Last week, we welcomed a long-awaited pedestrian bridge over U.S. Route 29! On the other side of town, however, VDOT unveiled a new proposal for the planned Fifth Street bridge over Interstate 64 that would not include bike infrastructure. Take action today!
Walk & Bike
Bike and pedestrian connectivity are a great way to enhance quality of life and create healthy, thriving urban communities. The gains to a community are numerous and can include expanded transportation options, greater economic development opportunities, and improved health and wellness.
Halloween Bike Ride, E-Bike Opportunities, New Pedestrian Bridge
This text was taken from an email alert sent out on October 28, 2025. Sign up for email alerts →
Dear Mobility Advocates and Allies:
I can’t believe the Loop de Ville was a month ago!
It was very fun and I’ll always remember it. What’s even more exciting is that people keep telling me that it introduced them to new trails and to the community. I wrote a blog post about how the annual trailfest encourages more people to explore area trails by emphasizing – and learning from — the social aspects of outdoor exploration.
Now as October transitions to November I’d like to invite you to explore town on one of my favorite group bike rides, to check out two e-bike opportunities and to celebrate a new pedestrian bridge that will cross one of the area’s worst barriers and save lives.
Halloween Bike Ride
Sunday, Nov. 2, 3:30 – 6 p.m.
Charlottesville Community Bikes (917 #D Preston Avenue)
Costumes are encouraged for this late-afternoon, family-friendly ride. We’ll mainly use quiet neighborhood streets to visit a few spooky locations in town, finding fellowship and safety in numbers. The pace will be slow, suitable for anyone who is capable of staying on their bike for about an hour (with plenty of breaks).
As always we need volunteers to help with the ride and hanging flyers
(English | Spanish) around town.
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Two E-Bike Opportunities
By helping you conquer hills, making it easier to maintain a steady pace and eliminating the need for a wardrobe change after your ride, e-bikes can change your bicycling equation in our hilly region. That’s why Charlottesville is offering $1,000 vouchers for e-bike purchases to city residents.
The deadline for the next drawing is this Friday, Oct. 31.
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E-Bike Demo
Wednesday, Oct. 29, noon – 2 p.m.
Ting Pavilion on the Downtown Mall
If you’d like to try an e-bike, stop by the Ting Pavilion on Wednesday. The
Cville E-bike Lending Library will be on hand with several different models with various configurations and price points.
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Pedestrian Bridge Ribbon Cutting
Thurs., Nov. 13, 10 – 11 a.m.
U.S. Route 29 at Zan Road; park at Burton’s Grill (2010 Bond St.)
VDOT has announced that the long-awaited pedestrian bridge over U.S. Route 29 at Zan Road will finally be completed October 31. This new bridge is technically located in both Charlottesville and Albemarle County, at the core of the combined urban area. It will link major existing commercial areas, where many people live today and many more are expected in the future.
In the meantime, it will make it safer to cross one of the area’s most intractable barriers. Join us as we celebrate this critical link in the wider regional network that will make daily life easier and safer.
This email combines both advocacy opportunities and social events because I see the two as deeply connected. I make that point in the blog post I referenced at the top of this email. By working together we inspire and learn from one another. That moves projects forward and makes them better, improving physical connectivity and social cohesion in a positive cycle.
I hope to experience that wheel turning together with you at either the E-bike Demo, the Halloween Ride or the long-awaited Ribbon Cutting!
Peter Krebs
Albemarle & Charlottesville Community Advocacy Manager
[email protected]
(434) 465-9869
p.s. Here’s an additional way to get more involved with local issues in Albemarle County this week. There are Community Advisory Committees for each of the seven urban areas in the county and are an important avenue to learn about and discuss upcoming issues, projects and developments. They are all meeting at once this Thursday.
All-Community Advisory Committee Meeting
Thurs. Oct. 30, 6 – 8 p.m.
Albemarle County Office Building (401 McIntire Rd.)
Halloween Costume Bike Promotes Safety on the Roads
Around 30 riders decorated their bikes, dressed up as extra-terrestrials, supernatural beings, cartoons and food items, and enjoyed a November evening of biking around Charlottesville.
Loop de ‘Ville Creates Community, Outdoors
More than 350 people braved a rainy day to take part in the Loop de ’Ville Sept. 23, 2025. The full-day, 20-mile adventure is organized by a coalition of groups seeking to draw more people outdoors, specifically to experience Charlottesville’s Rivanna Trail.
Fall Updates From Albemarle and Charlottesville
Fall updates: Albemarle Data Center Ordinance, Loop de Ville, AC44 nearing completion, and Ragged Mountain temporarily closes + lots of events.
Let’s have fun in the woods!
So many opportunities to get outdoors and advocate for better walking and biking infrastructure are around the corner. Join us!
Rivanna Festivities & Take Action
This text was taken from an email alert sent out on July 29, 2025. Sign up for email alerts →
Dear Supporter,
If you’ve spent any time around the Rivanna River this summer, then you’ve experienced first-hand the benefits of increased public access to nature and the environment. This is a key focus area for PEC because access to nature improves the health and well-being of individuals and communities, it creates a deeper connection to place and often inspires enhanced stewardship and love of the environment.
