Charlottesville Tomorrow Blog

Area to lose planning leader; Harrison Rue leaving TJPDC

Harrison Rue, Executive Director of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC), will leave later this spring to take a position with an as-yet undisclosed company. Rue has been with the area’s regional planning organization for six years.

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He made his announcement at the beginning of the MPO Policy Board’s April meeting, prompting both congratulations and regrets over his departure. His resignation leaves the MPO Policy Board without a leader during this summer’s update of the area’s long-range transportation plan (UNJAM 2035) and efforts to create a regional transportation authority.

Rue said he could not disclose his new employer, but said he was recruited by a “large national consulting firm.”  Rue said he regretted leaving while still in the middle of several projects, but was confident that the work would be completed.

Albemarle County Supervisor Dennis Rooker (Jack Jouett) praised Rue for pushing the duties and responsibilities of the MPO Policy Board. Supervisor David Slutzky (Rio) said it would be hard to replace Rue. 

“You would not find somebody who could create the number of important things that you’ve done in your six years,” Slutzky said.

City Councilor Satyendra Huja called for a resolution to salute Rue, which will be adopted at the May meeting. Councilor Julian Taliaferro was not able to attend the meeting.



CTS Update: 1.7 million riders this year

The director of the Charlottesville Transit Service is projecting a total ridership of just under 1.7 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008. Bill Watterson said that would represent an increase of 200,000 riders over the previous year if the estimate holds up. Actual ridership since July 1, 2007 is approximately 1.25 million riders, a 12% increase over this time last year.

Watterson attributed the increase to the fare-free exchange program with the University of Virginia, as well as increased headways on the Route 7 bus to Fashion Square Mall.

Watterson also said the real-time bus tracking system has been enacted, and is “still a work in progress.”   His staff is working on ways to expand the system to more platforms, including cell phones and an online interface that uses Google maps.  Another new function will the ability to call an automated phone line that will tell the caller how long until the next bus arrives at a bus stop of their choice.

Will Hillsdale Drive receive raised crosswalks as part of safety improvement project?

Schematic of safety improvements  for Hillsdale Drive project (Source: Albemarle County)

Four years ago, Albemarle County received money from the federal government to enhance Hillsdale Drive by making it safer for people to walk across the street. Many seniors live in condominiums and apartment complexes along the road, and the project is designed to make it easier for them to do so. Part of the design is to create raised crosswalks, which would force drivers to slow down.

While discussing the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan, Slutzky asked the VDOT officials present to clear up some confusion over whether their agency would allow the crosswalks.

“When I talked with Butch [Davies of the Commonwealth Transportation Board], I was under the impression we could actually elevate the crosswalks themselves as a speed deterrent, and I was getting some communication that wasn’t going to happen,” Slutzky said.

VDOT’s Brent Sprinkle said County staff has been told to submit documentation that the raised crosswalks will be safe, given that VDOT guidelines currently don’t allow them. He said VDOT is concerned the safety features could be a liability in the future if they are not properly vetted. Slutzky said he had been told they were absolutely disallowed by VDOT policy without a waiver, and he said he would follow up with County staff.

Rue said he was “embarrassed” that VDOT was putting obstacles in the way of the project.
“There is no reason why VDOT should not be changing its guidelines to not only allow but permit and encourage as a standard raised median crosswalks in any three-lane road in the state,” Rue said. He said another project in Stanardsville is currently being delayed for the same reason.

Sprinkle said VDOT doesn’t prohibit them, but does require them to be installed in appropriate locations. “We’re trying to put them in some cases in places where the traffic volume and the speeds are too high to safely install that type of traffic calming device, but if we can show  usage where it’s been done before, that may help us modify our guidelines,” Sprinkle said.

Later in the meeting, Albemarle County Chief Planner David Benish joined the meeting, and said the possibility of applying for a waiver will be discussed at a scoping meeting on April 17. Quentin Elliot, the acting Administrator of the VDOT’s Culpeper District, warned against applying for a waiver without providing any evidence to show the raised crosswalks can be installed safely.

County staff will also decide at that meeting whether the project can go to advertisement in July as planned. The project has been split into two phases because of issues getting an easement around the Squire Hill apartment complex.

TIMELINE FOR PODCAST

• 1:00 - Introduction and Harrison Rue's announcement
• 6:54 - Matters from the Public, with a comment from Peter Kleeman on STIP grouping
• 12:00 - Transit update
• 18:40 - John Giometti leads discussion of grouping in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan, and MPO members ask about various questions on VDOT's list
• 30:30 - Slutzky asks about raised pedestrian crosswalks on Hillsdale Drive (existing portion)
• 40:46 - JAUNT update from Donna Shaunnesy
• 48:51 - Public hearing: Draft FY09 Work Program
• 1:05:30 - Public Hearing:  Draft FY06 TIP Amendments
• 1:11:23 - County's Chief Planner David Benish is asked about Hillsdale Drive safety improvements
• 1:16:00 - Transportation & Land Use Strategies to Address Climate Change (separate blog post coming on Friday)

Sean Tubbs

MPO discusses Eastern Connector, RTA

The MPO Policy Board held its monthly meeting on March 19, 2008. Highlights include an update on the proposed Regional Transportation Authority, the Eastern Connector, and efforts by the VDOT and the Federal Highway Administration to streamline the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.

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Regional Transit Authority update

Albemarle County Supervisor David Slutzky (Rio) asked his fellow MPO Policy Board members and Harrison Rue what the group will be doing in the next few months while preparing enabling legislation to allow for a regional transportation authority (RTA). Harrison Rue of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission said Transportation Coordinator Melissa Barlow is completing the RTA study with input from the February joint work session, and should be finished with that for a presentation to the Board at the June MPO meeting.

Slutzky asked what the next steps will be considering the Virginia Supreme Court’s recent decision that the taxing authority given to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority is unconstitutional. Rue said the consultant writing the RTA report is revisiting the governance section to make sure the legislation is written in such a way to meet the Constitution. He said the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority has published a series of requested fixes to its enabling authority on its website.

