ragnar writes: A Daily Progress article summarizes a study that recommends further light rail support in Charlottesville over the coming decade. The study in particular calls for rail along route 29 to Washington and along route 250 to Richmond. What are the prospects for encouraging such public transportation in Virginia? Is there an opportunity to mobilize support for the study?
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Where have I seen this before? Oh I know the Meadowcreek Parkway, Western Bypass, Eastern Connector, widening of 250, 250H29 study, you see this area has a thing for studying the hell out of things but in the end doing nothing take the steps further. The Cville area has grown by 20,000 from 1990 to 2000 and how many roads or transportation options have we added? ?? Status quo is what the people like around here… by 2010 albemarles population will be close to 100,000 cville will be aproaching 50,000 greene, nelson, and fluvanna will continue to grow but how many new roads to you guys honestly expect to get built? Me, I think MAYBE wident 29 to airport road may get done in the next 6 years other than that I wouldnt hold my breath….
I find it interesting that solutions you favor include wider and more numerous roads. Is there room in the pantheon of solutions for improving public transportation? I hope so.
the problem always has "how do you get the average person to USE the public transportation’?
Everytime I see a Cville bus, I always noticed there is like fewer then 5 in there. You can build it but will the people actually ride it.
I know I wouldn’t.
I think people would definitely use public transit if it was a system that worked. The bus doesn’t work as of now. Of course, even if the bus worked great, some people still wouldn’t ride it. For some reason, people in business suits wouldn’t be caught dead on the bus, but would happily jump on a train – so these rail proposals are probably a good idea.
Charlottesville does over-study everything, and usually over-extends it too. We’re not going to build a train that connects charlottesville to forest lakes, crozet, and richmond all at once. Someone is proposing a streetcar that just goes between downtown and UVA. If we start with something small like that, we might actually make some progress on the ground instead of just on paper . . . again.
I dont favor JUST widening and creating more road options… I favor getting things done. These studies are not nessecary all of the time… Any person with a pulse in Charlottesville could have told the board that the 29 hydraulic intersection was bad but did they use their commom sense no they just spent no wasted more of our tax money on another study for another project that will never get done… I live off rio east and have come accustomed to fighting traffic up there just to get out of my neighborhood… instead of going further with the parkway they now need to study an interchange….I think when they said that the people of rio east sighed collectively…. I say we move the city council members to rio east for a few months and then see if they still oppose the road…
Fact is Charlottesville is growing, its the 2nd fastest growing area in the entire state of va after the infamous northern virginia. Stop studying all of these new transportation options and get to some of the things that they have already studied and put on the shelf….
Finally, Charlottesville is making the choice that bustling metropolises like Ogdenville, North Haverbrook, and Brockway have made! MONORAIL! MONORAIL! MONORAIL!!!
"But Main Street’s still all cracked and broken…
Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!"
So wise . . .
We should always turn to cartoons for guidance.
"If something is too hard, give it up. The moral my boy is to never try anything."
you tried, and you failed. the lesson is…never try.