May 2025 and now the consultants working on the project have opened a feedback round for specific alternatives.

“The options shown are planning-level concepts, which have not been finalized, and have not yet been funded for construction,” reads an information release sent out today. “Responses received through the public surveys will help VDOT refine recommendations and develop planning-level cost estimates for preferred alternatives.”

• STARS US 29 Corridor Study Hydraulic Rd to Woodbrook Rd Alternatives
• STARS US 29/250 Bypass Interchange with Emmet St Alternatives

Both studies offer the chance to comment on no-build scenarios.

Feedback will be taken through October 27.

“We’ll check the response and make sure we’re happy with that response before we close those,” said Sandy Shackelford, a planner with VDOT.

Hydraulic / Woodbrook Road

The Hydraulic / Woodbrook Road has several different potential projects with details in the study for each. Text comes from the survey.

• Fashion Square Drive Thru Cut – Pedestrian Crossing Improvements: This alternative would add a marked crosswalk with a waiting area in the median (refuge area) on the north side of the intersection. This crosswalk will be controlled by audible/visual pedestrian signals (Walk/Don’t Walk with audible messaging for the hearing impaired). The alternative would also change the intersection so drivers coming from the side streets could no longer drive straight across US 29.
• Fashion Square Drive Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) – Pedestrian Crossing Improvements: This alternative would add a marked crosswalk diagonally across US 29 with a waiting area in the median. This crosswalk will be controlled by audible/visual pedestrian signals (Walk/Don’t Walk with audible messaging for the hearing impaired). The alternative would change the intersection so drivers coming from the side streets could only turn right onto US 29. Drivers would no longer be able to turn left or drive straight across US 29 from the side streets.
• Branchlands Boulevard Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) – Pedestrian Crossing Improvements: This alternative would add a marked crosswalk across US 29 with a waiting area in the median (refuge area). This crosswalk will be controlled by audible/visual pedestrian signals (Walk/Don’t Walk with audible messaging for the hearing impaired). The alternative would also change the intersection so drivers coming from the side streets could only turn right onto US 29. Drivers would no longer be able to turn left or drive straight across US 29 from the side streets.
• Greenbrier Drive Intersection Reconfiguration – Pedestrian Crossing Improvements: This alternative would move the crosswalk across US 29 to the south side of the intersection. Left turns from northbound US 29 would be redirected to Westfield Road, which would make room for a large waiting area in the median (refuge area) for pedestrians crossing US 29. This alternative would also widen the sidewalk area at the southwest corner of the intersection, shortening the distance people need to walk across US 29.
• Seminole Court Intersection – Operations and Safety Improvements: This alternative would change the Northrop Grumman driveway so vehicles could only enter from US 29 and could no longer exit onto US 29 from that driveway. It would also repaint the lane markings on Seminole Court so the left lane is only for left turns, and the right lane is for turning left, going straight, or turning right.
• Hillsdale Drive Shared-Use-Path: This alternative proposes reconfiguring or reconstructing Hillsdale Drive to include a shared-use-path for both bicyclists and pedestrians between Greenbrier Drive and Branchlands Boulevard.
• Install a physical barrier on northbound US 29 from the Rio Road underpass to Woodbrook Road: Install a physical barrier on northbound US 29 from the Rio Road underpass to Woodbrook Road with two through lanes on each side of the barrier as shown in the inset of the graphic.
• Redirected Route for Vehicles from Rio Road: Today, drivers traveling west on Rio Road take the ramp onto northbound US 29 and cut over to the left lanes to turn left onto Woodbrook Road. With this change, they would stay on Rio Road to cross US 29 and turn right onto Berkmar Drive to reach Woodbrook Road. Drivers could also merge onto US 29 northbound from Rio Road, continue northbound past Woodbrook Drive, and make a U-turn at Gander Drive / Schewells Furniture (this option is not shown in the graphic).
• Redirected Route for Vehicles from Northbound US 29: Today, drivers heading north on US 29 go under the Rio Road bridge and cut over to the right lanes to reach businesses on the east side of US 29 or turn right onto Woodbrook Road. With this change, they would instead use the ramps to exit up to the Rio Road intersection, cross through the intersection, and take the ramp back onto northbound US 29 to reach those businesses or to turn right onto Woodbrook Road.

US 29/250 Bypass Interchange area

• Removal of Northbound to Westbound loop-ramp at US 250 Bypass/ Emmet St Interchange: This concept removes the northbound-to-westbound loop ramp and diverts traffic to the Barracks Road interchange. This is a very low volume ramp with only 32 vehicles in the morning peak hour and 72 vehicles during the evening peak hour in the existing condition.
• Removal of Westbound to Southbound left-turn lane at US 250 Bypass/Emmet St Interchange: This alternative would remove the existing left-turn lane from westbound US 250 Bypass onto southbound Emmet Street and would require drivers who currently make this turn to use the Barracks Road interchange instead. This turn is used by relatively few vehicles today—about 70 vehicles during the morning peak hour and 39 vehicles during the evening peak hour.
• Hillsdale Drive Extension: This alternative extends Hillsdale Drive south from the roundabout at Hydraulic Road to the US 250 bypass to replace the existing ramps shown being removed in the image above (westbound US 250 Bypass to northbound US 29 Business ramp & the northbound US 29 Business to westbound US 250 Bypass loop ramp).
• Intersection Modifications – Restrict through movements and left-turns from Angus Road and Hotel Exit: This alternative would prevent drivers from going straight across or turning left from Angus Road and the hotel entrance. Drivers would still be able to make right turns, and all existing pedestrian crossings would remain. Drivers would also still be able to make left-turns from Emmet Street onto Angus Road or into the hotel.
• Reconfigure existing lanes and extend eastbound left-turn storage bay: This alternative would change the lane markings on Hydraulic Road so drivers turning left onto eastbound US 250 have more space and clearer lanes to use. It would add two left-turn-only lanes and one lane that could be used for either left or right turns. A short section of eastbound US 250 would also be widened to three lanes to handle the added left-turn traffic from Hydraulic Road. The eastbound left-turn lane on US 250 would be lengthened so vehicles waiting to turn do not back up into the main travel lanes.
• Convert Rugby Road to Right-in/Right-out and extend eastbound left-turn storage bay: This alternative would change Rugby Road so drivers could only turn right into or out of it. Drivers who currently go straight through or turn left from Rugby Road would instead use the Dairy Road interchange. The eastbound left-turn lane on US 250 would be lengthened so vehicles waiting to turn do not back up into the main travel lanes.
• Convert intersection to a Jughandle: This alternative would change how drivers make left-turns at Hydraulic Road and US 250 with drivers no longer able to turn left directly from eastbound Hydraulic Road. Instead, they would use a “jughandle” roadway to make the turn in a safer and more controlled way. A “jughandle” is an intersection design where drivers make a left turn by first turning right onto a ramp or side road, then crossing the main road. This would reduce the number of places where vehicles cross paths. The alternative would also change the lane markings on Hydraulic Road by adding two left-turn-only lanes and one lane that could be used for either left or right turns. A short section of eastbound US 250 would also be widened to three lanes to handle the added turning traffic from Hydraulic Road.

Next steps

Following the surveys, VDOT will convene a group to select alternatives to advance to the next level.

Shackelford said upcoming STARS studies will be for the intersection of Interstate 64 and U.S. 29, Preston Avenue and Ridge/McIntire in Charlottesville, and the intersection of U.S. 250 and East High Street in Charlottesville just before Free Bridge.

“The first question that I think we need to answer is, like, what are the operations at the 250 and East High Street intersection?” Shackelford said. “What are our opportunities to make improvements there?”

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