Folks,

I wish you would listen to Mary. If the Western Bypass is not built there will be much more pressure to build the Meadow Creek Parkway.

Many of you are strong advocates of public transportation and other alternative transportation forms. You are absolutely correct. I just returned from the DC area where support for public transportation (e.g. Metro) has been minimal. At 10:30, I66 from Manassas to Arlington
had a maximum speed of 45; the beltway did not appear to be moving at all. They are choking on their cars. And in time Charlottesville will as well. We need these alternative forms.

BUT ...

A corridor for heavy truck traffic to Lynchburg and Danville WILL FIRST BE BUILT. The only question is: "Will this corridor go around Charlottesville or will it go through Charlottesville.

If any portion of the Meadow Creek Parkway is constructed before the Western Bypass, the truck corridor will go THROUGH Charlottesville.

The pressure will be inexorable. No reasonable person will build a 7 mile bypass, that may "endanger our water supply" and destroy lovely residential areas, when all that is needed is to widen the 250 bypass to six lanes and build a clover leaf at McIntire Road. The land is open and we will only lose a little park land.

Critics say the Western Bypass, as planned, is impractical; it should continue up to Airport Road. I agree. But this is the crucial link to a regional network. Without, there will be no corridor through the, as yet, undeveloped land west of 29. Without it, there will be no ring road around Charlottesville to the north. All traffic between 250 east (Pantops) and 29 north will come through Charlottesville.

Kevin Lynch has suggested a number of proposals that make sense only after the north-south truck corridor has been determined. For example, consider the 3 proposed grade separated interchanges at Rio, Greenbriar and Hydraulic. If by magic, they could appear today, it would only reduce the number of stop lights by 1, because 2 new lights have been added at NGIC and the Polo Grounds road. Do you really think any other lights will be removed? Which ones?

At the risk of being repetitive; a rational, regional transportation policy can evolve only after we settle where the north-south truck corridor will go. Will it go AROUND the city, or THROUGH the city?

John L. Pfaltz (electronic mail, March 22, 2002)