City Councilor Satyendra Huja asked if this region’s RTA could meet the Constitutional standard by restricting membership on its Board of Directors to City Councilors and County Supervisors. Rue said that could be one way of making it work, as long as the decision to impose taxes was made by elected bodies. Slutzky called for a lobbying effort in Richmond, but Rue said MPO staff is prohibited from making the case themselves.

Huja, appearing at only his third MPO meeting, wanted to know more about why the University of Virginia has not yet come on board as a full participant in the RTA discussion. UVa Senior Land Use Planner Julia Monteith said the university has a system that currently works for its needs. “The University has been working for a long time on perfecting its system,” she said. “Right now there’s not a strong reason for them to change their system until there’s some obvious incentive.” However, Rue pointed to the University Transit Service’s collaboration with CTS on route maps and real-time messaging as examples of how closely the two systems do work.

Slutzky added that he was hopeful Monticello would also participate in the system as well.

Eastern Connector Update

During a conversation on the MPO’s Draft FY2009 work program, Supervisor Slutzky asked what the status of the Eastern Connector is, given that the City Council recently sent a letter to the consultant overseeing the alignment study location to say any route through the City is not acceptable.

Supervisor Dennis Rooker

Supervisor Dennis Rooker (Jack Jouett) said his concern with the study all along has been that any recommendation made by the study’s steering committee would not get built for lack of funding. “As we look at our dismal state of transportation funding, most of those recommendations would probably be a $75 million plus project,” Rooker said. The road would more than likely be a secondary road project, which would likely take decades to fully fund. He suggested the only way the Eastern Connector could be built is if it would qualify for federal or primary road funding from the state. Rooker urged the steering committee to take a look at funding as an additional criteria for the project.

Councilor Huja said a transit project might qualify, and Slutzky suggested a dedicated transit-only route could possibly qualify.

Rue said he thought the consultant introduced the concept of improving Route 250 in and around Free Bridge because of the primary funding, but he and Rooker both acknowledged the City’s concerns.

MPO Board votes to endorse VDOT’s streamlining process

VDOT's John Giometti holds up a copy of the MPO's project tracking matrix

In February, the MPO Policy Board expressed concern that a new agreement between the Federal Highway Administration and Virginia’s transportation agencies would limit its role in the approval process for roads. Under the proposed new rules, VDOT’s central office would group similar projects under one category. This would allow projects on the Statewide Year Transportation Improvement Program to be altered without an amendment by an MPO each time.

At the March meeting, Board members had several questions from Diane Mitchell, a representative from VDOT’s Central Office. After being told that VDOT would make a monthly report on what projects would be “grouped”, and being told that the MPO could request that particular projects not be grouped, the Policy Board voted to approve a resolution supporting the changes. The monthly report could possibly become part of the MPO’s project tracking matrix.

Other news:

• The MPO will use a web-based survey tool to help take public input in the plan to develop UNJAM 2035, the update for the MPO’s long-range transportation plan
• The MPO will hold a regional summit on May 10 at Monticello High School to open the UnJam 2035 process
• CTS Director Bill Watterson says the new Downtown Transit Center has been certified LEED Gold, one of the first public buildings in the region to attain that standard
• Bill Wuensch was appointed to serve on the CHART committee

Timeline for podcast:

• 00:45 – Chairman Slutzky convenes the meeting and offers introductions. Also calls for comments from the public (none accepted), review of previous month’s minutes
• 02:16 – CTS Director Bill Watterson makes announcements
• 04:00 – Ann Whitham outlines how the UNJAM 2035 process will begin unfolding in May, and describes how the MPO will use a web survey tool powered by a company called Neighborhood America to collect data from participants. Members discuss the survey and the kind of information it will gather.
• 22:16 – Brief discussion of the MPO’s project tracking matrix
• 22:52 – MPO Policy Board members break for closed session, and then reconvene with a 45-minute window for open discussion given that the public hearing was advertised for 5:00. The first topic covers the fate of the proposed Regional Transportation Authority
• 42:25 – Harrison Rue discusses how land-use/transportation planning decisions can assist in the quest to reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2050.  He also says that quest will be futile if more is not done to reduce vehice-miles-travelled (VMT)
• 45:56 – Slutzky says at least two of the presidential candidates still running are committed to meeting the above goal, and will financially support efforts to help local governments reduce emissions through land use and transportation initiatives
• 48:00 – Rooker describes how the 44 percent reduction in state funding for road construction will affect projects in the county, and VDOT’s Diane Mitchell responds
• 53:48 – Rue says he’s recently spoken with Congressman Earl Blumenauer, who is proposing a national infrastructure tax to help fund investment in public facilities including transportation.
• 55:37 – VDOT’s John Geometti announces that the FHWA has advised that the current long-range modeling forecast can go forward
• 56:33 – Councilor Huja asks about the proposed General Assembly special session on transportation. Rue says there is no firm commitment
• 57:46 – Rue, a member of Board of Directors of the National Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, says that group is proposing an energy independence fund to help reduce the county’s dependence on foreign oil
• 1:00:25 – Rooker says that Europe is fast gaining a competitive advantage over the US because of 200 mile an hour trains
• 1:01:09 – Slutzky opens up discussion on MPO’s proposed FY2009 Work Plan, but does not yet open up the public hearing, and Melissa Barlow discusses
• 1:05:22 – Rooker says he supports the Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation’s desire to paint bike lane markings a brighter color to help them stand out more, and asks if MPO is involved
• 1:06:50 – During the discussion of the work plan, the topic of the Eastern Connector came up
• 1:14:54 – Discussion of FY2009 Work Plan continues
• 1:16:00 – Public hearing on the Work Plan is opened, Peter Kleeman speaks, Rue responds
• 1:22:37 – Discussion on Public hearing item on VDOT’s Unified Systems Investment Process. Peter Kleeman spoke in favor, but CHART member Robert Burke said he tentatively supported the idea

CTS ridership up, MPO alarmed by VDOT project tracking changes

The MPO Policy Board held its monthly meeting on February 20, 2008. Highlights include an update on the Charlottesville Transit Service, a discussion of changes to the Virginia’s State Transportation Improvement Program, and the presentation of the TravelSmart concept of individualized marketing of transportation choices.

