Rather than drag this out any further, maybe the City of Charlottesville should just end the discussion and say they’re not going to support/build/move forward with their part of the Parkway. Just stand up for what you believe in and say no. (and pay VDOT back)

It’s only been 43 years since they started talking about it. Think about that. 43 years to discuss one road.

Related reading:

- The most comprehensive source for Meadowcreek Parkway information – Charlottesville Tomorrow

- What if the Meadowcreek Parkway didn’t exist? (travel patterns and settlement patterns have changed in the past 40 years)

- Heck, I’ve been writing about it since 2005. (ignore the Daily Progress dead link)

- Meadowcreek Parkway study by the Free Enterprise Forum

* Photo courtesy of

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The new Amtrak train between Lynchburg and Washington had twice as many passengers as expected during its first month of operation in October …

Charlottesville also had a strong increase in ridership. More than 8,500 people got on or off the two trains in Charlottesville during October. That was about 2,300 more riders than the city had in the same month of 2008.

Is anyone using this line to commute from Charlottesville to DC?

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I sold a house in the City of Charlottesville to some great clients last year. Now he’s selling his car. Which is awesome, and very green.

is living and working downtown, so no need for a second car – someone buy it! http://bit.ly/8DhpH6      

That they’re living in the City and are able (and willing – that’s part of it, too!) to sell their car.

Incidentally, the current issue of National Association of Realtors’ On Common Ground (not yet online) is all about walkability, transit, smart (read: intelligent, not the bastardized/politicized “smart”) growth featuring Walkscore and a few quotes from yours truly.

Search for homes in Charlottesville with high Walkscores.

Search for homes in Crozet with high Walkscores. (coincidentally, I house I’m marketing comes up first … and the Walkscore is in reality much higher due to some missing restaurants and coffee shops in Crozet)

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One of the primary reasons my clients move to the Charlottesville region* is because, relatively, our traffic is insignificant compared to what they are used to. But for how long?

Part One started yesterday in the Daily Progress.

The difficulty in balancing growth pressures and a decline in transportation infrastructure spending is growing more acute, but there is little movement toward solutions.

Part Two today focuses on Pantops. To my mind, this quote sums of Charlottesville’s and Albemarle’s mutual mindsets regarding traffic and infrastructure:

After getting new data, “maybe we can take another look at it,” said Albemarle Supervisor Kenneth C. Boyd, who said he is not opposed to building an eastern connector.

Part Three – UVA Influence on 250 continues to expand

The growth of the University of Virginia continues to set the tone for the 3-mile length of U.S. 250 from Emmet Street to Broomley Road.

At the eastern end, both the Lewis Mountain neighborhood and commuters are awaiting plans for a new performing arts center, as well as a new intersection.

At the western end, construction continues for a new 50-bed hospital next to UVa’s Northridge medical office building and Moser Radiation Therapy Center.

In between, both Charlottesville and Albemarle County are struggling to find ways to make improvements that will open the road to pedestrians and cyclists.

Part Four – Amid growth in Crozet, Albemarle seeks to maintain US 250 as a scenic byway

“I am caught between progress and familiar surroundings,” Whiting said. “The other day I left the house and there was a wall of cars on Route 250 and I couldn’t go either direction. I sat in my driveway for 30 minutes.”

Whiting said Crozet’s growth has made her feel like she is being “bombarded with an influx of people.”

“I feel like I live on a major interstate in the city and that 250 has become just insane,” she said. “I used to walk on 250, but it is not safe anymore.”

Crozet resident Barb Franko is a member of the Route 250 West Task Force who favors greater attention being given to the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, while at the same time keeping 250 west a two-lane road.

How would you solve the transit/traffic/transportation issues the Charlottesville/Albemarle region is facing?

* Charlottesville region = Charlottesviille, Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Nelson

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Thanks to Charlottesville Tomorrow’s Sean Tubbs:

The fate of a proposed Regional Transit Authority (RTA) could depend on who is selected in January to represent the City Council and the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors on two regional transportation bodies. Since a joint meeting in February 2008, local officials have been pursuing the creation of a new authority to operate and expand local bus service.