Read on to learn about upcoming happenings around and about the Rivanna River this summer and fall — and how you can get involved!
Ways to Get Involved
Sign the Petition: Make Free Bridge Lane Permanently Car-free
Late last year, Albemarle County closed Free Bridge Lane to automobile traffic, creating a highly accessible and safe riverside space for walking, running and biking. That action has proven quite popular, and the Board of Supervisors will discuss making the closure permanent at its August 6 meeting.
In our petition, we’re asking Albemarle County to:
- permanently transition Free Bridge Lane from underutilized roadway to public park
- fund and build a first wave of safety, access and environmental improvements
- budget significant funding for buildout Free Bridge Lane and the larger Rivanna River Greenway
There is no guarantee this will happen without strong public support. Here are some ways you can help:
- Sign the petition. This is a simple way to be on record supporting this effort.
- Contact the Board of Supervisors directly and tell them why places like Free Bridge Lane are important to you.
- Attend the Aug. 6 meeting and consider speaking during the public comment period (at the beginning of the meeting).
Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting
Wed., Aug. 6, 1 – 4:30 p.m. (Public Comment around 1:30 p.m.)
County Office Building, 401 McIntire Road
Although the county has long term plans for a promenade, right now, Free Bridge Lane is a bit of an empty canvas where new temporary installations or popup events are possible. Some are already happening. If you have an idea for improvements, projects, activities, or events you would like to see in the future, you can share your ideas here.
A team of PEC Summer Fellows has prepared an idea book of (mostly) practical ways to transform the disused roadway into a lively park. Take a look!
The wider network of riverside greenways (and blueways!) will be topics at two upcoming gatherings.
Mobility Alliance Meeting + Social
Fri., Aug. 8, 4 – 6 p.m.
Decipher Brewing, 1540 Broadway Street
Do you like to walk, bike, run or paddle – or just move freely in fresh air? The Piedmont Mobility Alliance is a coalition focused on making it easier and safer to get outdoors. This casual gathering will be a chance to learn, share, and collaborate, with a special emphasis on the Rivanna River.
All are welcome! There will be beer specials, plenty of non-alcoholic options, snacks, plus pizza and pretzels for purchase.
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Annual Rivanna Basin Conference
Wed., Sept. 24, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Boulevard
This year’s conference focuses on water supply planning within the context of the region’s data center development and a growing need for drought resilience. PEC Director of Land Use, Julie Bolthouse, will speak about our data center reform efforts across the state. Additional speakers, tabling organizations and a full agenda to come.
Speaking of the Rivanna, registration will open this Friday, Aug. 1 for the annual Loop de Ville Trail Fest!
Loop de Ville Trail Fest
Sat. Sept. 27, All Day (Raindate: Sun., Oct. 5)
Hikes, runs, rides of various distances, Rivanna River Company, 1520 E High Street
The Loop de Ville celebrates Public Lands Day on the beloved Rivanna Trail, which encircles Charlottesville and links to the Rivanna River. The day features numerous hikes, walks, runs, and bike rides for people of all abilities, including a 3-mile riverside walk and half-loop — with guides and support along the way.
An event of this size needs the support of the community to make it happen. Consider signing up to be a sponsor or volunteer, both of which are needed.
See you in the community,
Faith Schweikert
Communications Specialist
[email protected]
(434) 977-2033 x7026
Take Action: Make Free Bridge Lane Permanently Car-free
Late last year, Albemarle County closed Free Bridge Lane to automobile traffic, creating a safe, riverside space for walking, running, and biking. That has proved very popular so the Board of Supervisors will discuss making the arrangement permanent at its August 6 meeting.
Here are five ways you can help:
- Please sign PEC’s petition requesting the following: 1) finalize the road closure, 2) fund and build a first wave of safety, access and environmental improvements, and 3) budget in coming years to construct the proposed promenade. We will forward the petition to County leaders when the time comes.
- Contact the Board of Supervisors directly and tell them why places like Free Bridge Lane are important to you.
- Attend the August 6 meeting and consider speaking during the public comment period (at the beginning of the meeting).
- Share your ideas for improvements, projects, activities, or events you would like to see On Free Bridge Lane (especially things that can be done quickly, cheaply and that you would be willing to champion).
- Get inspired! A team of PEC Summer Fellows has prepared an idea book of (mostly) practical ways to transform the disused roadway into a lively park. Take a look!
The future of Free Bridge Lane will depend on a combination of volunteer energy, private donations and certain specific actions that only the government can take (like improving the safety and access). We depend on all of you to make it happen!
In the meantime, go check it out. The flat, paved riverside space is especially good for learning ride a bike or rollerblade, doing measured wind sprints or walking with elders. [Info page]
A Conversation on Trails and Connectivity
While conserving the verdant landscapes of Virginia’s Piedmont is foundational to The Piedmont Environmental Council’s mission, making the outdoors accessible to everyone has become an equally vital goal. Over the past few years, we have deliberately integrated trail development into our broader conservation mission, protecting strategic properties that can serve as trail corridors or public access points to create lasting places and ways for people to experience the Piedmont’s natural beauty firsthand.
Charlottesville Bike Month Starts May 1!
Happy Bike Month! May is packed with events, gatherings and group rides organized by Piedmont Mobility Alliance groups and partners.