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CTS UPDATE

CTS Director Bill Watterson

“CTS is having a very good year for ridership,” said Bill Watterson, opening up his bi-monthly presentation to the MPO. “We’ve already surpassed a million riders for the year, the earliest we’ve ever done that.” In fact, Watterson says ridership is up 11.5% over the same period last year. He attributes this to the fare-free agreement between the University of Virginia and CTS, increased service on Route 5, and the addition of Sunday service.

The City will be saving money by replacing fewer buses this year, but is purchasing eight 35-foot buses, one 30-foot bus, and one mini-bus. Riders of the free service between downtown and UVa will also see a new low-floor trolley-style vehicle.   

“It will have the cosmetic appearance that is very similar to the trolleys that we currently run,” Watterson said.  The vehicle will not have stairwells, making it easier and quicker for passengers to board.

CTS is proposing several new routes in FY2009, including one between Barracks Road and Downtown via Preston Avenue, and service between Downtown and Charlottesville High School via Park Street. These will be paid for by an increase in funding from the City’s general fund.  Night service on Route 5 could go forward, but only if the County Board of Supervisors authorizes that expenditure. Night service between downtown and the UVa Medical Center will also be added. In next year’s budget, UVa will contribute $55,000 to support the trolley, and $130,000 to allow UVa students and employees to ride CTS buses fare-free.

Supervisor David Slutzky (Rio) wanted to know how the new service to the County Office Building along Route 2B on Fifth Street was doing. Watterson said “it is doing quite fine” and its ridership compares to similar routes with similar service. According to data from CTS, Route 2B has had over 10,000 passengers from July 1, 2007 to the end of January.

Other CTS highlights:

• The County Architectural Review Board has approved the design of a new CTS facility on Avon Street, with construction to begin in the summer
• Real-time passenger information system will go live on March 24, with interactive “bus-finder” kiosks at 25 stops
• CTS is simplifying its transfer process by using a “universal transfer ticket”

MPO discusses changes to State Transportation Improvement Program

The MPO expressed concern over changes to the way in which federal and state transportation agencies track and authorize federal funding of projects.

The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is a list administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation that shows all of transportation-related projects that will receive federal funding in the next four years. Currently, the MPO amends its Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) every time federal money is specifically allocated to one of the projects. This check-off also requires a public hearing to be held each time, giving the public the opportunity to weigh in.

VDOT's Quintin Elliot (right) explains the policy while City Councilor Satyendra Huja (left) and VDOT's John Giometti (center) listen

VDOT has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to allow for the grouping of projects of a similar type in such a way that money could be transferred between these projects without formal approval from the MPO.  For instance, all bridge improvement projects could be listed under one category.

In his report to the Policy Board, Harrison Rue said MPO staff were not able to endorse the policy change out of a concern that the public participation process would be performed in reverse order.

“VDOT intends to conduct the state hearings for SYIP/STIP first, and then give a project list to the MPO for our regional hearings, which appears to be backwards from the current approach,” he wrote. 

“The MPO would be giving up its only federally legislated, mandated power, which is to control whether a project moves forward or not based on its federal funding,” Rue said during the meeting.

Transportation activist Peter Kleeman said he was disconcerted about the forthcoming changes. He said the trend in transportation planning since the early 1990’s has been to let regions decide and implement their own transportation priorities. “It just seems that the proposal is to take this and refocus is top-down with the state doing most of the decision-making for the local region,” Kleeman said.

But VDOT’s John Giometti said the change was intended to streamline the process under which repairs and maintenance projects paid for with federal dollars go forward. By grouping these maintenance projects under one line item, the MPO would not need to be consulted when federal funding is shifted from one project to another. Giometti said this can bog down projects in larger urban areas.

But Rue said that under that scenario, money could conceivably be moved between two competing bridge projects without any local public input. Giometti said that the localities would be contacted in such a situation, and not the MPO. But that the MPO would continue to have a regional influence by creating and maintaining a regional long range plan. Supervisor Slutzky asked if adjoining local jurisdictions could at least receive notification when money is transferred in between projects. Acting Culpeper District Administrator Quintin Elliot said he would pass that comment on.

Regional Transit Authority update

MPO members reviewed the February 11 joint City Council – Board of Supervisors meeting on the Regional Transit Authority.  Supervisor David Slutzky said he thought it was a productive session, though he was concerned media coverage took home the wrong points and focused on the high-end cost of the Bus Rapid Transit system.

Rue pointed out that no formal votes had been taken at the February 11 meeting, and that the main point of the meeting was to discuss the governance structure and what new revenues might be created by the authority.

Supervisor Dennis Rooker said the next step would be for a member of City Council and a member of the Board of Supervisors to meet with the City and County attorneys and legislators to craft the enabling legislation for next year’s General Assembly session. Rue said the earliest that meeting could happen would be late April or early May.

TravelSmart proponents make case for individualized transportation marketing

Randy Salzman

Charlottesville resident and freelance writer Randy Salzman says he has a radical way to increase the amount of people who choose to take public transit: Engage individual households in conversations about their own personal transportation choices.

That’s the basic concept of a program called TravelSmart, a transportation demand management program pioneered by German sociologist Werner Brog. Brog hires people to phone up households to ask if they’ve ever considered taking public transportation. If the person who picks up the phone says no, the conversation ends. But, if the person expresses even lukewarm interest, the TravelSmart worker continues to work with the household to reduce the use of their car by directing them to bus maps, bike trails, and other transportation choices.

Salzman says the approach works, and has already proven to be successful in the four U.S. cities that are piloting the project. For example he says, Bellingham, Washington has seen a 22% increase in transit use, and Sacramento has seen a 42% increase.

