Sixty-nine percent of area people believe that some kind of a Route 29 bypass is necessary, according to a survey (PDF) commissioned by Charlottesville Tomorrow and conducted by UVA’s Center for Survey Research. The survey asked a wide range of questions of its 1,096 respondents in Albemarle, Charlottesville, Louisa, Fluvanna, Greene, and Nelson about topics including infrastructure, open space preservation, developer proffers, growth, and traffic. Just over half of respondents believe that traffic is a “major problem,” and 67% believe that elected officials should consider alternatives to the Western Bypass to see if they’d be cheaper and more effective than building a major new road.
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2 Responses to “Survey: Two-Thirds Support Bypass, Same Percentage Supports Alternatives”
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Sideblog
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The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
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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. #
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There’s lots of great information in this survey, especially in the demographic cross-tabulations in the back of the report. It’s interesting that residents of the City of Charlottesville are almost just as likely to value the rural countryside as residents of Albemarle and other counties. As a city resident, I can attest to the feeling of valuing something even if I may not experience it on a day to day basis. The survey, as a whole, underscores regional similarities much more than differences.
The bypass question is important, but it’s hard to tell whether people are instinctively weighing in on the debate over the existing proposal or expressing the need for some sort of bypass. Also, I’ve always felt questions involving major public costs should offer trade-offs to account for those costs. Plenty of people may want free infrastructure with no disruptions, yet not be willing forgo X in order to obtain it. This would make the survey much more complicated though.
Survey finds public wants a bypass- this is headline decades in the making- it’s results have been denied by opponents for years. Most people want a bypass. If they had also asked “Would you build the bypass that is currently funded or spend another 5 years to try and find a better, cheaper alternative?” I would wager the results to build the currently proposed bypass would be the same 70%.
There is no funded alternative to the bypass and it’s silly to pretend otherwise. Saying you want an alternative without actually naming it, is just a stalling technique. This is a classic attempt to thwart any progress on the bypass till it can be killed by having funding removed or some lawsuit. It’s the 1/3 who don’t want the bypass (lead by Dennis Rooker) trying to kill it all over.
Do you like the current tax system? No
Would you like an alternative? Sure, who wouldn’t
Headline: Most people want a different tax system
Would you like a flat tax? Oh no, not that one!
Without an agreed upon, funded alternative that would be approved by the feds, VDOT, and endorsed by all major environmental groups you have no real choice – only the opportunity to delay it once again.
Dans ses écrits, un sàge Italien
Dit que le mieux est l’ennemi du bien.
Voltaire