via email:

To improve safety, the Virginia Department of Transportation is installing a temporary signal at the intersection of Route 250 (Rockfish Gap Turnpike) and Route 151 (Critzers Shop Road) in Afton, near the Nelson County line.

An advance warning flasher on Route 250 eastbound, which has a steep downgrade, will accompany the signal to alert motorists when the signal ahead is yellow or red.

Beginning this week through late April, motorists should stay alert for intermittent lane closures controlled by flagging.

A more extensive project is in development to convert the intersection to a roundabout. The safety improvement project will address a history of turning-related crashes at the high-volume intersection. Route 250 carries 6,700 vehicles per day and Route 151 carries 10,000 with about seven percent truck traffic daily on both routes. Pending funding approval, preliminary engineering on the project will begin in 2018.

But y’all knew that if you followed RealCrozetVA on Instagram. 🙂

Signal work starting at 250/151. it’s going to be very interesting watching loaded tractor-trailers scrubbing speed coming down Afton mountain to a red light. Photo credit: my passenger.

A post shared by RealCrozetVa (Jim Duncan) (@realcrozetva) on Mar 7, 2017 at 5:47am PST

Remember the discussion about whether to close the bridge in Ivy for 2 weeks, or one-lane it for months?

The Verdict is: Two Weeks.

• $3 Million
• Summer 2018
• .25 miles

Here’s the letter from VDOT.

Learn more about the project here.

Last month, the coming Crozet Express asked for feedback from Crozetians. 98 responded (that seems to me to be a shockingly small response rate).

1 – Here’s the original story about the Crozet Express.

2 – With so many crashes on 64, a bus seems to make sense (if people will use it).

If you’re curious, dig into the results at the Crozet Express site or download the pdf here.

Just sent to me: " Traffic stopped Eastbound 64 btw Crozet & Ivy."

— realcrozetva (@realcrozetva) November 2, 2016

I wrote in January about the crashes on 64 and promised an update.

Thanks to the DMV (really!)

Continue reading “Crashes on 64. Why. So. Many?”

Good.

From the Albemarle County page:

ROCKFISH GAP / RT. 250 SIDEWALK
The Rockfish Gap Turnpike/Rt. 250 W sidewalk construction will take place on both sides of the Rockfish Gap Turnpike from Clover Lawn Lane to Radford Lane, and on the north side of Rockfish Gap Turnpike from Radford Lane to Cory Farm Road, and along the east side of Cory Farm Road from Rockfish Gap Turnpike to Little Fox Lane.

Forecasted Schedule

Public Hearing: October 10, 2016

Right of Way Authorization: February 2017

Right of Way Acquisition Complete: October 2017

Ad for Construction: March 2018

Construction Activities: Spring / Summer 2018

Targeted Construction Completion: Fall 2018

 

 

 

Update 5 October 2016:

So far, only 19 non-UVA folks have filled out JAUNT’s survey. The survey is here.

“But about 450 for UVa’s study (a phenomenal response, considering only about a week and a maximum survey population of around 800).

Obviously, the more interest we could show the Board of Supervisors, the greater the possibility of receiving funding and establishing the Crozet Express.”

received by email:

UVa employees living in the Crozet area will receive a short survey in their email on Tuesday, September 26, regarding the proposed Crozet Express to and from downtown Charlottesville and the University. Their responses will be crucial in making the route as convenient and efficient as possible. Crozetians not employed by UVa could also provide input by emailing [email protected].

The survey will be open for 3 weeks.

My quick thoughts:

• I’m still amazed by their numbers that ~1K UVA employees live in Crozet. (not yet sure how “Crozet” is defined here)
  • From Brian  Cohen – “That’s the estimate from the University. UVa employees in 22932 plus about 40 streets in Wickham Pond, Cory Farm, (Jim’s note: I’d bet they’re including Highlands, too as they have a 22901 zip code, as well as Church Hill?). It’s very difficult for Parking and Transportation Office to figure out 22901 homes that were surrounding town. “
• This isn’t a service *only* for UVA folks.
• Expanding on one of my tweets a few days ago:
  • Where will the bus stops be?
  • What will be the schedule?
  • How about putting big bike racks at the bus stop so Crozetians can ride their bikes to the bus stop, ride the bus, and then ride the bike back home when they return.
  • AND put a bike rack on bus to make getting around Charlottesville easier for the non-UVA folks.
    • Ride bike to Crozet stop -> ride bus w/ bike -> get to Cville -> ride bike to work. Do in reverse at the end of the day.
  • Will the buses have wifi?

A related story from December 2015 – Buses from Charlottesville to Crozet? — Great comments and conversation here.

Continue reading “All Aboard For the Crozet Express!”

Might be more than a “what if” and more “when they” …

From Charlottesville Tomorrow:

In other news, the Federal Highway Administration has awarded a $100,000 grant to the MPO to study I-64 from exit 87 in Staunton to exit 124 at Pantops. The organization will work with its equivalents in Staunton and Waynesboro, as well as VDOT.

The goal is to find ways to improve traffic, relieve congestion and prevent crashes in a 40-mile stretch that crosses the Blue Ridge Mountains.

“This project will be a two-fold mission,” said Chip Boyles, executive director of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. “The biggest mission is to develop and promote a planning tool that FHWA uses and they’re trying to get MPOs to use to coordinate planning between multiple jurisdictions.”

Boyles said the second mission is to come up with high-level concepts of what can be built to help address the issues.

“It’s not just looking at I-64 but maybe looking at transit opportunities and possible changes to 250 so that it can handle a larger capacity when people have to detour onto it,” he said.

The Charlottesville MPO will hold a joint meeting with the Staunton-Waynesboro MPO in the fall to discuss the issue further.

Update, sent in from an offline commenter

Also from Charlottesville Tomorrow, this time in 2009: (bolding mine, and you should read the whole story)

VDOT’s final report in January 2000 recommended the widening of 250 west to four lanes between the US 29/250 Bypass near the Bellair neighborhood all the way to the railroad trestle crossing the Mechums River.

Scenic 250 vigorously opposed the road’s widening, a recommendation that VDOT made over the objections of the citizen committee participating in the study. The public argued that it made no sense to widen 250 when it ran parallel to the existing I-64.

With the strong support of Supervisor Sally H. Thomas , the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in May 2000 that committed the county to protecting the road as a two-lane scenic corridor all the way west to the county line. VDOT conceded that 250 was used largely for local traffic, and if residents wanted to deal with the congestion, that could be a local choice.

And for kicks and giggles and a bit further thought:

Portland’s drop in car use frees up $138 million in our local economy every year