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Charlottesville seeks relief from traffic woes to attract residents

(This is the third in a three-part series about Charlottesville's efforts to attract middle-income residents.)

Charlottesville is no stranger to parking and transportation woes, and city officials are worried that these problems are hurting city residents' quality of life.

The city aims to improve public transportation and create a more pedestrian-friendly environment to attract middle-income residents. Plans include expanded bus service, more sidewalks and possibly the addition of a light rail system.

City Councilman Blake Caravati said several programs are being undertaken with the common goal of improving the quality of life in Charlottesville.

"The city's got to be a nice place to live" in order to attract and retain residents, Caravati said.

Improving transportation is only one facet of the city's overall goal to attract and retain residents. City officials also are putting resources into diversifying the housing market and preventing family homes from being converted into rental units.

As part of its transportation improvement effort, the city already has begun a large bus expansion project for the Charlottesville Transit Service.

CTS added evening service to many of its routes, going as late as midnight, said CTS Director Helen Poore. Before the hours were extended last month, buses ran until 7 p.m., she said.

CTS estimates that 350 people ride during the additional hours.

The evening service is "proving to be very popular," Poore said.

Charlottesville Mayor Virginia Daugherty said the buses now go to Piedmont Community College on Saturdays instead of just on weekdays.

The city also teamed up with Albemarle County to add a bus route to Pantops, east of the city, said Charlottesville's Director of Communication Maurice Jones.

The Pantops expansion cost the county $54,000, Jones said. The evening service cost $208,000. A federal grant covered $150,000 and the city paid the rest.

City officials also want to help those who prefer to avoid vehicles altogether by creating pedestrian-friendly environments.

The city has started a campaign to improve pedestrian traffic at various intersections throughout the city.

The city installed three $675 timers on the Walk/Don't Walk signs at the intersection of University Avenue and 14th Street, Jones said.

The city spent over $300,000 for sidewalk construction last year, Daugherty said.

But Caravati said the city could use even more funding for sidewalks.

"We clearly don't build enough," he said.

City officials also are meeting with neighborhood groups to discuss other actions to take, Daugherty said. The city cannot merely add traffic lights and stop signs and expect good results, she said.

"It has to be done very carefully," she added.

City officials decided these issues were important enough to merit a full-time position, hiring Dan Painter as the new traffic engineer just this month, Daugherty said.

Looking toward the future, Charlottesville is considering adding light rail transportation to the city.

Charlottesville Vice-Mayor Meredith Richards took a trip to Seattle, Wa., and Portland, Ore., to study public transportation in those cities.

She said Portland integrated light rail lines into their city and it has become a popular mode of transportation.

But Caravati said he has reservations about implementing a costly light rail system in Charlottesville.

He said the city and county do not have the population density to justify a light rail, and an estimate of $55 million per mile is too expensive.

In contrast, road construction costs about $1 million per mile, he added.

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