TJPDC e–News—Fall 2002

TJPDC e–News is issued on a quarterly basis to keep you informed about the programs and projects at the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. In addition to e-mail, every issue of TJPDC e–News is posted on our website.

TJPDC e–News provides brief snapshots of our current efforts. If you are interested in additional information on a particular subject, just click on the link embedded in the article or contact the appropriate TJPDC staff member. We hope you enjoy this update. Please feel free to send comments and suggestions to info@tjpdc.org.

TJPDC Turns 30!

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission.  We are proud of the many years of service we have been able to provide and thank all that have helped shape the Commission’s work over the years.  The TJPDC will be celebrating this anniversary at various events throughout the year.  The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors recognized our efforts in a resolution earlier this summer.  Please visit our website periodically for updated information.

Hillsdale Drive Traffic Safety Workshop 2

The Hillsdale Drive Traffic Safety Team will hold a second public workshop Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 3pm to 5pm, at the Senior Center on Pepsi Place.  The team will present a range of potential solutions to traffic safety and mobility problems that were identified by participants at the first workshop this summer.  Some of the possible solutions include well-marked median crosswalks (with a pedestrian refuge), sidewalk and parking lot connections, lighting, roundabouts, and trail connections.  Workshop participants will be asked to discuss, fine-tune, and prioritize the potential solutions.  The Hillsdale Drive team is an ad-hoc coalition initiated by JABA & TJPDC, and includes staff and volunteers from Albemarle County, Virginia DOT, the City of Charlottesville, the MPO, the Senior Center, and the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors.

For more information, contact hrue@tjpdc.org

Youth Council Presents Family and Parent Involvement Workshop, Tues. 10/22

The Youth Council of the Local Workforce Investment Board for Virginia Area 6 is pleased to present a workshop on Family and Parent Involvement. This event is offered in response to input received at the Symposium on Youth Employment held in November 2001 and the subsequent strategic planning session. Through that process, parent and family involvement emerged as the number one need (Engaging parents) and number one gap (Lack of family involvement and partnerships).

The workshop will be held Tuesday, October 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel north of Charlottesville on Route 29. Our presenter will be Dr. Steve Constantino, award-winning principal of Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas and nationally recognized leader in the arena of family involvement. There is no charge for the event, but registration is required.

For more information and to register, call 434-979-7310 or e-mail info@tjpdc.org

UnJam Round 2

We are currently gearing up for Round 2 of UnJAM 2025 (United Jefferson Area Mobility Plan) as a follow-up to the public workshops held last spring. The decisions made by city, county, and state policy-makers are being formalized in the UnJAM 2025 Plan.  The UnJAM workshops are held to solicit public input about the region’s transportation issues, allowing the public to identify what policies and transportation projects are important.  During UnJAM Round 2, we will present draft solutions, based on your input from UnJAM Round 1, for review and fine-tuning.  All interested parties are invited to join us as we help develop practiced solutions to our region’s transportation problems.

If you have questions about UnJAM, please contact Harrison Rue at (434) 979-7310 or hrue@tjpdc.org.

Nelson County Comprehensive Plan Adopted

Nelson County’s Comprehensive Plan was approved by the County’s Board of Supervisors on October 8.  The Plan is a blueprint for how Nelson County will deal with change, as Nelson grows and develops over time.  It is designed to assist and guide citizens, the Planning Commission, the Board of Supervisors, state agencies, and private developers in providing for the County’s future needs.  The Plan states specific goals in eight key areas and establishes five development models, and identifies where these development models are desired in the future.  The models are based on development patterns in the County’s existing villages and neighborhoods, such as Lovingston, Nellysford, and Schuyler.  Nelson County Planning Commission prepared the Plan with staff assistance from the TJPDC team, led by Bill Wanner, UVA’s Design Resource Center, and the Nelson County Department of Planning.  The full plan can be found on the TJPDC website under Community Planning.

