This text was taken from an email alert sent out on November 17, 2025. Sign up for email alerts →
Dear Supporter,
Last week, we welcomed a long-awaited pedestrian bridge over U.S. Route 29! This is a major milestone that will make it much easier and safer to get around the community. 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. As so often happens when we celebrate a win, we are reminded that much work still needs to be done.
Charlottesville has a reasonably walkable and bikeable downtown area surrounded by picturesque countryside. There is a dangerous zone in between, along the border between city and county, with many barriers in the form of highways and roads that are extremely difficult to cross.
The U.S. 29 corridor is arguably the worst in that regard. Yet thousands of people conduct their lives there, often struggling to complete simple trips. Indeed, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle about a month ago just south of the intersection with Hydraulic Road.
Thanks to more than a decade of advocacy and leadership, and years of hard work, VDOT has opened a pedestrian bridge over U.S. 29, within visual range of the crash site. Located at Zan Road, it connects major shopping areas and multiple neighborhoods. Even more businesses and residences are planned for the area, which is ripe for infill and redevelopment. Fittingly, the bridge also connects Albemarle County to the City of Charlottesville as their shared border follows U.S. 29 in this area.
“Today is a big day in the community,” Mayor JuanDiego Wade said at the ribbon cutting ceremony. ”This bridges the gap between safety and opportunity.”
A Similar Barrier, Yet Unresolved
Photo by Hugh Kenny/PEC.
On the other side of town, Albemarle County correctly identified the Fifth Street corridor, especially the bridge over Interstate 64, as a top priority for walk/bike infrastructure as it, too, is an intimidating place to walk or bike. But it’s not far from downtown and close to several parks and shops. If the connectivity could be resolved, it would be a desirable place to live or work.
That’s an important reason why PEC supported the Attain on Fifth housing project, which is adding more housing by building on under-utilized parking areas. It is the kind of adaptive, infill development that’s located near where services already exist that we’d like to see more of.
To support this infrastructure, Albemarle County applied for the latest round of SMART SCALE funding to build a bridge that would improve congestion, vehicle safety and add a shared-use path for walking and biking. That project was not funded, however, partly due to cost.
In an effort to lower the price tag, VDOT is proposing a new version of the bridge that would include a sidewalk but no infrastructure for bicycling. Cyclists would be expected to ride through the proposed diverging diamond alongside the cars, which might end up being more dangerous for cyclists than the status quo.
VDOT acknowledges that there are other ways to get cyclists across I-64, some of which are projects that PEC has long championed (like the greenway along Biscuit Run or a PEC-supported greenway along Moore’s Creek to Azalea Park and Old Lynchburg Road). But these are not part of the project, and there is no specific guarantee that any of them will get built.
I could imagine the best and most cost-effective scenario might be a combination of the proposed bridge AND some of the proposed trails and sidewalks. But the bridge with the diverging diamond intersection alone will not be acceptable.
VDOT has posted a brief survey asking people about the no-bike-lane option. I urge you to take the survey but not worry too much about rating or ranking the parts or alternatives. Instead, use the open-response to make the following points:
- Proper infrastructure for cyclists to get across I-64 is non-negotiable.
- Explain why this is important in your own words, whether that be because bikes are important or because diverging diamonds are not appropriate for cycling.
- The alternative projects are appealing and should be built. They provide additional connectivity in addition to getting people across I-64.
- It would be unacceptable to exclude proper bicycle infrastructure from the bridge or to leave them for an unknown future project.
Note that the deadline for this survey is this Friday, so your participation is urgently needed.
Good things are happening in the community. As Diantha McKeel said at the ribbon cutting above U.S. 29, “The bridge is a celebration of what we can accomplish together.”
The best way to honor the work that so many have put into this is to address the other barriers we know exist and to do so urgently because we know the stakes. Getting the Fifth Street corridor right seems like a good next step.
Peter Krebs
Albemarle & Charlottesville Community Advocacy Manager
[email protected]
(434) 465-9869
P.S. Before I go, get to know the infrastructure that’s already on the ground at the City Market Bike Ride every Saturday at 10 a.m., or infrastructure that’s on the way at the Three Notched Trail Public Meeting Thursday, Dec. 4 at Western Albemarle High School.