Supervisor David Slutzky, a chief proponent of the RTA, was defeated in his bid for re-election to Albemarle’s Rio District seat earlier this month. Slutzky sits on both the MPO policy board and a committee created to guide the transition from a Charlottesville-owned bus system to one operated by an independent RTA. The RTA working group last met in May of this year.

Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed a bill authorizing Charlottesville and Albemarle to create a transit authority, but a companion bill that may have provided a funding source for enhanced service did not make it out of committee. That legislation would have authorized a referendum in which city and country residents would have voted on a sales tax increase to pay the RTA’s operating and capital costs.

Among the questions to be answered is how much it will cost to implement the new authority and how assets of the Charlottesville Transit Service would be transferred to the RTA.

The Charlottesville/Albemarle region needs some form of transit that helps alleviate the traffic and congestion that, while not as bad as other areas (Northern Virginia/LA/etc) – is bad by Charlottesville standards – and frankly, those are the standards that matter to me.

We need some forward-thinking action by those whom we have elected and those who have elected to serve. I encourage the new Supervisors and Councilor to appoint people who will be focused on accomplishing something other than increasing their own political capital. God help us if the only action coming from these groups are more studies.

* The Charlottesville Tomorrow story also appeared in the Daily Progress. I pulled from the Charlottesville Tomorrow story because it provided something the DP story didn’t – links and context within the story.

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Wake up a little bit earlier, grab your kids, stop by a coffee shop, and enjoy the morning on Friday!

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At least we now have Amtrak service from Lynchburg to DC. From the Daily Progress:

The new train was due to arrive at the station at 2:15 p.m., and it pulled in at roughly 2:24 p.m.
Beginning in Lynchburg, the train officially starts its service today and will add 14 more trips per week in Charlottesville. It came to Charlottesville on Wednesday from Culpeper and then headed to Lynchburg after Kaine — who received a rail hat that said “Chief Engineer,” a train whistle and bandana — hopped on.

…
The train was originally scheduled to leave on weekdays from Lynchburg at 5:05 a.m. and arrive at Washington’s Union Station at 8:40 a.m., but that has since been revised to a 7:43 a.m. departure from Lynchburg and an 11:20 a.m. arrival in Washington.
“What I think will be emphasized is leisure travel and student travel. Because in both cases, people aren’t so tied to when they need to arrive,” Richards said.

I didn’t intend to write such a negative headline, as I really want to emphasize that getting even this route is a major success. But I’m colored by working with a fair number of international clients this year; in the words of one of my clients who lived in Germany for a couple years – “if a train is five minutes late, people get fired.”

Just so you know, the Amtrak code for Charlottesville is CVS. Washington DC is WAS.

If I were to buy a ticket to ride tomorrow on the Northeast Regional, I’d leave Charlottesville at 8:49am and arrive in DC at 11:20am. $45 up. Coming home, I’d leave DC at 4pm and arrive in Charlottesville at 6:26pm. $29.

Slideshow at the HooK.

Update 02 October 2009: Rick Sincere has a critical analysis of the new train service.

Related:

Charlottesville rail service for tourists
Inter-City rail in Virginia!

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I’ll believe it when I drive clients on either road. I’ll bet $100, to be donated to the charity of your choice, if either of these roads gets built before 2020. Read the whole story at Charlottesville Tomorrow.

My prediction? At least two more studies before another study is recommended.

Image courtesy of Charlottesville Tomorrow.

A Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) report on the future of U.S. 29 will recommend the consideration of two new roads in the Charlottesville area. The first would extend the University of Virginia’s Leonard Sandridge Road using some portions of the right-of-way previously purchased for the U.S. 29 Western Bypass.  The second would connect U.S. 29 to the 250 Bypass via a partially elevated roadway near the Kroger at Hydraulic Road.

…

Springer said the study will recommend three potential alternatives for the extension. Alternative 1 would connect Leonard Sandridge Road to the intersection of Georgetown Road and Barracks Road along a new route. Alternatives 2 and 3 would both follow portions of the Western Bypass route, with one connecting at Hydraulic Road near Albemarle High School and the other connecting onto Earlysville Road.