For more information contact Harrison Rue at (434) 979-7310 or hrue@tjpdc.org

TJPDC Welcomes RideShare Outreach Coordinator, Deke Shrum

The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission is pleased to announce the appointment of Deke Shrum as its new RideShare Outreach Coordinator, who joined the team on August 5, 2002. In addition to performing outreach and marketing duties for RideShare, Mr. Shrum is also charged with the redesign of TJPDC’s website and other marketing materials. Mr. Shrum comes to the Planning District with extensive marketing and graphic design experience.

Homeless MIS Coordinator, Evan Scully Joins TJPDC

The TJPDC received a grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to implement a region-wide system to track homelessness.  This initiative has been directed by Congress in order to develop an unduplicated count of clients served at the local level, to analyze the patterns of use of people entering and existing homeless assistance agencies, and evaluate the effectiveness of our region’s efforts.  The HMIS Coordinator will be responsible for designing and maintaining a database network of regional homeless information, coordinated through close collaboration with the region’s homeless service providers.  We are pleased to announce that Evan Scully has been hired to develop and manage this system and will join the TJPDC on October 21.

If you would like to welcome Mr. Scully to the Planning District, he can be reached at (434) 979-7310.

Walkable Communities Grant

The Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) of the TJPDC is one of only a handful of MPO’s across the country to win a Walkable Community Workshops grant.  These grants are based on a pilot program organized by the US Department of Transportation, are issued by the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  The project will provide technical assistance to MPO’s on creating more walkable communities, thus helping turn Charlottesville and surrounding communities into more pedestrian-friendly places that encourage physical activity.  Chris Gensic, TJPDC Regional Planner, will attend training sessions that will give him a solid background in pedestrian design issues and walkable community planning. In addition to the training sessions attended by Gensic, the community will benefit from a weeklong series of workshops next spring focusing on real-world problems and hands-on solutions.

For more information on these workshops or the project, please contact Chris Gensic at (434) 979-7310 or cgensic@tjpdc.org

MetroTech Grant to Supply Information Technology and Biotech Workers

Piedmont Workforce Network, the Local Workforce Investment Board for Area 6, has been awarded funding for the MetroTech program. MetroTech is a regional, Department of Labor grant-funded program supplying employers with qualified and trained individuals in the Information Technology and Biotechnology industries. The program is “employer-driven” and provides a significant level of control to participating employers. Eligible participants are dislocated workers who have lost their jobs due to company closings or layoffs or transitioning military personnel.

Information about the program can be found at www.metrotechitjobs.com and www.metrotechbiojobs.com.

For more information about the local program, please contact Billie Campbell at (434) 979-7310 or bcampbell@tjpdc.org.

FHWA Western States Scanning Tour-Reviewing Transportation and Land Use Planning Coordination

Executive Director Harrison B. Rue recently completed a tour of Transportation and Land Use projects in Denver, Salt Lake City, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming at the invitation of the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA).  The team reviewed policies, and planning efforts, inspected built projects, and discussed successes and challenges with local leaders.  Goals for the tour included identifying successful policies that can be replicated, outlining obstacles and strategies for overcoming them, and providing feedback from the team.  A short report will be produced by FHWA, and include lessons learned and recommendations.

Scottsville Begins Utilizing Rural Transportation Planning Grant

Through Virginia DOT's Rural Transportation Planning Grant program, the TJPDC and Walkable Communities, Inc. held public workshops, walking tours and a design charrette to help the Town of Scottsville assemble a plan for connecting its old downtown with its newer suburban uptown, and to consider multi-mode transportation system improvements.  Public turnout for the sessions were great, with meetings broadcast over television allowing viewers to call in ideas from home.  After prioritizing needs and taking a walking tour with nationally acclaimed designers, the participants produced a large number of ideas.  TJPDC staff will take this community consensus and designs from the consultants and assemble a plan for the town.  In addition, a general toolbox will be created for use by other small towns in the state facing similar transportation and growth issues.

For more information on this grant and workshops, please contact Chris Gensic at (434) 979-7310 or cgensic@tjdpc.org.

