belmont bridge project · 2018-03-28 · • replace an insufficient and deteriorating bridge for...

B E L M O N TB R I D G ER E P L A C E M E N T

SUMMARY BROCHURE

CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VAMARCH 2018

• Replace an insufficient and deteriorating bridge for vehicular, bicyclists, and pedestrian usage.

• Maintain connectivity and expand integration with the surrounding community.• Enhance pedestrian and bicycle access along the 9th Street corridor from the Belmont

neighborhood to downtown. • Improve aesthetics, safety, and operations.

I . Goals & Objectives

2 BELMONT BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

The City of Charlottesville has been engaged in a process to design and replace the “Belmont Bridge” which spans CSX rail lines, Avon Street and Water Street between Market Street and Levy Avenue in the City’s downtown. The bridge is a critical transportation link for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles and an important community connection. A prior bridge design process resulted in an Enhanced Bridge Concept supported by City Council.

In early 2017, the City initiated a new public engagement process to inform and guide the design process toward a new bridge and an enhanced community connection along the 9th Street corridor.

REPLACING THE BELMONT BRIDGE TO...

3www.BelmontBridge.org

Charlottesville City Council voted on July 21, 2014 to focus on a replacement bridge concept including a specified list of design performance guidelines. The design direction includes a shortened bridge (reduced from more than 440 feet to approximately 205 feet), two vehicular travel lanes, enhanced bicycle & pedestrian facilities, and attention to aesthetic design.

ENHANCED BRIDGE CONCEPT

• Belmont Bridge is the gateway into downtown- enhance the landscape design elements on the approach• Maintain 25 MPH speed limit• • • Create an innovative and entertaining design• Separate pedestrian, vehicles, and bicycles• • •

Two travel lanes – one in each directionPreserve Views to the mountains and of the railroad tracks

Reduce the bridge lengthAccent lighting to showcase the bridge10’ Bike lanes, 10’ Pedestrian lanes, and 11’ Vehicular Travel lanes


I I . Public Engagement Process and Schedule

Between January 2017 and October 2017, an extensive series of public and stakeholder meetings were conducted including presentations to various City Boards and Commissions. The process began with developing goals and objectives for the project while identifying issues that needed to be addressed. Various ideas and concepts were developed with and evaluated by community input resulting in a preferred concept that then was reviewed by various stakeholder groups. The conceptual plan was found to be in concurrence with the City’s Comprehensive Plan by the Planning Commission and an initial presentation was received by the Board of Architectural Review for the project’s eventual Certificate of Appropriateness. On October 16, 2017 the Charlottesville City Council voted to approve the preferred concept plan and advance the project to final design.

STEERING COMMITTEEAmy Gardner Belmont NeighborhoodJohn Harrison Business Community Patrick Healy Ridge Street NeighborhoodHeather Danforth Hill North Downtown NeighborhoodHarry Holsinger Martha Jefferson NeighborhoodTim Mohr PLACE Design Task Force Scott Paisley PLACE Design Task Force John Santoski Planning Commission Lena Seville CAT Advisory Board Fred Wolf PLACE Design Task Force Brennan Duncan NDS – Traffic EngineerTony Edwards NDS – Development Services ManagerAlex Ikefuna NDS DirectorJeanette Janiczek NDS – UCI Program Manager Carrie Rainey NDS – Urban Designer Marty Silman NDS – City Engineer

Board of Architectural ReviewPLACE Design Task ForceBicycle and Pedestrian Advisory CommitteeTree CommissionDowntown Business Association and the Chamber of CommercePlanning CommissionADA Advisory Committee