Peter Newman, a Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University, says the TravelSmart program has reduced “vehice miles travelled” in the western Australian city of Perth by 14 percent. The Perth region has also recently built a commuter rail line that has a 90 percent approval rating among area residents.

Newman said the region now spends more money on transit than roads, a public policy choice supported in part because of the TravelSmart program’s influence on individual choices.

Salzman said the County and City should employ this strategy in order to promote transit, especially with Martha Jefferson Hospital moving to Pantops from Downtown. He said the resulting extra traffic on Free Bridge would create political pressure to build a second bridge. Salzman suggested a targeted

TravelSmart-like campaign might convince enough people to use transit to avoid that need.  Dennis Rooker pointed out that the hospital has already proffered money to pay for more capacity on the bus  route to the hospital.

Timeline for podcast:

• 1:00 – Matters from the Public – Peter Kleeman comments on the STIP/TIP/SYP changes
• 3:12 – Adoption of minutes from previous meeting. Dennis Rooker requests one amendment
• 5:30 – Transit update from Bill Watterson of Charlottesville Transit service
• 15:17 – Update from JAUNT Director Donna O’Shaugnessy
• 20:43 – STIP/TIP/SYP Change Update discussion
• 52:00 – Recap of RTA discussion
• 1:00:00 – Presentation of “TravelSmart” and Travel Demand Management

Note: Charlottesville Tomorrow did not record the scheduled public hearing on UnJAM 2025.

Sean Tubbs

Data said to support Pen Park alignment for Eastern Connector

Last month, the Eastern Connector Steering Committee asked for more justification for the road project that is proposed to connect Route 29 N to the Pantops area.  At their monthly meeting on January 23, 2008, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) got their first look at two of the answers--Our traffic problems have local origins and one specific Eastern Connector proposal is projected to significantly outperform all the others.  Consultant Lewis Grimm made his case to the MPO that the data shows an alignment of the Eastern Connector in the Pen Park area would have the greatest impact on reducing peak hour traffic volumes on Route 250 at Free Bridge.

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The City and County are jointly funding an alignment study to determine the Eastern Connector’s preferred location.  From more than a dozen alignment options, the Steering Committee has whittled it down to three different two-lane alternatives.  In late 2007, the public and policymakers expressed skepticism about the benefits any of the alternatives would provide to travel time.  The average improvement was projected to be from 24 seconds to two minutes for a car traveling from Hollymead to Pantops on the Eastern Connector. 

First, Grimm’s firm decided to revisit data collected in 1999 when VDOT conducted an in-depth license plate survey that examined the origin and destination of vehicles at 26 different survey locations in and around Charlottesville.

Grimm reported that the 1999 study showed that traffic was very dispersed in the area.  This runs counter, he said, to the public perception that lots of traffic is trying to get from Route 29 N to I-64 East towards Richmond.  “That’s one of the key findings…other than a few locations it is a fairly dispersed pattern,” said Grimm.  The license plate survey shows that 5% of all vehicle trips are really though trips, those vehicles starting outside the area and finishing outside the area.  Grimm told Charlottesville Tomorrow that this data was reviewed to address the public perception that it was an Eastern Bypass that was needed, and not a new local connector road.

Reflecting on the license plate survey, Supervisor Dennis Rooker (Jack Jouett) described the traffic congestion as a local problem, “Look around the room, the problem is us. It’s not them.  It’s not someone from Greene County.”  Grimm emphasized that the Eastern Connector is a road intended to solve a local problem and not regional traffic flows.

The second major piece of feedback from the public was concern that the data did not show what would happen to traffic congestion during rush hour periods.  So a team of transportation engineers in PBS&J’s Atlanta office was called upon to examine the local traffic model and calculate what impact each Eastern Connector alignment would have during peak traffic volumes.  Grimm said he wanted to put his firm’s experience in other urban areas to use on the Charlottesville data.  “We decided to look through our library and find adjustment factors that would give us a reasonable estimate of the peak hour movements.”

Based upon this work, Grimm reported to the MPO that, of the three alignment alternatives, the Pen Park option would remove the most traffic, 13.6% of the volume projected to be at Free Bridge on Route 250 in the year 2025.  Travel time savings during rush hour have not yet been calculated.  Without the new road, traffic volumes there are projected to grow from 48,210 vehicles per day in the year 2005 to 68,340 vehicles per day in the year 2025, or a 41.8% increase.

The next public meeting of the Eastern Connector Steering Committee is scheduled for February 8, 2008 where they are expected to receive a similar presentation.

Brian Wheeler

MPO Policy Board, December 19, 2007

On December 19, 2007, the MPO Policy Board held its final meeting of the year, with discussions on the Eastern Connector, three amendments to the Transportation Improvement Program, and a farewell to City Councilor Kevin Lynch, who is leaving office. The MPO Policy Board is chaired by Albemarle County Supervisor David Slutzky (Rio).

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WIDENING PROJECT ON US 29 APPROVED

The MPO approved an amendment to the Transportation Improvement Program to begin the process of widening U.S. 29 between Polo Grounds Road and Airport Road. The MPO voted to approve the use of over $2 million in federal funds to begin preliminary engineering on the project.

During the public comment period, CHART member and City transportation activist John Pfaltz said he would rather see the money go towards the creation of a parallel road network. MPO members pointed out that would not be permitted because the federal funds are for primary roads, and any new roads such as Berkmar Drive Extended would be considered secondary funds. Pfaltz said he knew that, but thought the MPO should send a message to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

Slutzky said he was confident Berkmar could be paid for in part by developer proffers, so he saw no need to deny the widening of US 29. Supervisor Dennis Rooker (Jack Jouett) said the narrowing of 29 north of Polo Grounds Road created a safety hazard, and that completing the widening of 29 to Airport Road was one of the County’s priorities for primary road funding.

JAUNT OFFICIAL CONCERNED ABOUT FINANCIAL IMPACT OF FARE-FREE

Donna Shaunesey of JAUNT presented an update on the para-transit service, which provides ride services for human service agencies and the general public in the five counties around Charlottesville. Shaunesey passed out a hand-out which showed how much revenue would have to be made up if the Charlottesville Transit Service goes fare-free.