2003 TJPDC Legislative Program

The draft 2003 TJPDC Legislative Program will be discussed and voted on by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission and our localities during November. The program stresses efforts to preserve critical state funding in areas such as education, the Comprehensive Services Act, public safety and transportation, as well as addressing tax reform and land use and growth management issues. The Commission, our localities and their staffs have all helped in shaping this program, which will inform our legislators and help guide lobbying efforts for the 2003 General Assembly session. Also, the TJPDC will host a legislative luncheon for our state representatives on November 25, 2002.

If you have questions about the 2003 TJPDC Legislative Program, please contact David Blount at (434) 979-7310 or dblount@tjpdc.org.

Rue Named Faculty for NGA Policy Academy on Smart Growth

Executive Director Harrison Rue has been appointed as a Faculty member for the National Governors’ Association Policy Academy on Smart Growth.  The Faculty led a two-day workshop for teams from six states throughout the country that are initiating smart growth efforts.  The teams typically consist of state DOT, Planning, and MPO directors and policy staff.  After a successful first session in D.C. in September, the teams will convene in Salt Lake City in November for additional hands-on training.  One highlight of Rue’s presentation was the Eastern Planning Initiative (EPI), a recently completed TJPDC study that quantified tremendous cost savings for transportation investments based on walkable, village-scaled development patterns.

Rue recently gave presentations on Smart Growth and the EPI at conferences for the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations in L.A., and the Transportation Research Board, in Baltimore.  He also served on an Urban Land Institute Policy Forum to develop strategies for Smart Growth Transportation for Suburban Greenfields.

Park and Ride Lots See Increase in Usage

The region’s Park and Ride lots, which are marketed by the TJPDC and RideShare, have seen a 16% increase in usage over the past year.  Park and Ride lots serve as a means for commuters to meet carpools, vanpools, and transit.  Currently, there are 21 Park and Ride lots in the region; six of these are served by transit (JAUNT and/or CTS).  We thank the property owners who have designated their property to be used as Park and Ride lots and for assisting in the region’s traffic reduction efforts.

For more information about the region’s Park and Ride lots, please contact Rhonda Edmunds, RideShare Program Manager at (434) 295-6165 or redmunds@tjpdc.org.

Grand Opening of Rivanna Kiosk Celebrated

The grand opening of the Rivanna Kiosk at Darden Towe Park was held September 12. Kay Slaughter, former mayor of Charlottesville and former co-chair of the Rivanna Roundtable, highlighted the Rivanna's importance to our region. Following her remarks, there was a ribbon cutting by representatives of the Charlottesville Ten-Miler, the Charlottesville-Albemarle Community Foundation, the Perry Foundation, and the TJPDC, all major contributors to the kiosk. Our thanks for their support also go to the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and JR&H Architects. If you missed the opening, stop by and visit the kiosk soon! Pictures, directions, and more information are available at www.tjpdc.org.

RideShare Program Manager Attends International Transportation Conference

Rhonda Edmunds traveled to Philadelphia, PA in August to attend the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) International conference.  The conference drew transportation advocates from all over the world, and offered many training and information gathering opportunities.  ACT supports its members in their efforts to enhance mobility, improve air quality, and conserve energy through Transportation Demand Management (TDM) activities.

Office Renovations

The TJPDC has finished remodeling its office space, a marathon staff-driven effort which created a larger public meeting space and access to the windows and natural lighting in the "back" of the office.  Staff working on similar project topics are also now closer together, creating a more efficient working environment.  The executive director has newly created space up front providing a separate private meeting room and allowing easier access to visitors and support staff.  We have painted nearly every wall and had the carpets steam cleaned.  Please come by and enjoy the newly created space and the fruits of the labor of everyone in the office.

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TJPDC e–News is a publication of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission and is published as a forum for the latest news and information concerning the programs and projects at the PDC. This newsletter is mailed on a quarterly basis. If you would like to be removed from the distribution list, please contact the TJPDC at info@tjpdc.org or by calling (434) 979-7310.

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Charlottesville, VA 22902-1505
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