‘It would not function as a bypass but would serve local traffic,” said Charlie Rasnick, a retired VDOT engineer who is working on the study. He said the idea was to extend the parallel roads concept.

VDOT began purchasing parcels of land along the bypass’s route in the mid-1990’s and has spent $33.7 million to acquire at least some of the right-of-way. State law requires the agency to begin selling back those parcels twenty-years after the original purchase date if they are not used.

…
The other road called for in the study would be a new connector road linking Hydraulic Road with the 250 Bypass via a new interchange. An image included in the MPO’s presentation depicts the road as passing through the existing Kroger and the Quality Inn.

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Is this in effect at all of the schools in Charlottesville or Albemarle or just Crozet?

Walk to School Day is this Friday, 18 September at Crozet Elementary … luckily I live about a mile from school, so we’ll be stopping at the Crozet Mudhouse for a breather.

The last time I recall a Walk to School day was in 2006, and I heard about it from ACCT.

From the New York Times (and I know I’m pushing Fair Use, but this is important):

Certain realities also shape these procedures, such as the schedules of working parents, unsafe neighborhoods and school transportation cuts.

But when these constraints are mixed with anxiety over transferring children from the private world of family to the public world of school, the new normal can look increasingly baroque. Now, in some suburbs, parents and children sit in their cars at the end of driveways, waiting for the bus. Some school buses now have been fitted with surveillance cameras, watching for beatings and bullying.

Children are driven to schools two blocks away. At some schools, parents drive up with their children’s names displayed on their dashboards, a school official radios to the building, and each child is escorted out.

When to detach the parental leash? The trip to and from school has become emblematic of the conflict parents feel between teaching children autonomy and keeping them safe. In parenting blogs and books, the school-bus stop itself is shorthand for the turmoil of contemporary parents over when to relinquish control.

Parents’ worst nightmares were inflamed recently by the re-emergence of Jaycee Dugard, the 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped on her way to the school bus 18 years ago in northern California.

The fear of abduction by strangers “has become a norm within middle-class parental circles,” said Paula S. Fass, a history professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of “Kidnapped: Child Abduction in America.” “We try to control our fears to the nth degree, so we drop our children off right at school. It’s a confirmation that ‘I’m a good parent.’ ”

In 1969, 41 percent of children either walked or biked to school; by 2001, only 13 percent still did, according to data from the National Household Travel Survey. In many low-income neighborhoods, children have no choice but to walk. During the same period, children either being driven or driving themselves to school rose to 55 percent from 20 percent. Experts say the transition has not only contributed to the rise in pollution, traffic congestion and childhood obesity, but has also hampered children’s ability to navigate the world.

Update 18 September 2009: WCAV did a nice story, with my daughter’s television debut!

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Lamentably, the new rail service being launched by Amtrak will be targeted at tourists and leisure riders rather than those who might get more use from such a service – if it were timed appropriately.

Thanks to Congressman Tom Perriello for supporting a more intelligently-timed schedule. It’s embarrassing when working with clients from other countries who are accustomed to having transportation options – having to describe how we have virtually no efficient options other than cars for traveling or commuting.

From Charlottesville Tomorrow:

Meredith Richards, Chairman of the Piedmont Rail Coalition, and Congressman Tom Perriello (D-5th) convened a regional summit on Thursday to discuss service improvements and whether Amtrak should be lobbied further for an earlier departure time.

The train was originally scheduled to leave Lynchburg at 5:05 a.m. and arrive at D.C.’s Union Station at 8:40 a.m. At the time, Amtrak officials said such a service would be targeted towards business travelers.

“The Lynchburg departure at 7:43 a.m. and Washington arrival at 11:20 a.m. will effectively eliminate day travel for business purposes,” wrote Perriello in a letter to Amtrak’s CEO. “The adopted schedule provides no means to demonstrate that there may be a substantial, untapped market in the US29 corridor.”

Perriello told participants at Thursday’s meeting that, in response to his letter, Amtrak said its customers along the corridor were more interested in consistent and reliable access to New York, Philadelphia and other cities in the northeast.
…

Rex Hammond, the Chairman of the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, said continued efforts to alter the schedule would send the wrong message to Amtrak.