“By law, if CTS is fare-free, our services in the urban area also have to be fare-free,” Shaunesey said. That would likely mean more riders, and she estimated a $314,420 increase in local funding to make up the difference.  Shaunesey says when the transit system in Chapel Hill, North Carolina did away with fares, the para-transit service saw ridership shoot up 21 percent the next year.

However, JAUNT would continue to be able to charge riders for services who do not live in jurisdictions where there is free transit service available. JAUNT is not currently a party to the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) under development by Charlottesville and Albemarle.  However, the RTA approach endorsed by the MPO at their November meeting ensures the door is open to the agency being invited to join in the future.

UVA UPDATE

UVa Land Use Architect Julia Monteith said a system that will allow passengers of the University Transit System to track buses via GPS will go online in January. The system is being put into place by the New Zealand company Connectionz, which earlier this month reported a financial loss due to delays in implementing a similar system in Charlottesville.

Monteith also reported that two new UVa parking garages will open in late winter. The “Arts Grounds garage” next to the School of Architecture and the new North Garage on West Main Street are both under construction with an estimated completion date of late February or early March 2008. That will mean a new traffic signal at Crispell Avenue and the 9th-10th Connector (aka Roosevelt Brown Connector). Monteith said the grade of the area prevented the construction of a roundabout at that intersection. A complex intersection of 11th Street, Lee Street and Crispell behind the Medical Center is also being studied for improvements, but there is no final plan.

EASTERN CONNECTOR

During a discussion of the MPO’s FY 2008 work program, several members sought more information on the Eastern Connector, and requested a formal briefing from the County staff members who are overseeing the corridor location study. Members of the public who attended a pair of recent information sessions on the proposed road overwhelmingly questioned the need for the road. That prompted MPO members to talk about the current state of the area’s transportation models. Supervisor Dennis Rooker attended the second meeting on November 29, and suggested that the consultant did not correct misconceptions that were being claimed by some attendees. The MPO is responsible for the area’s official transportation forecast, upon which the consultants’ numbers were based.

TIP AMENDMENTS

In addition to the widening of US 29, the MPO adopted two other amendments to the TIP. Albemarle County is now eligible for Highway Safety Improvement Project funding from the Federal Highway Safety Administration. With the TIP amendment, those funds can now be used for safety projects on rural roads.

The other amendment will allow the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center being constructed in Darden Towe Park to receive federal funding for the project, which includes interpretative trails, a ferry service and new parking.

VDOT’s John Giometti reported that the current Commissioner of VDOT is interested in streamlining the TIP process. More information will be made available at a future MPO meeting.

PRAISE FOR KEVIN LYNCH

Supervisor Dennis Rooker made a motion to pass a resolution thanking City Councilor Kevin Lynch for his service on the Council and the MPO board.  Other members asked Lynch if he would consider joining the CHART committee. He said he would keep it in mind, but wants to take a couple of months off.

TIMELINE FOR PODCAST

• 0:47 Meeting called to order
• 1:09 Matters from the public
  
• 1:12 John Pfaltz speaks out against spending money on widening US 29, MPO discussion
• 6:47 – Adoption of previous meetings’ minutes
• 8:09 – Transit Update  - JAUNT and UTS
• 8:08 – Donna Shaunesey of JAUNT
• 16:09 – Julia Monteith of the University gives UTS update
• 23:07 – Discussion of potential pedestrian bridges over railroad tracks by the Corner
• 28:22 – Councilor Lynch asks if future UVa and City parking garages should provide for electric vehicles
• 29:42 – Discussion of MPO’s Draft FY 2008 Work Program Status
• 31:21 – Discussion of Eastern Connector study
• 51:32 – Update from VDOT’s John Giometti on the UnJAM 2025 Year of Expenditure Dollars
• 1:13:09 – Public hearing on TIP amendments
• 1:16:15 – Public comment from Peter Kleeman
• 1:18:54 – Public comment from Paul Grady
• 1:30:33 – Discussion of Regional Transportation Authority changes
• 1:56:47 – Other business – discussion of a new CHART appointee
• 1:59:51 – Other matters from the public

Sean Tubbs

MPO decides on structure for regional transit

On November 21, 2007, the policy board of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) held their monthly meeting and decided on the organizational structure for the new Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Transit Authority.  Public transit in the area is currently provided primarily by the University of Virginia and the City of Charlottesville.  The MPO decided in July 2006 to explore the feasibility of creating a new transit entity which could expand operations into an urbanizing Albemarle County. Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) began work as the lead consultant for the project in May 2007.

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At this month’s meeting, the day before the Thanksgiving holiday, the MPO received three technical reports prepared by VHB’s Frank Spielberg.  The reports covered the topics of management and governance, transit supportive corridors, and transit service strategies.  Most of the MPO’s discussion focused on the recommendations for six possible organizational structures for increased cooperation on transit.  The options presented were as follows: 

1. Legislatively-Enabled Regional Transit Authority
2. Continued Charlottesville Transit Service Operation with a Regional Transit Coordinating Council
3. Joint Powers Agency
4. Joint Powers Board
5. Transportation District
6. Service District

City Councilor Dave Norris reflected the consensus of the decision makers when he zeroed in on his preference for how to structure the new organization.

“Any of [the] options that does not provide for the possibility of UVA to be a full and equal partner is off the table from my perspective.  My continuing hope is that at some point UVA will be a full and equal partner,” said Norris.

Two of the six organizational structures (#1 or #4 above) would allow for UVA to be a full participant, however only one of those, a legislatively-enabled regional transit authority, allows for the transit entity to raise new funds [click to view PDF of chart of options at right].  Norris said keeping the door open for UVA and the ability to raise tax revenues were his deciding factors.  “[T]he potential for new funding is also an essential piece of this puzzle,” said Norris.  While it has representation on the MPO, the University of Virginia has opted to not participate in the regional transit initiative at this time.

