Jefferson Area Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Plan

The Thomas Jefferson Planning District is fortunate to have a number of features conducive to bicycle riding and walking. Variable topography, a mild climate, enticing destinations, and beautiful views are just some of the reasons it is interesting to walk or ride in and through the region. Numerous bicycle routes, including the TransAmerica Trail (BikeCentennial Route 76) and races carve their way through the area, and the country roads are prized by racers and recreational bikers. The Appalachian Trail, the nation’s premiere long distance walking trail also traverses the area, and the region’s many old towns and communities are small enough to be conducive to pedestrian travel.

Bicycling and walking offer advantages over using other modes of transportation. Bicycles are cheaper to purchase, license, insure, and operate than motor vehicles, they do not burn fossil fuels, and they do not pollute. Cycling is faster than walking and healthier than riding a bus. Bicycles also take up less space on the road and in the parking lot than cars or even motorcycles. Walking is the cheapest, cleanest and simplest form of transportation, but requires the most amount of time, so distances traveled are generally much shorter than any other mode. Each mode, when coordinated well with transit, has increased range and functionality.

Cycling and walking under current conditions can be risky. One of the factors contributing to unsafe travel is the general lack of facilities in the region. Bicycle riders need bike lanes in the city, roadway bike paths and paved shoulders in the country, and trails for children and others who can’t ride with automobile traffic. Existing facilities do not yet provide for continuous bicycle travel between destinations. Bicycle parking facilities are sparse, and frequently do not provide the desired level of security and weather protection. Riding along the existing road network and finding parking, as pleasant as it may seem in a car, is often less than enjoyable or safe for cyclists. Walking can be unpleasant and unsafe in areas without adequate facilities. Sidewalks are often discontinuous, can be overgrown with vegetation, and are a common location for obstacles such as utility poles and street signs. Walking in snowy conditions or at night adds to the potential danger when facilities are not properly maintained. The presence and speed of automobiles is a large safety concern to travelers.

The purpose of this plan is to provide information and guidance on development of facilities and other accommodations to enhance safe bicycle and pedestrian travel within the Thomas Jefferson Planning District. This plan will also satisfy the Virginia Department of Transportation requirement that a roadway be identified in a locally adopted bicycle or pedestrian plan before improvements can be made. Descriptions are given as to how localities can create and maintain safe and efficient walking and biking systems, linking people to the services they need. An overall network is proposed that connects the many communities of the region, and smaller networks proposed for within those communities. The plan also identifies methods for increasing awareness among the public, especially automobile drivers, about the needs of walkers and cyclists. Implementation and funding issues are discussed, as well. This plan offers recommendations for both physical improvements and programs aimed at improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities and safety.

This plan is designed so that it can easily be incorporated into local plans. It begins with a description of existing conditions, demand and need, and possible facility types for both bicycles and pedestrians. What follows are plans for each locality, including reference to any existing plans. Each local plan has a pedestrian and bicycle section, including maps. Links to localities surrounding the planning district are coordinated with those localities’ plans. While the majority of the facilities described and recommended in this regional bicycling and walking plan will be on-road, off-road trails and greenways proposed in the Thomas Jefferson Regional Greenway Plan have been included in this plan. Corridors identified for exploration as potential greenways and trails in this plan will complement the existing and proposed greenways and off-road trails under development in the region. These trails may be for either bicycle or pedestrian use, some may be for both, and others may be restricted to use by horses and all-terrain-vehicles.

Public input was invaluable to the development of this plan. Local system users have the most and best information about conditions and needs. Information and ideas were gathered from committee members, which include citizens and local officials, and public visioning and draft plan review sessions were advertised and held in each locality. Local biking clubs and organizations were invited to the meetings, and attendance was fair at each.

Implementation of the recommendations of this plan will provide a coordinated and safe multi-modal system to serve citizens and visitors in the region with access to most common destinations, services within communities, and links between towns, villages, and the Charlottesville urban area.