March 2022 Transportation CCAC Meeting Roundup

That was an interesting meeting, and like most such meetings, one that people will look back on in three years and say, “I remember that’s when learned about X.”

X could be that they don’t seem to have the rights of way for the Eastern Avenue extension to 250, or that they still don’t have plans for sidewalks on Tabor and High, but are underway on the sidewalks from Cory Farm to Harris Teeter on 250, or that Oak Street from the Square is going to be completely revamped.

A few highlights that I’m pulling from the google doc at the bottom

• Joe Fore (CCAC) asks about the Rt 240 (Three Notch’) Shared-use Path – Park Ridge Dr to Music Today; that was broken into 2 segments
• “Much smaller” pot of funding is federal, not state, for “transportation alternatives” – under $1M, requires 20% local match. You know, walking and riding bikes. 
• Project updates – skip to the bottom to read the discussion and questions about these
  • Eastern Ave South Extension – project was submitted last year; we find out in April if the state will fund it. ~$25M to do it (wonder what it would have been 15 – 20 years ago)
  • 240/250 Roundabout – going to advertise this year, construction to begin by the end of 2022
  • Old Trail/WAHS/250 Roundabout – worst performing intersection in Crozet – will be submitted as a Smart Scale project in this round. My thought: if they aren’t planning to put bikes and pedestrians first, they’re wrong.
  • US 250 Sidewalks
• Crozet Connect update
• Pandemic caused ridership to slump
  • Numbers are starting to rise due to gas prices
  • Need help with their survey; closes 25 March

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Last night’s CCAC meeting represented two firsts for me: One – this was my first meeting as a CCAC member rather than observer, and two – the first that I’ve tried taking live notes in a google doc instead of live-tweeting. I’m inclined to go back to tweeting as the google doc does not perform as well as Twitter for inserting screenshots of slide decks (would be super-helpful if we’d get the slide decks before the meeting)

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Part of the slide decks

The Google Doc

Selected bolding throughout.

Going to attempt to do google doc updates à la @cvillenews does for the Albemarle County broadband meetings.

The only way I learned that I’d been selected to the CCAC was the tweet by Allison Wrabel with the Daily Progress. And I got the zoom invite around 3 today.

