Charlottesville Transportation & GrowthIssues(?): Solutions & Opinions (Roanoke, Lynchburg: transfer, construction)

[Ceeville1]

Feel free to use this as a forum to voice your opinions about Charlottesville's growth and local politics. I'll start with some brief statements.

Transportation - Charlottesville's traffic certainly has gotten worse over the years. The question is, however, whether we are taking the right approaches. Another question, which may be more controversial, is whether our traffic issues are exaggerated. On the second point, at even peak hours it takes a maximum of 20 to 25 minutes to get from Hydraulic to Wal Mart. We have to question whether spending a quarter billion dollars is warranted by this situation, especially in a time when the state is cutting funding from education and laying off employees (who spend money in our consumer driven economy and keep the engine going). I think it is also important to consider the fact that the terminus of the new bypass is right in the middle of a growing area. There are so many developments going up north of the end point. It seems likely that the 29/250/Hydraulic bottleneck is just going to shift north and become the Forest Lakes bottleneck. Without adequate planning, sprawl will spread further and more rapidly into northern Albemarle and Greene (and possibly Madison). Should this occur, are we then just going to be another multi-million dollar road to bypass that area too? When do we stop?

Growth - I find myself right in the middle of this debate. I welcome growth. I think have a diverse group of individuals with different areas of the country and with different backgrounds are great things for the community. I also think more shopping options and entertainment options would be a plus for us. My concern is how we do it. I think compact growth around the city is the best approach, which is why I applaud projects like Stonefield. Denser development will make public transportation a more viable option and will allow us to focus our resources on creating something that somewhat resembles a grid and multiple options to get east-west and north-south.

Extra-Regional Effects - I will be blunt here. I think it is highly unlikely that any improvement in Charlottesville flow will help the economies to the south. I just have a hard time believing that the economies there will become more viable because trucks and others will have a few minutes shaved off their commute time.

These are just a few quick thoughts. Feel free to expand or disagree :-)

[badger74]

Having a major US Hwy continue to run through a busy commercial section of the city is just idiotic. Most such areas were bypassed decades ago. But Cville continues to hold up construction. If the originial bypass had been built when planned 20-30 years ago (for much less $$$) the talk would be about extending it farther north. Continuing the stop growth strategy will not stop growth but just make it more painful.

[ShadowBat]

Please see my comments about the RT29 Bypass in this thread.
Albemarle/C-ville Highway 29 Bypass Revived My other comments will be in red.

Originally Posted by Ceeville1

Feel free to use this as a forum to voice your opinions about Charlottesville's growth and local politics. I'll start with some brief statements.

Transportation - Charlottesville's traffic certainly has gotten worse over the years. The question is, however, whether we are taking the right approaches. Another question, which may be more controversial, is whether our traffic issues are exaggerated. On the second point, at even peak hours it takes a maximum of 20 to 25 minutes to get from Hydraulic to Wal Mart. We have to question whether spending a quarter billion dollars is warranted by this situation, especially in a time when the state is cutting funding from education and laying off employees (who spend money in our consumer driven economy and keep the engine going). I think it is also important to consider the fact that the terminus of the new bypass is right in the middle of a growing area. There are so many developments going up north of the end point. It seems likely that the 29/250/Hydraulic bottleneck is just going to shift north and become the Forest Lakes bottleneck. Without adequate planning, sprawl will spread further and more rapidly into northern Albemarle and Greene (and possibly Madison). Should this occur, are we then just going to be another multi-million dollar road to bypass that area too? When do we stop?
~For the size city Charlottesville is, traffic here is ridiculous. You can avoid it if you know what roads to take and at what times. But compared to places like DC, it's nothing. But even bigger places like Lynchburg and Roanoke have less traffic issues ;partly because they have roads that can handle their current populations and some growth. I know the Cville area has been growing faster percentage wise. In my vision I see a street car/trolley running up and down RT 29/Emmet St. in the median. It could be a tourist attraction in itself!

Growth - I find myself right in the middle of this debate. I welcome growth. I think have a diverse group of individuals with different areas of the country and with different backgrounds are great things for the community. I also think more shopping options and entertainment options would be a plus for us. My concern is how we do it. I think compact growth around the city is the best approach, which is why I applaud projects like Stonefield. Denser development will make public transportation a more viable option and will allow us to focus our resources on creating something that somewhat resembles a grid and multiple options to get east-west and north-south.
~I completely agree with this. Build up, not out. It not only preserves countryside, but makes a better argument for public transit. You could hit more shops and stores in one trip instead of riding the bus all day and making a million transfers.

Extra-Regional Effects - I will be blunt here. I think it is highly unlikely that any improvement in Charlottesville flow will help the economies to the south. I just have a hard time believing that the economies there will become more viable because trucks and others will have a few minutes shaved off their commute time.
~I don't agree with that either. People and trucks are not going to cancel their trips north or south just because they might get held up in Charlottesville. But it is a headache getting hung up here unlike elsewhere because the local leaders want to be nimbys.

These are just a few quick thoughts. Feel free to expand or disagree :-)

As far as the Meadowcreek Pkwy. is concerned. I really have no clue what they expect it to do. From where I live and work, I will probably never use it unless to just go a different route. But if you live downtown or out on 5th street, it will be a nice option to get from out there straight up to Rio Rd and on to RT29. Also if you're coming in on i64 from the east, you wouldn't have to go all the way to the 29 exit. It will help to ease congestion on Rio I guess. I see the pros and cons of it, but neither are strong enough for me to be for or against it.