Having reached consensus on how to structure the organization, Albemarle County Supervisor, and MPO Chairman, David Slutzky (Rio) pushed for getting legislative authority in the upcoming 2008 General Assembly session.  He asked the Board to consider getting resolutions approved by City Council and the Board of Supervisors such that the area’s local delegation could submit appropriate bills in Richmond next month.  Harrison Rue, Executive Director of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission and staff to the MPO, outlined some of the challenges of getting legislation passed.  He described the expectations legislators would have with respect to the City and County first finalizing the many management and governance issues before any legislation would be likely to get approved.

Spielberg described the challenges before the MPO.  “[T]here are a number of other issues that were raised in our discussions…. What is the composition of the [RTA’s] board?  What are the bylaws?...How are decisions made?  Is there equal representation by each jurisdiction?...How are the costs allocated?  Bylaws…will take some negotiation between the City and the County….The legislature tends to prefers to put a fair amount of detail into this when they set up an authority.”

The MPO reached consensus to wait and seek legislative authority in 2009 while looking for any opportunities to get this issue in front of the General Assembly in 2008.

Wrapping up their discussion on management and governance issues, the MPO agreed to the following additional goals:

1. The Regional Transit Authority will focus initially on transit as opposed to raising funds for road projects.  The opportunity to raise revenues for roads will still be explored.
2. The goal of the RTA’s efforts will be to “vastly expand” public transit as opposed to taking an incremental approach.
3. The RTA will start with the City/County but allow for possibility to add other contiguous jurisdictions or entities like neighboring counties, the University of Virginia, and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello).

In another technical report, VHB presented four options for transit service strategies.

• Option 1 . New local service in Albemarle County
• Option 2 . New local service plus creation of a transit center at Barracks Road Shopping Center and a new Crosstown route
• Option 3 . New local service, Barracks Road Transit Center, High Frequency Route 29 Trunk route, and local circulators
• Option 4 . New local service, Barracks Road Transit Center, Bus Rapid Transit and local circulators

Capital cost estimates for three options range from a low of $4.6 million for simply expanding existing bus service to a high of $31.8-$123 million for a bus rapid transit system.  Not all Board members were satisfied with the four options presented and Supervisor David Slutzky said he would be reluctant to share them with his Board without some modifications.  Rue responded that the consultant’s report would stand as a starting point for their work and that the service options would be refined by the MPO and staff at future meetings.

Next, the MPO will share their governance recommendations on the regional transit plan with City Council and the Board of Supervisors gathering feedback for review at the MPO’s January 2008 meeting.  Early in 2008, the MPO expects to hold a second joint work session for local officials and to utilize a Federal Transit Administration grant to facilitate a broader public involvement process.

Brian Wheeler

October 2007 MPO Policy Board Meeting

UVA's Julia Monteith & Rebecca White

On October 17, 2007, the Policy Board of the Metropolitan Planning Organization held their monthly meeting [agenda]. The main item of business was a report on the new University of Virginia Transportation Demand Management Plan.  Julia Monteith of the University Architect's Office and Rebecca White, Director of Parking and Transportation delivered the presentation for UVA. 

In other business, the MPO endorsed a grant application related to the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center who is seeking state funding for a trail and ferry system along the Rivanna River.  The MPO also finalized the language for their annual priority statement to be delivered to the Commonwealth Transportation Board on November 1st.

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View UVA TDM slideshow with audio

TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT (TDM)

Monteith and White reported on the completion of the first of what will be two phases of the UVA TDM Plan. According to Monteith, TDM is "the art of influencing travel behavior for the purpose of reducing the demand for single occupant vehicle use."  Phase I is the conceptual plan of possible strategies that is intended to inform UVA's master plan.  The future Phase II will be a model for implementation.

Charlottesville Tomorrow has produced a 50 minute slide show of the TDM presentation.

Brian Wheeler

MPO discusses ways to improve pedestrian safety on US-29

Harrison Rue (right) briefs the MPO Policy Board on potential pedestrian improvements

Over the past several years, many studies about pedestrian activity on US 29 have been conducted. Harrison Rue took an hour at the September 2007 meeting of the MPO Policy Board to review some of these projects, and to suggest what steps can be taken, in the short-term and long-term, to improve safety on what many have called Albemarle County’s Main Street.

The topic was suggested after a class at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture worked with the North Charlottesville Business Council to develop low-cost enhancements for pedestrians. Rue said pedestrian activity was a major component of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission’s Eastern Planning Initiative which began in 2000, as well as VDOT’s 1998 Pedestrian Study, the Hillsdale Drive Safety Study.

“Our regional long-range plan for the MPO really has a lot of focus on pedestrian, bike and transit,” he said, adding that planning for the Regional Transportation Authority would specify projects that would enhance sidewalks and street crossings in order to make it easier for people to use the bus system. “The bottom line is you can’t take the bus if you can’t cross the street to get the bus home.”

Rue’s slideshow presentation showed examples of poor sidewalks at locations across the country, and also offered up potential solutions. He said many people avoid crosswalks at traffic intersections on major highways like US 29, electing instead to cross at mid-block. “It’s easier, quicker and safer if you’re not in the middle of turning traffic.”

Rue suggested using narrow medians to divide traffic in order to provide a refuge for pedestrians crossing the road. This in turn would mean slightly narrower road lanes. He also displayed before and after pictures of a road in University Place, Washington that was redesigned by walkability expert Dan Burden. The center turn lane was removed in favor of a median, and sidewalks and bike lanes were added because utility poles were relocated underground.

This street in University Place, Washington, was redesigned to make it easier for pedestrians to cross

“It’s really integrated with transit, you’ve got mid-block crosswalks and the transit right after, so it’s a good design for people crossing the street,” he said. He suggested this kind of work could work on Rio Road near “Gasoline Alley” and added that Juandiego Wade has included these elements in the Hillsdale Drive redesign slated for construction to begin next year. That redesign will include five pedestrian crossings for Hillsdale Drive, which is home to many senior citizens.

