Mobility | Information Charlottesville

Category Archives: Mobility

CTB to meet in Charlottesville this week

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Sean Tubbs Leave a comment

The body that approves funding across the Commonwealth of Virginia will meet this week at the Residence Inn on West Main Street in Charlottesville, steps away from a now-canceled project.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board will begin with a workshop at 8:30 a.m. that will feature a large amount of state-wide business. One item to watch is a discussion on the fifth round of Smart Scale, which is a mechanism that helps decide what transportation projects are funded. (workshop agenda)

The CTB will make a final decision in June, but here are three area projects currently in the running:

Avon Street Multimodal Improvements (only for the Druid Avenue to Avon Court section) – $15.8 million (Charlottesville-Albemarle MPO)
US 250/Peter Jefferson Parkway Intersection Improvements, Park and Ride, and Access Management – $20.55 million (Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission)
Belvedere Boulevard/Rio Road Intersection Improvements – $4.89 million (Albemarle County)

Mobility

Groups encouraging people to bike to work next week and providing food

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Sean Tubbs Leave a comment

May is National Bike Month according to the League of American Bicyclists and beginning Monday communities across the country like Charlottesville will be observing Bike to Work Week.

“And what that means is that we’re encouraging everyone to bike to work, bike to school, wherever you’re going,” said Josh Carp of the group Livable Cville.

Mobility

Alderman / McCormick intersection to be limited this summer

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Sean Tubbs Leave a comment

The University of Virginia makes many infrastructure changes in the months after graduation and this summer will include some disruptions around Grounds while work takes place.

Bill Palmer is the UVA Architect’s representative to the Charlottesville Planning Commission. He told that group last night that the western side of McCormick Road will be shut down later this month.

“That’s going to be closed for the summer to kind of finish the streetscape that hadn’t been completed with Gilmer Hall because there were other projects going on,” Palmer said.

*Credit: UVA Department of Facilities Management*

Charlottesville moving forward to hire city attorney

Posted on May 2, 2023 by Sean Tubbs Leave a comment

Prospective Communications Director turns down job

Charlottesville has been without an in-house City Attorney since Lisa Robertson abruptly resigned at the end of 2022. The city has contracted with two separate law firms to provide legal advice, but that could come to an end soon according to Interim City Manager Michael C. Rogers.

“We will conclude the interviews for City Attorney this week and my plan is to come to you for interviews in the intervening weeks so that you can make a decision at the next Council meeting,” Rogers said.

Council hears first reading of appropriation for Charlottesville Area Transit

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Sean Tubbs Leave a comment

When Charlottesville Area Transit provided information for the current fiscal year in the early 2022, officials sent over an estimate. On April 3, 2023, CAT Director Garland Williams appeared before Council for an appropriation to bring the budget closer to the actual numbers.

“What you see before you is the operating side of the house for an additional $7,886,856,” Williams said.

UVA-commissioned study finds flaws in funded improvements to US 29/250 interchange with Fontaine Avenue

Posted on April 13, 2023 by Sean Tubbs Leave a comment

In late 2019, the Charlottesville City Council and the Albemarle Board of Supervisors agreed to end a public body known as the Planning and Coordination Council that met openly with University of Virginia officials to discuss the infrastructure needed for a growing community.

This was replaced with the closed-door Land Use and Environmental Planning Committee which meets every month. In its first two meetings of this year, the group has talked privately about some of the potential transportation solutions in areas where the University of Virginia has plans to significantly increase its activities.

Deadline extended for firms to apply to run microtransit for CAT on behalf of Albemarle County

Posted on April 13, 2023 by Sean Tubbs One comment

Charlottesville Area Transit is seeking a firm to help them run a pilot on-demand program for Albemarle County and have extended the deadline for bids to April 26. That’s one of several items in an addendum put out today to the request for proposals for a company to provide the service. (read the addendum)

The addendum also has answers to 41 questions asked by would-be vendors. Here’s some information that can be learned from this section:

Vendors will need to determine how many vehicles they will need to provide the service
Vendors will need to define what they consider to be a service disruption as part of their data reporting requirements
Vendors would not need to provide the service on Sundays
Vendors will need to provide a service and operations plan
The vendor will need to provide a call center to book a ride between 6:15 a.m. and 8:45 p.m.
CAT will provide uniforms to drivers under this service
Digital submissions will not be accepted for proposals
Albemarle County will decide whether to continue the service after the first year

Transit

Cost increases to connect Berkmar Drive Extended to Airport Road

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Sean Tubbs Leave a comment

Earlier in the meeting during a discussion of Albemarle’s Secondary Six Year Plan, Supervisors also learned about another project that will be paid for in part by TeleFee Funds, which are paid by utility companies to the Virginia Department of Transportation for placement of infrastructure in the right of way.

There’s a plan to connect Berkmar Drive to airport road north of Hollymead Town Center.

“Currently the road goes through at a roundabout at Timberwood Boulevard and stubs out shortly afterward but will connect to Airport Road and Lewis and Clark Drive at another roundabout,” said Alberic Karina-Plun, a planner with Albemarle County.

Albemarle Supervisors briefed on transportation planning including Old Ivy pipeline study

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Sean Tubbs Leave a comment

Some in this growing community might say that there’s a need for new road connections or improvements to the existing ones. Transportation planning is one of my favorite topics to cover, and please ask questions in the comments. There’s a learning curve.

At their meeting on April 5, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors got an update on several projects.

Work continues at the Virginia Department of Transportation to finalize a list of new transportation projects that will be funded through the Smart Scale process that’s currently in its fifth round.

Albemarle Supervisors hear from transit providers at budget work session

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Sean Tubbs One comment

Budget decisions in Albemarle are supposed to follow the major tenets of the strategic plan agreed to by the Board of Supervisors on October 19, 2022. Investment in transit operations can be justified by two specific goals:

3.4 Implement long-range plans to embrace multimodal connectivity
4.4 Integrate parks planning with multi-modal transportation planning across the County.

Ryan Davidson is the deputy chief of budget in Albemarle County.

“Here in the county we don’t operate our own separate transit system but rather are part of a larger regional transit network,” Davidson said at the March 29, 2023 Albemarle Board of Supervisors’ meeting. “And while we utilize two major regional service providers, the focus of our discussion today will be on those two providers (CAT and Jaunt) but there are several other regional partners such as the Afton Express and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission which play important roles in the network as well. “

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