[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6185322,"mediaKeyId","5082518-75471ee93ced37b6e15bd80a0c2af59a","parentId",5082518,"title","BPAC reviews draft Veo permit; members urge stronger enforcement for scooters blocking sidewalks","audioSeconds",759,"startMs",4351000,"endMs",5110000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5082518-75471ee93ced37b6e15bd80a0c2af59a&start=4351&end=5110","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5082518-75471ee93ced37b6e15bd80a0c2af59a/thumbnail_4351000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6185322/Charlottesville/Albemarle-County/Virginia/BPAC-reviews-draft-Veo-permit-members-urge-stronger-enforcement-for-scooters-blocking-sidewalks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185322-19e7d85c587f653020466ffcac54b012/orig.mp4?Expires=1771055217&Signature=mLW46KmVDwBbB3dKl9zXNUJsLoYTj6mrKqNlhNQrs8ooCZf~BDaPMFaj0WyHLTxckqgrxc5XMREHUGaqLx~vizDEKHge3S9c~S2b09BEZ2mayE9svsffLmMG~moKyqm~-I0i4blVdZHJkTNdJTumqrGo-SJfYqgqSo7suowyTIAXjB~KWAFG-M3Ihu3bA~um68WIKw333TTdpnSXVXyszHoySDHhgVlICZCuDGI1cqdn3yb9EwDpRgEdIsQxJZS5WSRHpjzfXX7UxZf-ifxQKosiRaORHxdN6hPO~pRCF7ZanDmAGzuBvX6K8EBSXb~eFfrjYQJ2w1jr-WWxi~GDGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Charlottesville","date","2025-06-26T21:40:17Z","article","BPAC members discussed a draft permit and contract renewal for Veo, the city’s permitted shared micromobility provider, and urged staff to push for stronger rider controls and enforcement.

Tommy (staff) said a draft permit is with the city attorney and will be shared with Veo for review; the committee asked for access to the draft when feasible. Members suggested permit provisions staff should consider, including stronger directed-parking requirements, clearer signage of access programs, higher fines for blocking curb ramps and the option to suspend rider accounts after violations.

Tommy said the program’s geofencing and forced-parking technology have had accuracy issues and that Veo is working on technology fixes. Committee members reported that riders can sometimes circumvent account blocks and suggested steps such as enforcing mandatory photo evidence checks and stronger penalties that could be built into the permit.

Veo’s access and voucher program was discussed; members recommended that the company and city make the subsidy or access program easier to find and promote. Staff asked for written comments from the committee while the draft permit is with the attorney; no formal vote was taken.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee Meeting (06/05/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Committee discussed a draft permit for Veo’s micromobility service and urged stronger requirements and enforcement — including directed parking, higher fines and account suspensions — to stop scooters blocking curb ramps and sidewalks.","taxTitle","Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Virginia","taxId",4418,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6185326,"Community Bikes outlines free-bike program, asks BPAC for partnership ideas",1599,2903000,4502000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5082518-75471ee93ced37b6e15bd80a0c2af59a&start=2903&end=4502","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5082518-75471ee93ced37b6e15bd80a0c2af59a/thumbnail_2903000.jpg","/articles/6185326/Charlottesville/Albemarle-County/Virginia/Community-Bikes-outlines-free-bike-program-asks-BPAC-for-partnership-ideas","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185326-689ec8f64624252f9924313e211dc1b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771055217&Signature=li6MC0Rlh8f63RuelkPuRLqwgP-xlGJbLOIfO~otkbXRcEzPPTNlVKf8k-AtoZ1VpQSyzhhfrdDBvDloG~0zSQbRVIE34axjBLd~HSeAg4ReW~C2V6TOpRb-MFon4sTLg~xe0A8YFuJAtS5fETZwJUbLjxF~G5G4N~OGm7LmNoyQyx3EYLKximKQNh8C9SJK7zhzmBpXTZdFVTWsUAUUKxu1QzZv-WD8Zzig24VTgMo8cFzBWtnlnn0j5qv4fMcZxFc3KMmyILAAigh7JJL0xYdxVwcc-2KnKI1f1xU9FeLFBZ160v5C2UOhC5Co3HSEIMd1uUHfl8yRhAXc37UmZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kevin Winchell, executive director of Charlottesville Community Bikes, outlined the nonprofit’s operations and asked BPAC members for help identifying partnerships as the group plans future expansion.

