The Albemarle Supervisors voted unanimously to seek a ban on through traffic on Proffit Road by big-rig trucks, WINA reports. The road is often used as a shortcut by trucks going from Route 64 to Route 29 and seeking to avoid the bypass. The problem is that the narrow, twisty road was never constructed with tractor-trailers in mind. With Baker-Butler Elementary School opening on Proffit this August, it’s no surprise that the vote was unanimous. The request will be sent to VDOT, who will make the final decision. Peter Savodnik has a lengthier story in the Daily Progress.
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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keep on truckin’
Having lived in the Chesterfield neighborhood for 3 years, I’m not sure that baning tractor-trailers would help very much. I’ve noticed that many trucks on Proffit from Rt 20 seem to turn onto Polo Grounds Road. Most large trucks going to 29 seem to come from Better Living Building Supplies. Most of those trucks drive pretty slowly though. The real problem, in my opinion, seems to be the UPS trucks that fly through there, often times coming over the line while going through the tight twists just past the one-lane bridge. While a nuisance, the tractor-trailers are not the big safety issue in my opinion, but the smaller, faster trucks like the ones used by UPS.
Improving sections of Proffit Rd. would seem to make more sense at this point. You have a large elementary school and a building supply center on a small country road. An accident is very possible when you consider the size of the loads that some of these trucks have to carry (roof trusses tend to stick out quite far from the side of the trailers) and the lack of shoulders. I would like to see the road widened from 29 to the school at the very least.