VDOT has allocated $1.5M to Charlottesville, to create engineering plans for the Meadowcreek Parkway, and Council has decided to send out a bid request for consultants to do just that. The expense is the largest relating to the Parkway in quite some time. It must be determined if the Parkway will have a full interchange with 250 and McIntire, or if it will meet up with the two in a stoplighted, 17-lane intersection, which would do virtually nothing to alleviate traffic. Engineering plans should be done in 2.5 years, followed by securing an estimated $25M funding. Neighborhood Development Services director Jim Tolbert figures that funding should be available by 2027. Gentlemen, start your engines. John Yellig has the story in today’s Progress.
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 #
-
Archive for Sideblog »
another news:
the local leaders in the Chalbermarle again do nothing to ease traffic
but at least we ain’t cutting down trees
cars rule!
"Neighborhood Development Services director Jim Tolbert figures that funding should be available by 2027"
I expect Jim has it together but I have some expenses arising in 2027 and I wish Jim would share his crystal ball with me. How does one arrive at these conclusions? Why not 2025 or 2015 or whatever?
What is the source of such amazing information?
Good question. And does that estimate (actually, it seems a lot more like a WAG, which is a SWAG without the "scientific" element) factor in the near certainty that the cost of building the road will likely double or triple by 2027? And does it factor in the near certainty that this and future City Councils will need to commission (i.e. "pay for") at least a dozen more "consultants" to hammer out at least a dozen more "studies," "surveys," "traffic studies," "estimates," and "engineering plans" between now and 2027?
A nice way of saying that the Parkway boosters at the Progress got it wrong.
City Council did not authorize anything. There was no vote. There was no consensus. There was no money spent. Yet.
All the Councilors did was ask the staff for more information. The RFP will be taken up in greater detail later.
One open question is whether to limit the RFP to give guidance to the engineers. Like: "follow our 2000 letter and the Reily plan to make it two lanes with an interchange, instead of ten or twenty with a stoplight–and don’t pave over the Vietnam Memorial."
Another thing they asked the City Attorney to clarify was whether the law actually requires the City to pay a forfeiture to VDOT if the RFP results in a flawed design that cannot be approved.
A third thing the Mayor wants to know is whether the interchange and Parkway can be treated a single project, rather than two separate ones. If it is two projects they might fund one and not the other. That is, build a highway and simply dump the cars at a new stoplight on the 250 Bypass, in effect paralyzing our best working traffic artery.
It is too early for the asphalt mongers to pop open the champagne, in other words.
Yes , Silky, I checked the minutes but the last posted were 3 Jan – I`m not sure of the lag time between meetings and posting of the minutes.
And here I thought the Progress was Gospel.
The city council has already TAKEN 1 million from Fontaine Ave. for Meadowcreek Parkway….I don’t think we have another 1.5 million to give. Perhaps the city council is waiting for UVA’s private donors to upgrade the Fontaine Ave entry to our #1 city. I just hope Ernie’s Garage, Anna’s and Durty Nelly’s is still around in 2027!
unless i read the article incorrectly, vdot is funding the $1.5 million, not the city. of course, whether city/vdot/state funds are being used, it’s all our money.
under the current conditions, it seems clear that we can’t pay for all (or even very many) of the roads to create the level of service we desire. so out of curiousity, what are everyone’s serious ideas on what we should do on the area’s transportation problems?
Do more to limit parking in neighborhoods close to UVa and downtown and close down or at least reduce U Hall and Scott stadium parking. Provide free or low cost, efficient bus service to the grounds and set up large satellite parking lots for UVa employees, students and local government employees living outside of the city to use. Many people already take a shuttle from U Hall and Scott Stadium. If the service were free and prompt I believe that many UVa employees would happily leave their cars outside of town and ride a bus on 29, 250 and 20 to their jobs. Dump the Toonerville trolley, tighten up on CTS’ budget and use that money and get CTS and UTS to work together to write grants and find the rest of the money.
There’s no reason to trust the minutes from the city clerk over Silkyzephyr’s report. Silky is probably less biased than the clerk who is appointed and paid by Council to document the "official" view of history.
The minutes are not posted until they are reviewed and approved by Council at the next regular meeting (1st and 3rd Mondays of the month). If there is controversy, it can take 2 or 3 more meetings before the minutes become official and public (which has happened several times recently).
The Fontaine Ave/JPA Bridge project in a nutshell…
Bridge Replacement on JPA
Road improvements to Fontaine Ave to include three lanes (center shared turn lane), bike lanes, sidewalk and streetlighting.
The Status of this project: Approved by CTB on 4/18/02!!! Overhead utility and street lighting design complete. Decorative street lights at City cost. Bridge rail design approved.
THEN AT A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL ON MAY 17, 2004 "Responding to a question from Mr. Caravati, Mr. Tolbert said the Fontaine Avenue project is put off a year anyway until the Southern Area B study is complete. He said there is currently $5 million in that budget and the total project cost is $6 million. Ms. Richards asked what amount has already been moved from the Fontaine project to the Hillsdale Drive project, and Mr. Tolbert said her believes $1 million. Mr. Lynch made a motion to move $1 million from the Fontaine Avenue project to the Meadowcreek Parkway interchange study, and Mr. Caravati seconded the motion. Ms. Richards said she thinks Council should hold a public hearing before moving this money as many people on the south side of the City feel that Council is indifferent to that area. ……The motion to move $1 million from the Fontaine Avenue project to the Meadowcreed Parkway interchange study was approved by a vote of ayes Caraviti, Cox, and Lynch. Noes…Richards and Shcilling. "
Hence the reason for my comment. One only has to travel on Fontaine Ave or JPA between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. to see how much a bike lane and pedestrian side walk are needed. On football days, with the parking at the Health Services on Fontaine…folks with kids in blue and orange take life in hand to walk to Scot Stadium. If the city really wants county commuters to "park and walk or bike" they need to make the walk/ride safe!