Winchell said Community Bikes has professionalized in recent years, runs a shop at Preston, and operated mobile clinics that bring bikes and repairs to neighborhoods. He reported that the organization receives roughly 2,000 donated bikes annually, refurbished about 1,500 for distribution last year and gave away roughly 400 adult bikes to people who need them for transportation. He said about a third of the group’s roughly $500,000 annual budget comes from shop sales; the rest comes from grants, foundations and donors.

Winchell described the group’s distribution model: Community Bikes partners with about 30 nonprofit and government organizations that vet clients and request bikes; the goal is a two-week turnaround to get a bike to a client. He said the group tries to avoid competing with local bike retailers by positioning resale at lower price points and serving as an on-ramp to the broader bike ecosystem.

Committee members praised Community Bikes’ “joyful” approach and suggested options for expanding access, including pay-what-you-can models, clearer promotion of existing subsidy programs and continuing mobile clinics. Winchell and committee members agreed to continue regular coordination: Community Bikes will report clinic observations to BPAC and the committee will raise system-level concerns back to city staff when they arise.

No formal action or vote resulted from the presentation.","Charlottesville Community Bikes presented its programs to the committee, described free bike giveaways, mobile clinics, and resale operations, and asked for partnership ideas and referrals to reach people who do not currently access services.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6185332,"BPAC members press for QR feedback signs, fix for unmarked school crosswalks",4834,497000,5331000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5082518-75471ee93ced37b6e15bd80a0c2af59a&start=497&end=5331","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5082518-75471ee93ced37b6e15bd80a0c2af59a/thumbnail_497000.jpg","/articles/6185332/Charlottesville/Albemarle-County/Virginia/BPAC-members-press-for-QR-feedback-signs-fix-for-unmarked-school-crosswalks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185332-c917f339f324e6bdd3a5b8c951e318ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1771055217&Signature=dedefYm0vJidBrVG3YxpSPZ1AINSQm29rkjr2~RikLvtnGIQoGAZLD4EFj~WCTMNqqY8dcdYdbzQOnW1Hk1hNgjbguZD0TXQT8Ao9ctOXNPXvllt4LugY3Ac4hnsxGMwV4pQCSfPSMT4vtvz~JpW5XTsOA9W-wcOzdoY9qhsePnCtgr~-jRalFg2F8iknfNLsWQkCs0OuRgE7ZP6XC85BrQrBzPI7tgO5h0mArVsr3Evt4qq0tMnMRe5ZddrVTwxCxtvwsqOveevYsuVC7Oorgw2-2HFcftSzzHX74t92EklS~M2l1P04bfMz3YA1UzEA4~RObyLxPg0hmRv5c1F9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During public comment and committee discussion, residents and committee members raised concerns about unmarked crosswalks near schools and the need for better feedback collection on quick-build projects.

A resident described a block-long stretch near Naylor Street and Harris Road, a block from a school, where curb ramps exist but crosswalk markings do not. The resident said Google Street View showed the crosswalk absence for at least six years and asked why the public repeatedly must identify these hazards.

Committee members discussed earlier plans to place quick-build signs with QR codes linking to a feedback form. Ben (staff not present) had told a committee member that the traffic engineer stopped that approach; members asked whether the committee could produce and install signs itself. Committee volunteers offered to draft questions, design signs and ask Ben to print them. Brandon (city staff) said Ben had agreed to cover printing costs.

Members also reported confusion from recent striping on Fairway — paint that looks like a bike lane but serves as parking — and suggested the city consider removing parking where it is not intended. Staff said some striping changes come through different programs (safe routes, neighborhood transportation funds) and that certain intersections will get more attention through other projects.