• Here’s the agenda
• One of the very few times I wish I had two monitors.
• Kevin McDermott with the County is about to give a presentation on transportation matters in the County; really wish we’d get these presentation before the meeting begins.
  • Screenshots here are not going to work; those will go to Twitter.
  • Kevin is talking about the transportation and development process; says they can project out 20 years when a road will be congested.
  • “All projects identified in the various planning processes are evaluated by selected metrics including:
    • Safety
    • • Congestion
    • • Economic Development
    • • Accessibilitv (sic)
    • Land Use
    • • Environmental Impact
  • With respect, I’d wager that most attendees have a sense as to the background; would prefer we get into what projects are underway or close to underway (but hey, it’s my first meeting!)
  • Now we have the Prioritized projects; Eastern Avenue is the top priority. 
  • Shawn Bird (CCAC) has a question – some projects have the same priority number; what’s that mean?
    • Answer: referencing some improvements on Crozet Ave that were broken up
  • Joe Fore (CCAC) asks about the Rt 240 (Three Notch’) Shared-use Path – Park Ridge Dr to Music Today; that was broken into 2 segments
  • Now onto funding mechanisms
    • County can submit 4 projects bi-annually, in the even years
    • Smart Scale and Revenue Sharing Program (will have screenshots in the post)
    • “Much smaller” pot of funding is federal, not state, for “transportation alternatives” – under $1M, requires 20% local match. You know, walking and riding bikes. 
      • Would be cool if we allocated more $ to “alternatives” to driving.
    • Locally funded projects get done in 3 to 5 years
      • Revenue Sharing – 5 to 8 years
      • Smart Scale – 8 to 11 years
    • Project updates
      • Eastern Ave South Extension – project was submitted last year; we find out in April if the state will fund it. ~$25M to do it (wonder what it would have been 15 – 20 years ago)
      • 240/250 Roundabout – going to advertise this year, construction to begin by the end of 2022
      • Old Trail/WAHS/250 Roundabout – worst performing intersection in Crozet – will be submitted as a Smart Scale project in this round
      • US 250 Sidewalks
      • Questions
        • Mark (CCAC) asks about Eastern Ave extension (notes it’s his “front yard” – how does the County obtain RoW, notably the bridge and cow pasture. What’s the process before you break ground, sidewalks, High Street, Tabor …
        • Kevin talking about the RoW process … me: wait. They don’t have Rights of Way for the Eastern Avenue?
        • Lance: the rights process is the biggest variable … 
        • Ann jumps in … the path has been established for 20+ years. Me: I know I wrote about the decrepit sign in 2011.
        • Mark asks about a stop light on 250. 
        • Mike Kunkel who lives in Cory Farm says that now it’s hard to get out of his neighborhood, and thinks a light should be put in if/when Eastern Ave comes.
        • Mark follows up and asks about the cost estimates; what happens when the cost exceeds what was planned for?
          • Kevin – (paraphrasing) we usually build in a bit, but this environment is much more volatile
        • 250 Sidewalk project should have been close to finished by now, but supplies and materials have been delayed … > 6 months.
        • Mike Kunkel from Cory Farm asking for details on location of sidewalk with respect to guardrails
      • Crozet Square and Oak Street improvements
        • Full connection to formal parking and built out Oak Street
        • 6 to 8 months to 100% plan; and then continue forward to design. Then about a year from awarding to construction … likely ~4 to 5 years
        • Talking more about Barnes Lumber redevelopment … nearing 60% design, which is an important threshold when working with VDOT
        • Matt – pushes back and says the County can’t plan 20 years in advance for anything.
        • The County should have built the 250 sidewalks down to Sparrow Hill. 
        • Matt – are trails/paths/bike/ped considered “transportation”? You’ll never be able to fix transportation if you don’t work to get people out of their cars (he’s not wrong)
        • Matt – county shouldn’t even offer buses from Old Trail to Western but they have to because of poor planning
        • Brad – “to follow up on Matt’s diatribe” – any thoughts on a tunnel under the roundabout at 250/Old Trail? Kevin – we’ve asked them to look at it. Brad – roundabouts are good for cars, but not pedestrians.
          • Kevin – we have data that show roundabouts are safe for pedestrians
        • Me: if they don’t prioritize pedestrians, they’re doing it wrong
        • Sandy Hausman – when County plans, do you have a guesstimate as to how many new cars will come? Kevin: short paraphrase: yes
        • Sandy – what about population in 2025? Kevin: I don’t have that offhand. Rachel – our public population estimates haven’t been updated in a year and a half; we have a big excel spreadsheet, but it’s not really digestible 
        • Valerie – going back to the traffic signal at 250/Eastern Ave: that’s not up to the County, right? You need to prove to VDOT that it’s needed, right?
          • Kevin: correct. 
        • Back to Matt – I’m hoping that someone in Albemarle can reach out to Roanoke County re: GIS; theirs is phenomenal. Our isn’t.
      • JAUNT update
        • Pandemic caused ridership to slump
        • Numbers are starting to rise due to gas prices
        • Need help with their survey; closes 25 March
        • Interesting slides showing locations of people riding; very few going to Fontaine Research Park
        • Joe – where is the autonomous shuttle that was discussed a few years ago?
          • Ann – It was a pilot project. Micro transit is not dead and gone, but it’s not ready. 
        • Mark – does Jaunt go north?
          • Kelly – long answer that talks about the nuances and frustrations of funding allocations
      • Rachel Falkenstein with the County – 
        • More of a structured approach to CAC meetings and topics? Image.
        • Joe asks about when CCAC might go back to in-person meetings.
          • Ann – official position will be that we’ll talk about it next week, and barring increase in case loads, BoS, School Board, etc – April.
          • Me: boo. I like the virtual.
        • Talking about nominations for chair, vice-chair, etc. 
        • Still looking for applicants for CCAC; 3 openings for CCAC
        • Matt – I hope members will commit to getting to meetings in a non-motorized manner. (me: I think I was the only one riding/walking pre-Covid … hope to see more)
        • Allie adjourning.