"We have to agree to emphasize the positive elements of the schedule,” Hammond said. “This new service will not serve everyone to the extent they’d like to be served."

Can the public see the market studies that they did that demonstrated this service schedule would serve the most people?

And what exactly are those "positive elements"? Now we can say, "we have train service!"?

Additionally, neither the City of Charlottesville nor the County of Albemarle (or its urban ring) have efficient transit options to accomodate those tourists or travelers once they get here.

What about this? (bolding mine, but thanks to TrvlnMn’s comment last year for the original emphasis)

One interesting aspect of the Transmilenio explored in the movie is its feeder lines. While red buses circulate along main arteries, smaller green buses circulate in the neighborhoods, picking up passengers for free and feeding them into the main stations. Making feeder buses free (while still recognizing the need for easy access to stations) gave the city a serious incentive to pave bike paths to stations. After all, every twenty or so people who bike to the Transmilenio equal one less green feeder bus that the city needs to operate.

Further, I’m finding in my business that I’m selling more and more real estate in the Charlottesville area to clients who are interested in being within walking or biking distance to something – usually coffee shops, grocery stores, schools … I perceive the demand to exist, but no real options to satisfy this demand.

Related Stories:

Gas prices and real estate

A Great Comment on Mass Transit in Central Virginia

Charlottesville’s Town Centers

A few Infrastructure Discussions Worth Paying Attention To

Inter-City Rail in Virginia! To which I now say, "meh."

As as aside, regarding the Daily Progress/Charlottesville Tomorrow content partnership – Charlottesville Tomorrow’s format is much cleaner and legible when compared with the Daily Progress’.

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Spend 15 minutes and take the Thomas Jefferson Planning District’s transportation survey.

Also, read the Ground Floor’s argument for increasing the gas tax.

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It’s something to think about. Commuting on a bike connects one to one’s surrounding far more effectively than driving a car.

I noticed this first-hand last June:

Yesterday I parked at a central location (near a coffee shop) and rode to a morning appointment. On the way back, I saw a client/friend and their kids – the older riding his bike with training wheels – and talked to them for a few minutes.

Had I not been on my bike, I likely would have been relegated to waving – the 5 minute connection was valuable.

This year I am going to continue to ride my bike whenever it’s possible and feasible, and will ask clients if they want to do the same. For many properties in the City of Charlottesville and immediate urban ring, this is a very doable thing.

Thanks to Daniel Nairn for pointing this out.

This Friday, Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation (ACCT) is hosting their 1st annual Bike Extravaganza at Cityspace on the downtown mall between 6 -9 PM. Expect bicycles, expect extravagance, expect lots of fun people.

I’d love there to be a map online of the Charlottesville area that showed bike lanes and ratings by other bikers/commuters describing and rating bike lanes and bikeability.

That being said, it’s liable to be a bit cold on Friday.

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People want to be able to walk to stuff.

My question for my readers is this – is your neighborhood walkable?

Walkscore is a great resource, although it’s data is not always 100% accurate. A new tool, optimalhomelocation.com (h/t Lifehacker) offers the potential to find the “best” location for you to live …

Here’s my very rudimentary definition, based on personal biases and listening to my clients’ wants and needs -

- Schools–(you can search by elementary school on my Charlottesville Home Search)

- Walkable neighborhood with sidewalks
–(Walkscore can help, but you’re better off asking someone or driving by the area – or better yet, we can ride to the properties on bicycles!)

- In range of a coffee shop/Main Street/grocery store/playground/park
– Google can help, but there’s no good mashup of MLS data with this information. The best suggestion I’ve seen is for a Google My Maps for each buyer/client.

- Broadband– High speed internet access is an absolute must for most of my clients; unfortunately the local Board has been reluctant to make that a searchable option in the MLS. Even better would be if the providers – Comcast and Embarq (DSL) would provide an API that could be mashed-up/embedded in blogs and websites.

- Curbside recycling
–The City of Charlottesville offers this service as part of the City trash program. — The County of Albemarle does not offer curbside recycling, but two private companies have recently sprung up to fill this need – My Recycling Club and Green Pieces Recycling, so if you’re in the Urban Ring of the County, you should be able to get recycling.

