Charlottesville City Council took an official position on the University's North Grounds Connector project at its meeting last Monday, supporting the plan under the condition that the University address Council's traffic concerns.
The North Grounds Connector will link the 250 bypass with Massie Road, which runs past University Hall and continues to the Law and Darden Schools.
At the Nov. 4 meeting, Council approved a list of transportation projects around Charlottesville that it wanted to see completed in order of priority, placing the North Grounds Project fourth on the list.
Council gave the list to the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization, who will use it in deciding how to organize and fund projects.
The MPO coordinates local projects with state and federal officials by providing them with an official list called the Transportation Improvement Program, MPO Executive Director Harrison Rue said.
Council endorsed the North Grounds Connector under the condition that the University builds an overpass where the road intersected with the Route 250 bypass.
"Support for the North Grounds Connector is contingent on the interchange being built," Council member Kevin Lynch said.
Lynch added he was concerned that the University had a different idea for the project.
"In this case, we're starting to hear that they want to do an ad-grade intersection," he said.
Rue said an ad-grade intersection would interrupt the flow of traffic by putting a stoplight on the bypass.
"As you can guess that would not be a great way to run into U.Va," Rue said.
Lynch said Council wanted to be more involved in University projects following disagreements over the location of the Ivy Road parking garage currently under construction.
By identifying projects in order of their importance, Council hoped "really to make the process more transparent," Lynch said.
Lynch and Vice Mayor Meredith Richards represent the city on the MPO, which also includes members of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and Virginia Department of Transportation.
"Historically the city has let it be known which road projects it wants to see happen but we've never had any mechanism for prioritizing them," Lynch said.
University Architect Samuel A. "Pete" Anderson said the University already has planned the North Grounds Connector, which will be built as part of the larger arena project.
"It's being paid for entirely by the University," Anderson said.
Though he sits on the MPO, Anderson said his role as University representative was not an active one.
"They mainly ask questions of me," he said. "If something comes up like the North Grounds Connector, they will let me know what they think, and I will let them know what I think."
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