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New traffic pattern installed at Culbreth, Rugby intersection

Changes are result of traffic study

<p>“As you already may have noticed, the intersection at Rugby and Culbreth has now become a three-way stop with the installation of two additional stop signs and bars,” Groves said.</p>

“As you already may have noticed, the intersection at Rugby and Culbreth has now become a three-way stop with the installation of two additional stop signs and bars,” Groves said.

The City of Charlottesville implemented a new change to the traffic pattern at the intersection of Culbreth Road and Rugby Road March 8.

University Dean of Students Allen Groves notified the University community of the changes in an email March 13.

“As you already may have noticed, the intersection at Rugby and Culbreth has now become a three-way stop with the installation of two additional stop signs and bars,” Groves said in the email.

An electronic message board and thermoplastic in-pavement signage, provided by the city, were also added to the intersection to notify drivers of the traffic pattern change.

Kathleen Jump, Office of Safety and Emergency Preparedness project and communications manager, said the intersection, which serves as the gateway to Arts Grounds, has a high volume of traffic and pedestrians which results in complications and congestion.

“[T]his busy juncture also leads to neighborhoods with dense student housing, including sorority and fraternity houses,” Jump said in an email statement. “The intersection receives a high volume of traffic and had become a convergence of automobiles, pedestrians, buses, and cyclists, further complicated by two crosswalks, a turn lane, and just one stop sign.”

Jump said the change was the result of a traffic study of the intersection and a partnership between the University and the city.

“In a collaborative effort between U.Va. and Charlottesville to enhance road safety, the University committed to fund a traffic study and the city agreed to implement the recommended changes,” Jump said in an email statement.

The University hired traffic consultant VHB in 2015 to review the intersection.

Jump said VHB’s study found the hourly volume of traffic, beginning at 7 a.m. and going to 8 p.m., ranged from 310 vehicles to 835 vehicles.

“Traffic analysis showed that the eastbound approach of Culbreth/Chancellor and Rugby operated at an unacceptable level of service,” Jump said. “Their conclusion was that the implementation of the 3-way stop would improve the service to an acceptable level, while at the same time making the intersection safer for cyclists and pedestrians.”

The changes were put into effect over Spring Break, and message boards have been temporarily installed to alert drivers of the new traffic pattern, Jump said.

The electronic message boards will remain through this week.

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