Rue said the US 29 US Pedestrian Study conducted by VDOT in 1998 recommended a lot of ideas that are now being considered as part of other studies, but that most of the major improvements would be implemented as part of the parallel road network to create a series of pedestrian paths, some of which could be built through existing shopping centers. Rue said MPO staff will soon be meeting with the new owners of the Shopper’s World Plaza to discuss how that area could be made more “walkable.”

Any pedestrian improvements made would also be performed to help connect people to transit, especially as transit service is increased in Albemarle County. “It makes no sense to invest in really
cool vehicles if we’re not going to actually get to the bus and cross,” Rue said.

Dennis Rooker pointed out that many of the recommendations made in the US 29 Pedestrian Study were not that expensive, adding that overpasses for pedestrians are likely not cost-effective.

“Obviously what we’re doing now with Places29 is taking this to a different level and tying in the pedestrian study with land use and transportation elements,” he said, adding that if Places29 is adopted, it will need to list specific priority projects. “It may be that we can say the County should allocate half a million a year to implementing some of these pedestrian improvements.”

Rue said the process can take a long time because of all the bureaucratic steps necessary when federal funds are involved. He suggested the process might be sped up if the County applied for VDOT revenue sharing money, and administered certain projects themselves. The City of Charlottesville, for instance, is taking this approach with the Hillsdale Drive safety improvements. “We would still have to follow all the right design guidelines, it’s a federal facility, but we may have more flexibility and an ability to move construction.”

Dennis Rooker said that the County has maximized its revenue sharing, but that VDOT doesn’t match the full amount because there’s not enough money. “For the next seven years, we have projects committed.” 

Rue then suggested that there may be new dollars out there, perhaps as part of a new program. “I can’t tell you how many meetings I’ve been in with Federal Highways and VDOT where everyone says safety is our top priority, but we don’t actually match that with the dollars.”

Councilor Kevin Lynch said many of the projects the City has initiated with VDOT revenue sharing have not been pedestrian friendly.  He expressed the concern that pedestrian improvements on US 29 might crowd out funding for projects in other areas, such as Hillsdale Drive.

“It’s the 29 crossings that are the big expenses, and I wonder if, and it’s painful to say this, but  maybe there’s not a lot of bang for the buck there, and that pedestrians would be better off thinking of 29 similar to the way they think of the Rivanna River,” Lynch said.

Supervisor David Slutzky said there was no way that 29 would become a dividing line. “We’ve got a vision through Places29 for making that corridor more of a cohesive, instead of a divided universe… You can’t just ignore the idea that people have to be able to get across 29, so if it’s an expensive proposition because it is such an important corridor, then it’s an expensive proposition.”

Harrison Rue said some cost estimates would be part of the implementation chapter of the Places29 Master Plan, which will be discussed by the Albemarle County Planning Commission later this fall.

Dennis Rooker suggested some funds may be available if new bodies are created. “When we approved Albemarle Place and Hollymead Town Center was improved, we included language in there, proffers that required them to join Community Development Authority, if one were created… One way of trying to implement these things would be to create a transportation district.”

Sean Tubbs

September 2007 MPO Policy Board Meeting

On September 19, 2007, the Policy Board of the Metropolitan Planning Organization held their monthly meeting.  Topics include a review of potential Pedestrian Safety projects on Route 29, a discussion of a new multimodal trail along Emmett Street in Charlottesville, and an update on the MPO’s long range plan. The MPO Policy Board is chaired by Albemarle County Supervisor David Slutzky.

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CHARLOTTESVILLE TRANSIT UPDATE

The MPO received a transit update at the meeting.  CTS director Bill Watterson reported that CTS’ rider’s guide – with both CTS and UTS logos clearly visible from the front of the brochure – was released at the end of August.  Route 7 began a Sunday trolley service (7:45am – 5:45pm) at that time, and will likely see increased ridership.  There has been an increased bus frequency on Route 5, which travels west of 29 North in between Barracks Shopping Center and Walmart.

Overall bus ridership is continuing to increase.  There was a 4% increase last year, reaching 1.5 million riders for the first time, and even an additional 2% increase this summer, which, in a college town that loses much of its population between May and August, is a significant success.  Since Route 7 runs through Grounds and caters to the University population, Watterson suspects that “Route 7 is really leading the charge there.”  Not only is that particular route accessible to a portion of the area’s citizens that already heavily use public transportation, but CTS is still offering fare-free service to those with valid University IDs.  This will continue through the academic year and further conversation is expected to take place.

In light of the free fare’s success amongst members of the University community, CTS has announced October as an upcoming fare-free month to the general public.  Watterson explained that they are “trying to get a better handle on what the potential impacts on ridership might be if we were to eliminate fares sometime in the future.”  In conjunction with its fare-free month, CTS will be celebrating the grand opening of the downtown transit station (adjacent to the Charlottesville Pavilion) on October 4th at noon.

Watterson also shared a bit more information about the forthcoming tracking devices to be used by both CTS and UTS.  Their goal is to have this real-time travel information in place by the beginning of 2008.
Approximately two dozen bus stops will have bus-finding devices: at the touch of a button, such a device will “indicate the number of minutes until the next scheduled arrival.”  The main transit station will also host several view screens with real-time bus tracking.  That same information will be available online.

City Councilor Kevin Lynch expressed curiosity about CTS’ ability to extend service into both Sundays and holidays.  Watterson explained that in fact CTS already has a higher frequency of service than is obligated.  Service is offered without overtime pay on 49 out of the 52 Sundays in any given year – excluding Memorial Day Weekend, Labor Day Weekend, and Easter Sunday – and CTS operates with approximately half as many holidays as are recognized by the City.  MPO recognized that although service may be beneficial on those days that CTS currently does not run, a limited service would probably suffice to provide transportation for the lower number of riders. 

According to Watterson, most city bus systems define a “Sunday level of service” and then use that measurement to provide the same level of service on remaining holidays.  This ensures that transportation is available without coming at a significantly increased cost to the bus system itself.