STAKEHOLDER GROUPS

TECHNICAL COMMITTEEMatthew Alfele NDS – Neighborhood Planner

Mandy Brown NDS – Assistant Traffic Engineer

Missy Creasy NDS – Assistant Director

Jay Davis Fire – City Fire Marshal

Brennan Duncan NDS – Traffic Engineer

Susan Elliott P/W – Environmental

Tom Elliott NDS –Building Code Official

Craig Fabio NDS – Asst. Zoning Administrator

David Frazier NDS – VSMP E&S Specialist

Chris Gensic Parks and Trail Planner

Brian Haluska NDS – Neighborhood Planner

Christian Chirico Public Utilities – Gas Utility Project Assistant

Charles Kanary CAT Acting Asst. Transit Mgr. - Maintenance

Juwhan Lee CAT Asst. Transit Mgr. – Operations

Zack Lofton NDS – ADA Coordinator/GIS Planner

John Mann Parks – Landscape Manager

Jason McIlwee Public Utilities Engineer

Camie Mess NDS – Historic Preservation Assistant

Heather Newmeyer NDS – Neighborhood Planner

Stacy Pethia NDS – Housing Program Coordinator

Amanda Poncy NDS – Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator

Carrie Rainey NDS – Urban Designer

Michael Ronayne Parks

Mary Joy Scala NDS – Preservation & Design Planner

William Scalfani Police Crime prevention Unit

Rick Siebert Parking Manager

Marty Silman NDS – City Engineer

Paul Oberdorfer P/W – Director

Melissa Stephens P/U – Stormwater Utility Administrator

Stephen Walton Assistant Fire Marshal


OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT



Steering Committee Meetings

Small Stakeholder Group Meetings

Mobility Summit

MetroQuest Survey

Design Charrettes

Open House

3,500+

1,250+30,500+

touch points

written comments

individual data points

Topical Online Survey

5

x18

100+ attendees

896 responses5 Focus Groups

60+ attendees

244 responses

Belmontbridge.org2,196 unique users8,053 page views

3 Public Presentations

PUBLIC INPUT


• Design a functional, integrated design- not iconic• Improve connectivity- emphasis on relationship between downtown and

Neighborhoods • Design focus on multimodal functionality and safety• Create safe bike and pedestrian facilities• Include improved, safe street crossings – calm traffic to reduce travel speed• Improve intersections and approaches (traffic functions, bike/pedestrian safety, aesthetics)• Do not negatively impact access to local businesses • Create opportunities for landscaping and public spaces • Address short term and long term parking needs

TODAY, Belmont Bridge is...

IN THE FUTURE, Belmont Bridge should be...

DESIGN PUBLIC HEARING (SPRING 2018)

CITY COUNCIL ACCEPTANCE OFDESIGN PUBLIC HEARING

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FROM BAR

BIDDING & CONTRACTOR SELECTION

CONSTRUCTION

COMMON THEMES & KEY TAKEAWAYS

DESIGN PUBLIC HEARING (SPRING 2018)

CITY COUNCIL ACCEPTANCE OFDESIGN PUBLIC HEARING

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FROM BAR

BIDDING & CONTRACTOR SELECTION

CONSTRUCTION

NEXT STEPS.....

I I I . Preferred Conceptual Design


• Shorter bridge length with one eleven-foot travel lane in each direction and ten-foot-wide, protected bicycle lanes and pedestrian lanes on both sides

• Closure of Old Avon Road at Levy Avenue to improve intersection operations• Enhanced landscape on the approaches and in street-level plazas • Roadway design improvements including new turn lanes, improved

intersection design and enhanced crossing facilities. • Enhanced pedestrian circulation including new stairways and pedestrian

plazas• New pedestrian underpass under 9th Street• Simple, elegant bridge architecture to integrate into the urban fabric • Opportunities for public art


CSX/BBRR RAILROAD

MARKET ST.

WATER ST.

LEVY AVE.

GARRETT ST.

67T

H S

T. S

E

9TH ST.

9TH

ST.

CORRIDOR PLAN

• Enhance existing pedestrian routes• Add new vertical circulation north and south of railroad• Add pedestrian passageway under 9th Street• Improve crosswalk conditions at intersections• Separate bicycles and pedestrians• Create pedestrian gathering areas

14 BELMONT BRIDGE REPLACEMENTPEDESTRIAN PASSAGEWAY

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

WATER ST.

CSX/BBRR RAILROAD

PEDESTRIAN PLAN

15www.BelmontBridge.orgPEDESTRIAN PASSAGEWAY


ROADWAY PLAN

• Reconfigured turn lanes for improved intersection operations • Mountable barriers between bike lanes and vehicular travel lanes for emergency response • Performed Detailed Traffic Impact Analysis to confirm traffic operations were maintained and improved where possible.

Concept Sketch: 9th Street and Market Street Concept Sketch: Avon Street and Levy Avenue


LOOKING NORTH-NORTH SIDE

EAST

WEST

EASTWEST

LOOKING NORTH- SOUTH SIDE

ROADWAY SECTIONS


• Enhanced pedestrian zone at Pavilion / Mall level with new access to Water Street

• Custom wall cladding to create texture and shadow interest • Custom pier design• Contemporary detailing in railings, lighting and site furnishings• Accent lighting

IV. Design Aesthetics


VERTICAL CIRCULATIONNORTH ABUTMENT

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATIONUNDER 9TH STREET

SPRINT PAVILION

WATER STREET

9TH STREET

WATER STREET


LIGHTING AT THE MEZZANINE LEVEL

9TH STREET

WATER STREET

LIGHTING

View East from Market Street

West Elevation at Pedestrian Tunnel


WALLS & PIERS


Street Tree PlantingDecorative Concrete Paving

CIRCULATION & LANDSCAPING


Rail ings and Stairs

CONSULTANT TEAM:

City of Charlottesville

CONTACT:

Neighborhood Development Services610 East Market Street, P.O. Box 911

Charlottesville, VA 22902

(434) 970-3182www.charlottesville.org

belmont bridge project · 2018-03-28 · • replace an insufficient and deteriorating bridge for...

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