Welcome to Sketches with PEC’sJef f Werner

Part II:

Why the Western Bypass Won’t Work

Is a Waste of Your Money

&

(If you missed Part I...)

Where did we leave of f ?

Oh, yeah.

Rt. 29 is a mess.

We have the Six Fixes that would solve these

problems in a long-lasting,

sustainable way.

BUT,

if the Western Bypass goes

through, it could be decades

before the Six Fixes

are built (if ever).

So, what is this Western Bypass, exactly?

Let’s take a look.

Meet the proposed

Western Bypass.

A lot of traf fic

using the Bypass

Significantly less traf fic

on Rt. 29

+

Proponents say that:

= Happy people.

It would be great if it worked out that way...

But it won’t.

Here’s why:

90% of the traf fic on Rt. 29 is local traf fic.

Approximately

90% of these people are headed to a destination on Rt. 29 or

In other words,

in the surrounding area.

So, reality wouldn’t look

like this

It’d look more like this:

While some trucks & cars

wil l use the Bypass.

While some trucks & cars

wil l use the Bypass.

The majority of traf fic wil l stil l

experience the existing

traf fic knots.

While some trucks & cars

wil l use the Bypass.

The majority of traf fic wil l stil l

experience the existing

And the entrances/exits

of the Bypass wil l

worsen two existing

traf fic knots.

traf fic knots.

If $250,000,000 of

our transportation funds is

wasted on this Bypass...

Where wil l we get the

money needed for

the ‘Six Fixes’ to Rt. 29 ?

Starting to think this Bypass doesn’t

make a lot of sense?

Wel l, there’s more...

Let’s get some

perspective here.

the Bypass isn’t much of

As it turns out,

a bypass.

In fact, it would only

bypass 4. 5 miles of Rt. 29.

seven existing stoplights

immediately north of

So, this would leave

the Bypass...

With at least

two more stoplights

already approved...

Not to mention the

other two that would be

instal led at the southern

terminus of the Bypass.

With the projected

development and population

these two areas of congestion

are going to be bigger

problems soon...

growth --

And the Bypass

won’t address those areas

at al l. In fact,

as we saw earlier...

At the end points of

the Bypass, congestion wil l

actual ly get worse.

Add the current mess

that the Bypass won’t solve,

and what do we have?

Taxpayers down

$250,000,000 -- with an

inef fective bypass &

three traf fic messes to

show for it.

=

Making matters worse, the Bypass wil l take

4-5 years of construction to complete...

... it wil l run right

by our community’s

primary water reservoir...

... and six local schools:

... and six local schools:

1) Agnor Hurt Elementary

... and six local schools:

1) Agnor Hurt Elementary

2) Albemarle High

... and six local schools:

1) Agnor Hurt Elementary

2) Albemarle High

3) Mary Greer Elementary

... and six local schools:

1) Agnor Hurt Elementary

2) Albemarle High

3) Mary Greer Elementary

4) Ivy Creek

... and six local schools:

1) Agnor Hurt Elementary

2) Albemarle High

3) Mary Greer Elementary

4) Ivy Creek

5) Jack Jouett Middle

... and six local schools:

1) Agnor Hurt Elementary

2) Albemarle High

3) Mary Greer Elementary

4) Ivy Creek

5) Jack Jouett Middle

6) St. Anne’s Belfield

The Bypass would expose our water supply and our children

to higher levels of pol lution and new traf fic dangers.

We deserve better.

TAKE ACTION:

The Piedmont Environmental Council Charlottesville Office: (434) 977.2033

We deserve long-term, well-planned solutions for our traffic problems – like those laid out by the Six Fixes.

EMAIL YOUR OFFICIALS TODAY (By using the link above)

For more information: visit PEC’s Western Bypass webpage or view Part I of this slide series.