Now … If there was some way to combine Walkscore with Google Transit with Demographic data with a mashup of the Charlottesville MLS or other tool …

I have been saying for a long time that the Charlottesville area is becoming more segmented as the sub-areas become more self-sufficient. This is a very rough map that I did some time ago (holy cow! I just saw that it has more than 15k views in Google!) – but breaking this down into “walk- or bike – ability” is something that can not yet be done by software.

View Larger Map

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Read the whole thing at the HooK.

This new deal boosts the number of passenger train stops in Charlottesville by about 70 percent, and that’s just one reason why Richards, who got the news a few days ago at a Richmond rail conference, is so pleasantly stunned.

“It’s unprecedented,” says Richards. “This will be the first time Virginia has ever funded inter-city rail transporation.”

Baby steps. (although this is a mighty big baby step!)

Voice your opinion at Cville Rail. And read Daniel Nairn’s thoughts about rail in Charlottesville at Discovering Urbanism.

I started thinking of what would happen if crowds of rail passengers unloaded everyday? Even multiple times a day? Charlottesville resides a mere 100 miles away from one of the most sophisticated and heavily-used transit systems in the country, the Washington D.C. metro. If we could somehow plug ourselves into this system, Charlottesville could reap the benefits of economic growth without the downsides of sprawl and congestion.

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I’ve lived here two years, and I have yet to get a straight answer from anyone I ask on why the Western bypass has not been built. I understand there was an Eastern bypass discussed as well and that it died first. To see the long, long lines of traffic, particularly trucks, snaking up 29N waiting to get onto 250W, it puzzles the heck out of me why the bypass hasn’t become a reality. The air pollution and the noise alone should be reason enough to get it done.

After reading your blog today, a lightbulb went on. I’ll bet you will be the one to fill me in on this issue(?)

—–

As I said in my email response, there’s no easy answer other than “because.” Politics, lack of political will, lack of money (even though VDOT already owns the land) …. pushback from locals because they are being pressured by the rest of the state and nobody tells us what to do! are among some of the “answers.” As with all transportation projects in the region not done by UVA (that is, under budget and ahead of schedule) there is a long and varied history.

—–

A roundup -

C-Ville

The Western Bypass, a road that would run from Route 29 just south of Hollymead to UVA’s North Grounds connector, has long been a dream of those who want a way to cut around the stoplights and traffic crunch that is 29N. Its advocates are a coalition of 29N businesses and truckdrivers from Southside. Local 29N businesses want to unclog what they see as the Main Street of Albemarle County, so that shoppers won’t be reluctant to visit their stores. Folks from Southside don’t want to get stuck in traffic on their way to D.C. They bypass came close enough to a reality that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) bought 250 acres of right-of-way. But a lawsuit ensued, and local government support completely eroded. For years, the project has languished with no funding.

Daily Progress

The No. 1 transportation priority of the business communities in Danville and Lynchburg is a 5.5-mile bypass around Charlottesville’s heavily traveled stretch of U.S. 29.

“We’re waiting patiently for your community to become a part of the solution,” said Rex Hammond, president and CEO of the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Laurie S. Moran, president of the Danville/Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, agreed. The traffic congestion on U.S. 29 in Albemarle County is hindering economic growth in her community, she said.

“For us, 29 is critical,” she said. “For our businesses, it really is the lifeblood for keeping the northern markets open.”

Charlottesville Tomorrow -

Transportation Matrix

Cvillenews – (lots of great discussions here)

VDOT Favors the Western Bypass (according to the PEC – pdf)

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You’re missing out on the most comprehensive reporting and analysis about growth and development news that affects buyers, sellers, potential buyers and sellers, residents, renters – citizens darn it in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area.

Just this week -

Charlottesville Airport’s runway extension (or “driveway“)

Commission recommends approval for new Whole Foods site plan

St. Anne’s Belfield’s massive expansion *

State rail plan includes proposal for passenger service through Charlottesville (Daily Progress’ related editorial) – “Despite the obvious need for better mass transportation, taxpayers and legislators still are uncertain about how much public money should go to rail. “

B&B / apartment complex deferred; neighbors object to housing density -

“One could argue that this is an appropriate place for increased density,” Walden wrote, citing the project’s proximity to the University and the South Lawn project. “A large portion of this site is currently a parking lot; therefore this development will be a significant improvement to the Jefferson Park Avenue Corridor,” Walden wrote. “The proposed density and scale of development are not out of character with new development along this corridor.”

