This past August, news leaked out that retiring Delegate Mitch Van Yahres was backing a new road project called the Ruckersville Parkway to alleviate congestion on Route 29 North. Since then, the 16.5 mile road has shifted locations on the map and the design has been revised significantly. While Charlottesville Tomorrow does not have a position for or against this road project, it is an option that will be discussed as part of the Places29 master planning process . As a result, we are providing the public with an updated map and the audio (Podcast link below) of our recent interview with Mitch Van Yahres.
The Ruckersville Parkway
The Ruckersville Parkway has been recommended by a small group of local citizens, including Delegate Mitch Van Yahres, architect Gary Okerlund, and former deputy city manager Bern Ewert. The Ruckersville Parkway is intended to reduce traffic on 29 by providing a two-lane, 35mph, truck-free alternative to a Western Route 29 bypass. The proposed design (as of October 2005) runs over portions of the previous Western 29 bypass route (some of the land already acquired by VDOT), starting at the new North Grounds connector on the 29/250 bypass, and ends North of Ruckersville in Greene County. The parkway has nine intersections with other roads, which will all be roundabouts, and it would support pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The project is being pitched to local elected officials and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in the hopes some planning funds can be allocated to further study of the proposal.
Charlottesville Tomorrow’s Lyle Solla-Yates interviewed Delegate Van Yahres about the Ruckersville Parkway at his offices on October 5, 2005.
