Letter from Angela Tucker to Meredith Richards 12/22/99, Scanned by Charlottesville-Albemarle MPO 1/2000

COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, 701 VDOT WAY CHARLOTTESVILLE, 22911 A. G. TUCKER RESIDENT ENGINEER

December 22, 1999

Meadow Creek Parkway

Ms. Meredith Richards, Chair, Charlottesville-Albemarle MPO, Post Office Box 1505 300 East Main Street First Floor Charlottesville, Virginia 22902

Dear Ms. Richards:
As discussed at yesterday's MPO meeting, this is in reference to the letter from Mayor Daugherty, dated July 20, 1999, to Scott Hollis and Reginald Beasley, Jr. of VDOT regarding the City's comments on design for the Meadow Creek Parkway. It is the Department's intent to build the Meadow Creek Parkway with respect to the details outlined in the aforementioned letter. The following points will be addressed accordingly:

I . The design speed has been reduced to 60 km/hr. The alignment has been revised to reflect the suggestions in the Reiley Report. The section of roadway in the County will also have a 60 km/hr design speed. We are reviewing this alignment for potential changes to allow the road to "lay more lightly on the land".

2. The number of lanes for construction is two (2) eleven-foot lanes with two (2) five-foot bike lanes between curbing. The east side lanes will be built to minimize intrusion into the park as well as to allow the six-foot pedestrian trail to be built. Grading will not occur on the west side of the road.

3. Sufficient right of way for a four- (4) lane roadway will be acquired at the outset as part of the current project.

4. The design for intersection improvements at Route 250 presents the greatest challenge with respect to community approval. The Department is obligated to provide a functionally safe facility and in doing so presented at the design public hearing an intersection with a total of twenty-four (24) lanes. The Department has since reduced the number of lanes to twenty-two (22). These can be further reduced to twenty (20) by eliminating two exclusive right turn lanes. A minimum of twenty lanes is necessary in order to provide for safe left turning and through traffic movements, particularly on the existing Route 250 Bypass. The Department will continue to work with City Staff and the Design Advisory Committee to resolve these design issues. A compromise on behalf of public safety and sentiment may be necessary. Pedestrian and bicycle access will be provided at grade at this intersection.

5. Bicycle travel will be accommodated for all classifications of bicyclists on two inroad five(5) foot bicycle lanes. Pedestrian travel will be accommodated on a six- (6) foot facility with two- (2) foot shoulders. Because of the inroad bike lanes, construction funding will allow for no more than six (6) feet of pavement on this additional trail facility. Similar to sidewalk construction cost sharing features, the City can fund the paving of two (2) additional feet of trail in order to obtain the desired eight- (8) foot wide pathway.

6. A new lake or pond for the park will be designed in lieu of the storm water management facilities originally proposed. City Staff has been requested to forward information regarding the lake's "footprint" and depth. Should this information not be available by mid January from the City staff, the Department will use the "footprint" and depth detailed in the Reiley Report in order to proceed with completing the roadway design.

7. Additional park land will be provided for as allowed under the Department's right of way acquisition process.

8. The Department does not intend to place, nor does current legislation allow cellular phone towers on public rights of way without participating in local government planning procedures. The Department is open to considering additional documentation as proposed by the City and County if necessary.

9. The Meadow Creek Parkway is designed to be a limited access facility. Truck restrictions can be placed as needed by the City and County after construction is complete. As requested, limited access right of way fencing will not be installed.

10. The Department will continue to participate in regional transportation planning endeavors so as not to promote use of the parkway as an "eastern connector".

11. The Department appreciates the very useful work of the Design Advisory Committee. It is the Department's intent to build this roadway implementing the Committee's ideas and the Reiley Report's technical suggestions, however, we do not believe that a consultant is necessary in order "to monitor design and construction" of this project. It is hoped that by addressing each of these points as directly as possible, the Department, the City, and the County will move forward to productively resolve all design issues. The Department offers to address construction activities by conducting progress meetings open to the public throughout the life of the project.

12. The Vietnam War Memorial will not be impacted by this project as it falls completely outside the construction limits, both temporary and permanent. Please share this information with those whom you feel are necessary. As requested, we are prepared to discuss and reconfirm these items at an upcoming City Council meeting. We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

A. G. Tucker

AGT/ smk

Cc: Maurice Cox Charlotte Humphris Sally Thomas Don Wells Marvin Hilton Reginald Beasley Bob Boothe Don Askew