…In order to mitigate the traffic impacts, the applicant had offered to provide bikes for the Inn’s guests, reduce rent for residents who choose not to own a car, as well as a dedicated car to be used in a sharing program. The applicant has also offered to provide valets to park cars so that guests do not travel down Gildersleeve Wood neighborhood. Walden said she was not sure how enforceable these mitigation steps would be, but staff’s recommendation for approval of the special use permit was conditional on their implementation.

Crozet commuter service may get reexamined

There is a tremendous amount of information out there to be digested and processed. If more citizens participated in these conversations – on- and off-line – we would all likely be better off.

*My alma mater, Class of ‘94

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Getting feedback from Buyer’s Agents is one of the most persistent challenges a listing agent faces, yet good feedback is absolutely crucial to understanding buyers’ mindsets to help best advise sellers. Note this feedback received yesterday on one of my listings:

Shows much better than all the competition. My clients liked it the best of any they saw (here – about 15 minutes/10 miles to the City). They bought in (town) however. He will be at the JAG school and easy commute and gas prices made them choose in close.

The trouble is, when showing forty plus houses a week, it’s that more challenging to elicit feedback from Buyers Agents …

As a recap, If You Don’t Think Gas Price Are Affecting Buyers … You’re not paying attention.

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That’s the question posed by the New York Times a little while ago.

There may be some truth to that presumption (and is that necessarily a “bad thing”?) Peer pressure works. There is truth to the trend and perception that more homebuyers are asking questions about the green bona fides of homes in today’s market. Taking the politics of the debate out of the equation, let’s focus on the diffusion of this new-fangled “green” technology -

- Will Ferrell was driving a concept BMW last year; Honda is nearing the release of a production hydrogen car. Take a look at the search volume for the Prius.

- Three years ago, I would have been hard-pressed to find a LEED or Earthcraft home in the MLS; now there are at least fifty.

- Consumer Reports now has a Green Home Improvement Guide.

I’d argue that when looking at the five classes of technology adopters – Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority and Laggards, we’re probably in or on the cusp of the Early Majority phase. Is it because celebrities have “trophy homes”? Doubtful. There is a significant benefit to “going green” that goes beyond political capital or chest-thumping.

It’s the market, stupid. Innovation is spurred by necessity.

Water is increasing by about 5%, the cost of electricity in the Charlottesville area is going to increase by at least 18%, fuel prices are at record levels (duh), and those buying houses today tend to be planning to stay for at least five to seven years (ancedotally). More buyers are asking to go green.

The Blue Ridge Eco Shop didn’t exist a couple of years ago, neither did Cville Enviro or the Better World Betty site. These places came to existence because the market demanded their services.

The market is moving beyond individual green products and into the realm of green developments – because the market is demanding LEED-certified Neighborhood Developments (although I’d argue that LEED-ND has not yet reached mainstream vernacular)

Courtesy of the National Association of Realtors’ On Common Ground magazine* -

Experts interviewed for this article were unanimous on one point: collecting green-certified houses into a conventional subdivision on a former farm fi eld at the edge of the metro area would not a green neighborhood make. Beyond that, there was little unanimity.

Some argue that the criteria for a green neighborhood are fairly well satisfi ed by building according to the principles of smart growth. That means conserving land, focusing development first in areas that are already developed, providing transportation options other than cars, and creating mixed-use development that makes neighborhoods compact and walkable. Others say that smart growth, as it is typically discussed, does not quite touch all the bases of sustainability.

Others suggest that building green neighborhoods means following the old environmental mantra: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Reduce the land consumed, the miles traveled by car and the consumption of energy. Reuse the buildings and infrastructure of existing neighborhoods, use waste as a source of energy, and reuse “gray” water to maintain landscaping. Recycle building materials, and even the land itself—the post-industrial brownfi elds and fallow parking-lot “grayfi elds” around defunct shopping centers.