TRANSPORTATION PRIORITIES

At the meeting, the MPO Policy Board considered what priorities to bring to the attention of the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB). The annual request lists the MPO’s major projects, and identifies which ones may need increased funding, or additional dollars for implementation. The CTB’s public hearing  will be held on November 1st in Culpeper. The MPO will finalize their priorities at its next meeting in October. The discussion began by a quick review of last year's list.

Albemarle County Supervisor Dennis Rooker (Jack Jouett) pointed out that the status of the Meadowcreek Parkway Interchange had not been updated. Charlottesville City Councilor Kevin Lynch said funding for the interchange could be an issue, with estimates for the 250 Bypass bridge pushing the project over the $32 million that has been set aside for the project in the Six Year Transportation Improvement Plan. Harrison Rue said federal obligations are being reduced because of the ongoing war in Iraq.

Dennis Rooker asked for some language to be added about funding for bridge improvements. “We’ve got three or four bridges that are substandard that very much need upgrading,” he said.

Supervisor David Slutzky (Rio) asked if the Berkmar Extended bridge, a proposed parallel road which would cross the South Fork Rivanna River just north of the Sheraton Hotel, could be added to the list. Harrison Rue said Congress is considering allocating a hundred million dollars for bridge maintenance, but not for new construction.

Rooker asked if the parallel roads proposed as part of the Places29 Master Plan could quality for primary road funding, because they would assist with traffic management on Route 29, which is classified as a primary road. Rue said an argument could possibly be made to justify such funding, but that the County will have to adopt the plan first. VDOT Culpeper District Administrator Quentin Elliot said state law has been recently changed to allow such flexibility, but he’s not aware of an example close to what Rooker suggested. 

City Councilor Dave Norris suggested adding language to say that the City and County are looking for additional park and ride lots around the area. He also asked if something should be written about the MPO’s efforts to create a regional transportation authority. That was the number one priority in last year’s transit priorities. David Slutzky said it should be changed to ask state officials to form a transportation district, which would have the ability to raise taxes to fund transportation improvements.

Dennis Rooker suggested including Charlottesville Tomorrow’s recent survey results, which indicated 55 percent of Albemarle County residents would be willing to pay higher gas taxes in exchange for more transportation funding.

MONEY SOUGHT FOR NEW BIKE TRAIL NEAR UNIVERSITY

The location for the proposed multimodal trail

On behalf of both the City and the University, Charlottesville Parks and Trails Planner Chris Gensic presented the MPO with information regarding a proposal the two bodies have co-written to seek $200,000 in funding for a sidewalk widening project on the western side of Emmet Street, in between Groundswalk – a pedestrian bridge – and Arlington Boulevard.  Potential grant money from VDOT’s new Highway Safety Improvement Program would be used to widen the sidewalk for increased cycling and pedestrian purposes. 
Historically this proposed site performed more as a thoroughfare between two zones – the City and the University – than much else, but last year’s completion of the John Paul Jones Arena has seen an increase in bike and pedestrian traffic.  The upgraded sidewalk could serve as a better connector to the University and 29 North for the rising foot and bike population sector.  Gensic reported that the City is prohibited from widening the roads to increase the curbside for bike lanes, so instead they plan to nearly double the sidewalk width in order to create a 10- or 12-foot promenade-like path.  This will allow for enough space for two additional lanes of cyclists to share the sidewalk with pedestrians.

"This area, just from observation, is probably as heavily a trafficked bicycle area as there is in our community," said Supervisor Dennis Rooker. The MPO approved a resolution to approve the grant application.

How far the $200,000 could be stretched will depend on the necessary amount of cut and fill involved in construction.  UVa has also stressed appearance, stating a desire for an aesthetically pleasing – and probably costly – stone wall along the stretch of sidewalk that runs past the Arena. 

---

Timeline of Meeting:

• 1:00 - Matters from the Public
• 3:00 - Responses to Matters from the Public
• 3:35 - Approval of August 15, 2007 minutes
• 5:00 - Area Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant Application
• 13:00 - Transit Update from CTS and JAUNT
• 30:35 - Discuss the Draft Priority Statement for the October Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) FY2009 Six Year Improvement Program (SYIP)
• 51:00 - Review Rt. 29 Pedestrian Study and Potential Pedestrian Projects along US 29N -
• 1:50:00 - Long Range Plan Update:
• 2:02:46 - Other Business

Kendall Singleton & Sean Tubbs

August 2007 MPO Policy Board Meeting

The MPO Policy Board held its monthly meeting on August 15, 2007.  [Click for meeting agenda.]  One of the agenda items concerned the proposed Regional Transit Authority. Members heard from Frank Spielberg, the consultant exploring potential options for how such an authority would be organized.

 

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REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY UPDATE

Frank Spielberg of VHB (left) briefs MPO Policy Board members on the proposed Regional Transit Authority

Frank Spielberg of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin presented an update on the Regional Transit Authority Plan. VHB was hired by the MPO to study the possibility, but Spielberg had few details to share in this briefing.

"We are exploring many different options, and some of them can more easily be expanded than others," he said. There are many different questions that need to be asked, ranging from what level of powers the new body should have, to how it would be funded. To inform its study, the consultant needs to identify service problems with the existing service. To better organize the RTA, Spielberg said they are looking at the legal structures of authorities in communities similar to Charlottesville.

"It's not just physical equipment, there are also issues such as what the pension benefits would be for existing workers," he said. "One of the key issues as we get down to it would be finding a system how we would pay for it? What's an appropriate way for the county and the city split the funding?"

Councilor Dave Norris asked Spielberg if his team has considered integrating the proposed streetcar. Spielberg responded they had not, because the work scope did not specifically include the issue. He did say that his staff was aware that bus trunk routes his might compete for space with the streetcar. There's been no further action on the streetcar initiative because of a vacancy by City staff supporting the Streetcar Task Force.

David Slutzky urged VHB to factor in the relationship between the availability of parking and ridership. He said more people would consider taking transit if there were fewer spaces.
Dennis Rooker said artificially taking out parking spaces for the sake of boosting ridership would be an immense project that would negatively affe