Transportation

With growing population throughout the Thomas Jefferson Planning District, and decreasing funding, it is becoming increasingly important to make smarter choices about our transportation options. The ideal options will provide a balanced transportation system integrating all travel modes and complementing environmental, economic, and community development goals.

Hiring Transportation Planners

The TJPDC seeks two transportation planners. One will be an entry-level position supporting MPO committees and coordinating public outreach. One will take a lead role on transportation planning and projects for both urban and rural areas. More information is available at www.tjpdc.org. Submit resume with cover letter and salary history in confidence TJPDC, PO Box 1505, Charlottesville, VA 22902 or to info@tjpdc.org. EOE. Position open until filled, with priority given for applications received before July 10.

Transportation Tomorrow Workshop Presentation now Available.

Early survey results from an FTA funded project were presented to the public at the Transportation Tomorrow workshop on May 21st. Data presented was taken from a random phone survey of 300 residents in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area. The results will be combined with results from related surveys to create a Regional Transit Assessment Toolkit. The online survey portion of the project was open through May 31st at www.transportationtomorrow.com. Click here to view the presentation. For more information on this project, contact Lisa Horanyi at lhoranyi@tjpdc.org.

MPO Approves the FY10 United Planning and Work Program (UPWP) and the 2009-2011 Public Participation Policy (PPP)

The MPO Policy Board approved both documents at the April 22, 2009 meeting. The FY10 UPWP will take effect on July 1, 2009 and specifies the activities and funding streams for the MPO for the coming fiscal year. The PPP has been revised and is easier to reference. It will next be reviwed in 2011.
Click here to view the FY10 UPWP
Click here to view the 2009-2011 PPP

Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Effort Continues - Enabling Legislation Passed in General Assembly Session

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council received enabling legislation authorizing the formation of an RTA from the General Assembly during the 2009 session. This legislation does not form the Authority, but grants the City and the County permission to form the Authority when deemed appropriate by both bodies. A second piece of legislation that would have granted enabling authority for the County and City to ask voters if they would approve of an increase to the local sales tax by up to one-cent in each locality did not pass. Revenues that might be generated by the tax would be used to fund the operations of the new RTA and remaining funds would be used for other priority transportation projects.

Beginning in April 2009, the RTA Joint Working Group (JWG) will be reconvening at the direction of the Board and Council to discuss the next steps for the RTA. For more information, visit our RTA page.

Long Range Transportation Plan, UnJAM 2035 Now Available

Visit www.unjam.org to view or download the approved United Jefferson Area Mobility Plan and review proposed new transportation projects via interactive maps. Public comment forms throughout the website give you the opportunity to share your response to the document or the proposed new projects instantly. UnJAM 2035 was presented to the MPO Policy Board for public hearings on April 22 and May 27, 2009. The Rural Long Range Transportation Plan sections are being developed and will be available for review in the coming months.

Route 29 Transportation Blueprint Study by VDOT hosts Regional Leadership Forums

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has completed their Regional Leadership Forums which helped to identify several issues that are important to everyone along the corridor. Also, areas of concern regarding roadway safety, capacity, geometry, and access were also heard.

The next steps in the Route 29 Corridor include one-on-one meetings with the localities throughout the study area to develop/refine specific recommendations. These discussions will address recommendations from previous studies, key issues related to transportation operations and safety in the corridor, as well as land use and growth management. The in-depth corridor study for the 219-mile segment of Route 29 stretching from I-66 at Gainesville to the North Carolina state line is intended (not to be confused with the local transportation study completed by TJPDC for the Places29 Masterplan) to assess the highway/corridor with regard to: safety, congestion, through-travel, access control, land use and transportation planning and economic development. The study will also develop a set of short, mid, and long term recommendations and action plans to improve the regional functionality of the corridor. The project will be completed by December 2009. For more information please visit the VDOT Route 29 Corridor Study page. For a schedule of events please click here.

Your input is critical to the success of this study. Please click here to fill out and submit and online questionnaire.

Launch of Regional Transit Authority Toolkit Project – Consultant Selected

TJPDC continues to work with the Southeastern Institute of Research, Inc. (SIR), in the development of a Regional Transit Assessment Toolkit. Given the concurrency of activities related to the RTA and the Regional Transit Assessment Toolkit Project, the TJPDC and MPO will utilize the research surveys involved in the Toolkit Project to support planning related to the RTA. Specific project objectives include:

• Assess public opinion of the existing public transit infrastructure and understand what drives these opinions.
• Identify any unmet needs and/or barriers to use by existing and prospective system riders to recommend specific public transportation system service enhancements or additional services needed.
• Measure the degree of awareness, familiarity, and support among the general public for the RTA concept. Identify what drives support and/or lack of support for this type of authority.
• Package all of the information related to this study in a toolkit that can be easily used by other regions interested in more actively engaging the public in transportation/transit planning issues.

Next Steps: Charlottesville Transit Service (CTS) conducted an on-board rider survey and collected over 2000 responses. TJPDC and SIR have developed a non-rider questionnaire that is currently being conducted through a random telephone survey. Once completed, an on-line version will be made available and marketed to the public through our media partners including Channel 29. Results should be available in early May.

Launch of Greene County Multimodal Corridor Plan for US29 and US33

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has awarded a Multimodal Planning Grant to the TJPDC to develop multimodal transportation solutions, land use strategies, and an implementation plan specific to Greene County, while addressing regional travel needs on the US29 and US33 corridors. Data gathering for the project continued through the summer, and public workshops in the county were held this fall. The project should be completed by next summer. For more information, click here.

UnJAM 2025 Project List Amended

On February 19, 2008 the MPO Policy Board amended the UnJAM 2025 Project list to include estimated project costs in year of expenditure dollars. To review the project list, please visit our UnJAM page.

Achieving Goals

Achieving our goals involves the input of many community agencies and resources. Through various committees and partnerships, our community benefits from the careful planning and implementation of a balanced plan that includes roadway, bikeway, pedestrian, and transit projects. The transportation planning programs are funded and supported by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Association (FTA), and our member jurisdictions.

The TJPDC staff work alongside City, County, and State staff on a variety of projects that benefit our region. The TJPDC provides staff support and is active on the following committees: MPO Policy Board, MPO Technical, CHART Citizens, Rural Transportation, Bike and Walk, Park and Ride, Community Mobility, and Commuter Information Team. This opportunity allows the seamless coordination of comprehensive work plans that rely on regional cooperation.