At any given point there are many transportation projects working their way through various channels of government. One place to look to keep track is the meeting page of a body of elected officials required by federal law.
“The Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the forum for cooperative transportation decision-making among Charlottesville, Albemarle, State and Federal officials,” reads the entity’s website. “The MPO considers long-range regional projects and combines public input, technical data, and agency collaboration to develop forward-thinking solutions.
The group consists of two members of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors and two members of City Council as well as the administrator of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Culpeper District. They next meet on October 28 at 4 p.m. at 407 Water Street.
This meeting takes place a day after VDOT will close two surveys that are part of the Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions program. The idea is to come up with low-cost ways to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and those in vehicles.
Some background if you want to weigh in from previous articles:
- VDOT conducting safety study on U.S. 29, May 14, 2025
- Albemarle and Charlottesville transportation planners identify next locations for further study, July 17, 2026
- Public has chance to comment on projects intended to improve pedestrian safety on U.S. 29, October 16, 2026
And then the two surveys:
- STARS US 29 Corridor Study Hydraulic Rd to Woodbrook Rd Alternatives
- STARS US 29/250 Bypass Interchange with Emmet St Alternatives
These two surveys themselves are not on the MPO agenda for this week but may come up briefly during a roundtable where various departments present updates.
This particular meeting does not have any public hearings or major decision points. For anyone interested in learning more about how transportation planning works and what opportunities are available to the public, the agenda and the meeting are worth reviewing.
For instance, a discussion of “benchmarking” will provide examples of what other Metropolitan Planning Organizations do and how they are structured. There are 15 in Virginia and three cross into other states with sared urban areas. Boundaries are not permanent.
“In coordination with the state and public transportation operators, the MPO must review its boundary following each Decennial Census and adjust when necessary,” reads one of the slides.
The MPO considered such an expansion in July 2012 but declined to do so. I had a preview back then for Charlottesville Tomorrow.
The MPO Policy Board will also get an update on the seventh round of Smart Scale, VDOT’s main process for funding. A total of 22 applications have been submitted from the Culpeper District. There will be a discussion of cost estimates. I had an update in August in this newsletter.
VDOT has an update on other existing and future studies including ones that come out of the Project Pipeline process. Final reports are being prepared for one at “US 29 at I-64 Exit 118” and 5th Street.
Exit 118 will next be the subject of a STARS study, as will the Preston / McIntire intersection and the U.S. 250 / East High Street in Charlottesville.
A top planning priority in Albemarle County is an activity center plan in the area around Airport Road and U.S. 29. VDOT has begun work on a corresponding Project Pipeline study for the intersection as well as the U.S. 29 Corridor from Frays Mill Road to Matthews Mill. The Commonwealth Transportation Board approved the studies on October 13.
“Traffic data collection underway this week,” reads VDOT’s presentation.
One procedural item on the agenda illustrates the role the MPO plays in allowing projects to move forward with votes. Another federal document is the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) which documents the flow of funding to specific sources. One item before staff would authorize money to move into specific trail projects in the area. The action has the title “Construction: Transportation Alternatives/Byway/Non-Traditional Group.”
“This amendment updates the grouping in the FY 24-27 TIP to add the 5th St Hub and Trail, Meadow Creek Trail, and Rugby Rd Trail projects to the TIP grouping for this category,” reads the staff report. “The amendment adds funding to the Preliminary Engineering (PE) phase, adds and releases funding in the Right of Way (RW) phase, and adds funding to the Construction (CN) phase, for a total of about $8.4 million in additions and a $5,888 release of (Transportation Alternatives Program funds.”
One last discussion will be about a project that once again did not receive federal funding from the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program.
“The application requested $3,555,600 to complete preliminary engineering for the Rivanna River Bicycle and Pedestrian Crossing,” reads the staff report.
The MPO Technical Committee were briefed on the project earlier this month if you want to learn more from the story I wrote recently.
Before you go: The goal of Town Crier Productions is to increase awareness about what is happening at the local, regional, state, and federal government levels. Please share the work with others if you want people to know things.
Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the October 27, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution.
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