Albemarle Supervisors respond to legislation impacting Route 29 funding

A state budget amendment that could significantly impact the planned Route 29 Solutions infrastructure investment in Albemarle County was introduced this week in the General Assembly by Delegate Rob Bell. This proposed legislation has not been presented to or ever discussed with the Albemarle County Board, and the Board has not requested this legislation. Because of the importance of this issue to our community, and our responsibility as the locally elected governing body for decision making regarding major infrastructure projects in the County, we would like to take this opportunity to clearly state the Board’s adopted position on the Route 29 Solutions Package.

As stated in a resolution adopted in August, 2014 , the Board supports the Route 29 Solutions Package as a significant infrastructure investment to “ improve mobility, address the worst congested areas and the highest crash locations, minimize environmental impacts, and produce a reasonable return on taxpayer dollars”. The resolution further states that “The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors reaffirms its support for the Route 29 Solutions package and its expeditious and careful construction.”

Projects in the Route 29 Solutions Package have been thoroughly vetted during a number of public processes including the 29H250 Intersections Studies, the Places29 Master Plan, and the US 29 North Corridor Transportation Study Final Report. The projects have also been the subject of public hearings held by the County Board of Supervisors, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and the Virginia Department of Transportation. The Solutions Package has been endorsed by the Charlottesville City Council, the MPO and the Commonwealth Transportation Board in addition to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.

The Board remains committed to its support of the Route 29 Solutions projects and the stated desire for expeditious construction, and does not support legislation that jeopardizes progress on any of the Route 29 Solutions Package components or that may cause the loss of any funding for infrastructure included in the package.