TJPDC e–News—Winter 2003

30 Years of Regional Planning, Linking Transportation, Land Use, Economy, & Environment

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.

New Look For TJPDC.ORG

In celebration of our 30th anniversary, the TJPDC is pleased to announce its newly revised website. We invite you to visit www.tjpdc.org and take a look at what's new. During your visit, you should find more information of interest as well as easier navigation. As with most new sites, it is still a work in progress as we strive to make continual improvements. We welcome all feedback on the new site. Just contact us at (434) 979-7310 or

Deke Shrum, RideShare Outreach Coordinator provided the graphic and web design skills needed for this successful project, while program managers and other staff made significant contributions.

UnJAM Round 2 Workshop Draws Significant Mix of Local Residents

UnJAM Round 2 Workshops to Hit Rural Areas in Late March

As part of the public involvement process for the creation of the UnJAM 2025 Plan (United Jefferson Area Mobility Plan), public workshops are being held where citizens can come and get their hands on the plans and make significant feedback. Round 1 workshops were held in the spring, with Round 2 workshops currently underway. The first Round 2 workshop was held November 21 and focused on the urban/suburban Charlottesville area. It was highly successful in bringing in a great mix of local residents, business-people, and government officials. Additionally, we got a lot of feedback from citizens who were unable to attend, but submitted information via email and fax.

We are currently gearing up for Round 2 workshops for the rural areas. All interested parties are invited to join us as we help develop practical solutions to our region's transportation problems, that encompasses land-use and development issues. More information can be found at www.tjpdc.org/transportation/unjam.asp. If you have questions about UnJAM, please contact Harrison Rue at (434) 979-7310 or .

VDOT and TJPDC Partner on 29N Exercise

In partnership with VDOT, the TJPDC will be completing an exercise that will identify practical improvements to the Hydraulic/250 Bypass intersections of the US-29 corridor. To kick off the exercise, local staff from VDOT, VDRPT, TJPDC, Charlottesville, and Albemarle will converge together for a week in mid-March. Extensive public input will be incorporated through focus groups and a hands-on workshop. During this week, the focus will be on design, feasibility, modeling, and economics. The goal of the exercise and of the larger study is to develop a context-sensitive, multi-modal transportation improvements plan to complement existing and anticipated development along the corridor. This exercise should show the feasibility of meeting the larger goal of improving many of the corridor's intersections at a reduced cost. Check our website often for updates on this project and be on the lookout for information on our public workshop! For further information, please contact Rhonda Edmunds at (434) 979-7310 or .

2003 Homeless Census Conducted January 21-23

The Homeless Census was conducted as part of a statewide "point in time" count to find out how many people experience homelessness state-wide. The Virginia Inter-Agency Coalition for the Homeless (www.viach.state.va.us) calls for the count as part of its 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness. Past years have seen a count, but this year the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless collected demographic information for the first time. Detailed information will help to show the different groups that make up the homeless population, and tell us how many families are homeless, what factors contribute to homelessness, and more. The data will be used to evaluate existing services, and to optimize their impact in the future. The data will be available in March. For more information on this census, please contact Evan Scully at (434) 979-7310 or .

Walkable Communities Workshops To Come in April

In our last issue, we informed you of the Walkable Community Workshops grant that the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) was awarded. The project will provide technical assistance to MPOs on creating more walkable communities, thus turning Charlottesville and surrounding communities into more pedestrian-friendly places that encourage physical activity. There will be a series of community workshops focusing on real-world problems and hands-on solutions. These workshops, which will be held the week of April 21st, will be conducted by national experts and held throughout the region. Ideal attendees for these workshops include local planners, VDOT designers and planners, neighborhood associations, elected officials, school representatives, recreation departments, public works officials, and interested community members. The Walkable Community Workshops grants are based on a pilot program organized by the US Department of Transportation, issued by the National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW), and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. For more information, contact Chris Gensic at (434) 979-7310 or .

2003 TJPDC Legislative Program

The 2003 TJPD Legislative Program, which highlights regional positions on issues such as education funding, the Comprehensive Services Act, public safety, transportation, tax structure and reform, and land use and growth management, has now been finalized. The text of the program is available at www.tjpdc.org/liaison/legProg.asp. Also, you can check out the TJPDC website for information about local government issues that are being debated at the General Assembly, which convened January 8. Major issues and action will be highlighted in a legislative newsletter published every 7 - 10 days. If you have questions about any legislative issue or the 2003 TJPD Legislative Program, please contact David Blount at (434) 979-7310 or .

