29 to Get More Car-Friendly (soon) & West Main to get More Bike-Friendly

The stories of two Charlottesville/Albemarle arteries:

29:

However, he unveiled a timetable that lists major milestones that must be met to ensure all the projects are completed by October 2017.

“About a year from now, we’re going to have a set of plans for construction for Rio,” Shucet said.

Plans to manage traffic and relocate utilities will be developed in the spring, Shucet said. The road and bridge designs will be reviewed by July, and the plans will be approved by August 2015, he said.

West Main:

The loss of 30 street parking spaces on Charlottesville’s West Main Street in favor of marked bicycle lanes remains a key concern, members of a steering committee learned Wednesday.
…

Though increased walkability may promise to bring foot traffic to local businesses, the loss of street parking in order to accommodate bicycle lanes failed to win the support of some business owners.

I’ve yet to see (I probably haven’t looked hard enough) to see any plans for how to better connect Charlottesville and Albemarle to each other in a bicycle-friendly way.Will West Main be able to handle the soon-to-arrive traffic?

Will those who live closer to West Main be healthier?

In a study, researchers found that adding better infrastructure does make a difference, although it’s mostly for the people who happen to live nearest to the new routes. People living about 12 blocks or less from or a pedestrian and bike path ended up walking and cycling an average of 45 minutes more every week than people living a couple of miles away.