For proof that “Smart” Growth is mainstream, check out this partnership that defies presumptions about Realtors always wanting to build, build, build at all costs -

Those are some of the results of the 2007 Growth and Transportation survey sponsored by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and Smart Growth America.

My prediction – in five years (or sooner) Earthcraft will be the de facto standard for building quality. That, and the Charlottesville/Central Virginia region needs to work on building transit infrastructure now.

Interesting related article – The Green Housing Boom, courtesy of Fast Company

* I requested a few extra copies of this publication because I thought it was such a great issue. If you’re in Charlottesville and would like a copy, please let me know. Otherwise you can download the entire issue here.

Search for homes in Belvedere.

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It would appear that Gov. Kaine thinks so. (thanks to Richmond Sunlight for pointing out this article)

Kaine is proposing a statewide 25-cent increase in the grantors tax, which is now 10 cents per $100 of assessed value, that owners pay on the sale of a house.

First, the grantor’s tax is paid based on the sales price of the house, not the assessed value.

Nuts and bolts – currently the median price in the Charlottesville area is about $275,000. Thus, the grantor’s tax paid by the seller on that particular transaction would be about $275 – and that’s a lot of money! If the tax is increased to 25 cents $687.50. Note also that this tax is paid only when a property sells (which is happening less and less frequently).

Make no mistake – Virginia’s (and the localities’) transportation systems need help; they need maintenance and they need new infrastructure – roads, bike paths, rail lines – but taxing only one segment of the population that uses the system is wrong. It is difficult to get hard, accurate data on what percentage of people in this area own their homes, but let’s assume it’s anywhere from sixty to seventy percent. Thirty to forty percent of people in the area won’t pay this tax, yet they will still use our roads, buses, etc. This is not a question of fair, but one of whether this is a reasonable proposal.

One reason that the grantor’s tax is proposed is because it is a bit of a hidden tax – it’s just another one of those fees that gets thrown together on the HUD-1 at closing. In the hot market, no one questioned the tax; now every nickel counts.

Why not a broad-based tax that everyone would pay (gas tax), other than lack of political and intestinal will and fortitude?

To target one segment of the population for a tax that needs to be focused on the entire population, regardless of the state of the housing market, is not right.

The best prediction from the Washington Post article goes to lobbyist Charlie Davis -

“At the end of the day, maybe putting a ‘lockbox’ on transportation funds, maybe a local taxing authority, but that is it. Give Kaine credit for pushing for something. The Republicans can be tagged as obstructionists but . . . Kaine came back with almost the identical plan that was shot down last year, so which is more foolhardy? But the session will provide ample opportunity for a lot of social interaction to discuss the presidential campaign and enjoy some wonderful cuisine at the Capitol snack bar.”

And he’s probably right.

Related posts -

Whom should we tax?

A few Transportation bills

Too funny not to post – Copy of the Republican Transportation Plan

Update 06/24/2008: C-Ville has a good article about the state of the transportation debate, including this:

In the event that Kaine’s latest bill goes through unscathed (which is about as likely as UVA winning this year’s NCAA football championship), we the people of Virginia would have the pleasure of paying: 1 percent more when we buy a car; $10 more for annually registering our cars; and, when we sell our homes, a 250 percent higher “grantor’s tax,” which would go from 10 to 35 cents per $100 of assessed value. Most of the $1 billion generated annually would go to highway maintenance, but the revenue from the grantor’s tax increase—about $150 million annually—would go toward mass transit.

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Get out your best Magic 8 Ball -

He also observed the largest wave of Generation Y home purchasing begins in 2012, after experts think the housing market will have turned around. Although what qualifies as an “urban core area” may vary widely to different people, it seems a safe bet to expect considerable variety in tastes in the housing market.

Hmmm … I seem to recall writing a related post a short while ago …

Also related -

How Many Towncenters do we need in CharlAlbemarle?

WalkScore and Zillow sitting in a tree

Proximity to rail increases property values?

Could this be part of the future of transportation?

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCentralVA.comwhere this was originally posted.