Funding Received for Moore's Creek Implementation Plan

The TJPDC has received funding to do an implementation plan for the fecal coliform TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load), which we completed for Moore's Creek in May 2002. The TMDL called for the removal of all non-permitted human sources and all cattle from the stream, as well as reductions in grassland, residential, and urban loads, in order to bring fecal coliform bacterial levels in Moore's Creek within safe limits for human contact. The implementation plan will address the specific actions needed and identify potential sources of funding. Writing the implementation plan will involve the reactivation and expansion of the stakeholders' group that was formed during the TMDL study, along with meetings with local government officials and the public. The project is scheduled for completion December 31, 2003. For more information about the implementation plan and TMDL, visit www.tjpdc.org/environment/mooresCreek.asp or contact Rochelle Garwood at (434) 979-7310 or .

Save the Date: Housing Conference Coming Soon

Join the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission on March 18, 2003 at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville for an action-oriented conference, Creating Successful Mixed-Use Communities. Policy makers, housing advocates, bankers, realtors, developers, and interested citizens will work together to develop creative solutions to meet the housing and community development needs in our region. The conference will be an invaluable forum for networking and building collaborative partnerships. Sessions will cover creative financing, design for mixed use neighborhoods, special needs housing, affordable housing - rental and home ownership, neighborhood models, and issues facing rural communities. Participants will develop an Action Agenda with concrete steps to building vibrant communities in Central Virginia. Additional information and online registration is available at http://www.tjpdc.org/housing/mixeduse.asp. You can also contact us at (434) 979-7310 or .

TJPDC Welcomes New Local Workforce Investment Board Director

The TJPDC is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Merry Hanson as the new LWIB Director. Dr. Hanson has recently relocated to Charlottesville from Oregon, where she was the Owner and President of Workforce Development Center, Inc. She has managed numerous contracts funded under the Job Training Partnership Act, the federal legislation that preceded the Workforce Investment Act. She holds an Ed.D. from Duke University in Curriculum Development with an emphasis on Research Design and Educational Psychology. If you would like to contact Dr. Hanson personally to welcome her, she may be reached at (434) 979-7310 or .

HOME Program Receives Interim Assistance

The TJPDC is pleased to announce that Shae Garwood recently joined the HOME Consortium staff to assist in the day-to-day operations of the consortium and plan an upcoming housing conference "Creating Successful Mixed-Use Communities". Shae comes to the TJPDC with several years of experience working on a variety of community development issues. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and a master's degree from the London School of Economics.

TJPDC Hosts Roundabout Training Workshop

With the notion of re-engineering roadways and doing more with less, local agencies are looking for innovative, cost-effective strategies to improve the region's transportation system. Planning and engineering staff from VDOT, City of Charlottesville, County of Albemarle, and various consulting firms gathered at the TJPDC office to hear an internationally acclaimed expert speak on roundabout design. During this one-day workshop, which was held January 14, Michael Wallwork presented the benefits and advantages of roundabout design, showed the feasibility of this type of design, and trained local staff on roundabout design software. Not only are roundabouts significantly less expensive than a traditional traffic light intersection, they are also very effective in improving safety at intersections, allow for greater shared use, increase an intersection's capacity, reduce delay and travel time, help with speed control, and beautify intersections. As continual improvements are made to the region's roadways, we hope roundabouts will increasingly become a feasible option. For more information on this workshop or roundabouts, please contact Harrison Rue at (434) 979-7310 or .

Eastern Planning Initiative Brochure Now Available

This new publication addresses how we build livable communities. The Eastern Planning Initiative was funded by the Federal Highway Administration and studied transportation and land use alternatives in the eastern area of the planning district. Changing where and how we grow - by building around historic town centers in walkable, village-scaled development patterns - could save $500 million in transportation system investments over the 50 years. It would also preserve more forests and farms, provide better access to jobs, reduce congestion, save energy, and protect water quality. The brochure can be found on the TJPDC website in the Community Planning section. For more information on the EPI, please contact Harrison Rue at (434) 979-7310 or .

New Bicycle Rack Map

The Jefferson Area Bike And Walk Committee (JABAWAC) staff recently located and mapped all bicycle racks in the region. There are approximately 150 proper places to park a bicycle in the urban area, roughly half of them located at the University of Virginia. JABAWAC representatives from rural counties have not yet located any racks, and there may be some in the urban area we did not find. This information is available on the TJPDC website, and will be used to create the regional mobility map. Installation of bike racks will be a key recommendation of the UnJAM Plan as a relatively cheap method of improving regional bikeability. The map can be found at www.tjpdc.org/pdf/map_tran_bikes.pdf. If you know of a rack that is not on the map, or would like more information, please contact Chris Gensic at (434) 979-7310 or .

About this email

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.

For more information about the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, please contact us or visit our website:

Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission
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Charlottesville, VA 22902-1505
(434) 979-7310
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info@tjpdc.org (email)
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Regional planning
linking transportation,
land use, economy, & environment.