No formal vote was taken. Committee members agreed to reconvene the quick-build subcommittee, draft a QR feedback form, and coordinate with city staff on sign locations and messages.","Committee members urged the city to install quick-build project signs with QR codes to gather public feedback and flagged unmarked or uncompleted crosswalks near schools, including Naylor and Harris Road, for prompt attention.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6185336,"Charlottesville staff describe slow progress removing utility poles, cite franchise limits and ADA changes",1671,1187000,2858000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5082518-75471ee93ced37b6e15bd80a0c2af59a&start=1187&end=2858","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5082518-75471ee93ced37b6e15bd80a0c2af59a/thumbnail_1187000.jpg","/articles/6185336/Charlottesville/Albemarle-County/Virginia/Charlottesville-staff-describe-slow-progress-removing-utility-poles-cite-franchise-limits-and-ADA-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185336-1497db27295f75fb96f979448bd667e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771055217&Signature=n8Xb7ecTsxUKOQ7N7xtrovyG7DyCsc1ZOt7BSF-wXDN04L~PGB0gJfNu7XbpW8iF6kvaQN4FqfZ7nn-P1abhyLrP0pj-z0qryRmdumYKxUHImQ8CzHRkcpqWcSh3uO-VZT17VhEXC4Ci0lRBaT~X7vNjhMX1cWE69Nckez0zpz5M1~giltNONikpqDguM7tE5xuUqypoloX6GdiOaxH-E79d9sIc0zvcJJefG-~Mm5uBfvvrzaYwWxys8vB5g7wJJtHzR0znxauScNl47xa9sGyMpyF5zcQy1-3u0senqd5lz0RgCnJNbg5eRUfJcrIC8n0epTdZFsjbaDcmiNlI9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff and committee members discussed persistent sidewalk and accessibility problems caused by utility poles during a Charlottesville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting.

Brandon, a city staff member, told the committee the city has been working with utilities “in earnest” since last year and that “we have around 15, independent utility companies” involved in attachments to poles, but that only two — Dominion and BrightSpeed — own poles, complicating removals. He said the city has removed “somewhere between 30 and 50 poles in the last year” but that many poles remain because moving one pole can force larger rearrangements on a line of poles.

The discussion centered on three constraints: the city’s limited leverage under an older Dominion franchise agreement, the technical difficulty and cost of relocating or undergrounding lines, and changes to accessibility rules. Brandon said the franchise is effectively perpetual, written around 1921, and that it limits renegotiation; he also said newer ADA guidance passed late last year removed an earlier exception for poles and hydrants, which increases the number of locations where the city must provide an accessible route.

Committee members pressed the city on enforcement and quality control. Brandon described steps the city has taken: asking utilities to pull permits for new work, hiring a records-retention and finance staffer to manage franchise paperwork, and relying on a traffic inspector who drives the city daily to spot unpermitted work. He also encouraged the public to report problem locations through the city’s service app (MySegal) and, for persistent problems, to contact utilities directly.

On costs and alternatives, Brandon said burying lines is expensive and technically constrained by narrow rights of way, existing underground utilities and the need for protected duct banks. He gave an example: an East High Street streetscape project that undergrounds lines between Market and Locust cost about $3.5 million.

Questions from committee members and residents flagged specific hazards: wires hanging across streets, large repair holes left in sidewalks, and poles placed in the middle of sidewalks near schools. Brandon said the city will try to route some ADA fixes by building new sidewalk around poles when moving poles is impractical, and that many fixes will be part of the city’s ADA transition plan spread over several years.

No formal motions or votes occurred. Committee members suggested the city consider a dedicated staff person to coordinate pole work, maintain monthly updates from utilities, and press for clearer permitting and quality standards. Brandon said the city already seeks monthly updates from utilities and is working to get more consistent reporting.

The discussion closed with staff asking for continued reports from the public and committee support identifying priority poles and locations to escalate with the utilities.","City staff told the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee that removing or relocating utility poles across Charlottesville is slow because of fragmented utility ownership, an old franchise agreement with Dominion, engineering limits for pole lines and new ADA guidance that removes some prior exceptions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

BPAC reviews draft Veo permit; members urge stronger enforcement for scooters blocking sidewalks

Community Bikes outlines free-bike program, asks BPAC for partnership ideas

BPAC members press for QR feedback signs, fix for unmarked school crosswalks

Charlottesville staff describe slow progress removing utility poles, cite franchise limits and ADA changes