I had a better rant written (see the end of the post if you’re curious), but moderated it as I got better informed.
Growth is coming to Crozet. Crozet is a designated growth area, and has been since 1989. (Albemarle County pdf, ASAP, Charlottesville Tomorrow)
What doesn’t seem to be part of the growth plan’s implementation is adequate understanding and acknowledgement that said growth requires infrastructure improvements* – sidewalks, bike lanes, roads ā¦ turn lanes. If you look at the files embedded below, it appears there will be left turn lanes, but no right turn lanes ā¦ my non-traffic-engineer mind tells me that the roads are simply too narrow. (I’ve long struggled with growth. See: 2007 & 2009)
Ultimately, my question for those directly involved in this process – the County of Albemarle, VDOT, Crozet Library and Claudius place – is this: what infrastructure improvements are going to be built to accommodate the current and imminent traffic that is/will be generated by these new buildings? Luckily, the fine folks at the County of Albemarle were quick to respond to my queries (I’m still waiting to hear from VDOT, but it’s only been 1.5 days)
The takeaway from this post? Be informed and aware.
Claudius Place is getting ready to break ground in the next four to six weeks ā¦ presumably they’re going to bring businesses that are going to attract traffic onto Crozet Avenue
Also, one would expect the Crozet Library is going to attract a few cars ā¦
(thanks to Crozet Gazette for the rendering of the Crozet Library)
My early research indicates that a turn lane is not likely. Depending on to whom I speak, in order to get a turn lane, Crozet Library would have to be moved back either 5 or “12 to 14” feet, the latter being deemed “unexecutable”.
Downtown Crozet Compiled Projects Image
Crozet Streetscape Exhibit11x17
As I said in an email late last week (edited a hair for clarity):
The following is my rant, before becoming more informed:
I hope I’m wrong in this, but if Crozet Avenue doesn’t get a turn lane into the library and Claudius Place, Crozet Avenue is likely to be an unmitigated disaster from a traffic perspective.
This is the kind of (lack of) planning that we’ll collectively look back in five years and wonder, “why didn’t we do something about this”?
The traffic that occurs in the mornings and afternoons – both school and “rush hour” traffic is, by Crozet standards, intimidating. Turning left from Jarman’s Gap or left from Tabor are both frustratingly difficult and time consuming.
If there’s not turn lane, the number of stop lights and amount of traffic that will eventually come to Crozet Avenue is going to diminish the quality of life in Crozet. Growth and development can be good (says the real estate agent š ) but growing with no infrastructure improvements is short sighted and, to be blunt, stupid.
But … I could be wrong and there won’t be any additional traffic from Claudius Place and the library.
* I’m working on a story discussing the fact that Crozet is going to grow – Downtown, Old Trail, 250 – and we as a community need to accept this and work within the frameworks provided.
Growth can be slowed, even stopped. All the delays cost the developers time and money.Ā It does not take long before they pull out. Short Pump is not that far a drive. Check it out. Is this what the Crozet Community wants?? Quality of life is already diminished, how much farther do you want it to go? Historic
District would be a way to go. Get involved, make believe WalMart and Restore N Station are coming to ttown…