Transportation planner Ben Chambers outlines $11 million Smart Scale bid to reconfigure West Main and Ridge intersection

Ben Chambers, transportation planning manager with NDS, told Charlottesville City Council that a VDOT STARS study recommends changing Water Street to one-way, adding a protected bicycle facility and simplifying signal phasing at the West Main and Ridge intersection to reduce conflicts and improve safety.

The presentation described a design that moves motorists and cyclists through a reconfigured five-leg intersection, shortens crosswalks, provides leading pedestrian intervals and reserves space in the intersection to preserve a historic pedestal (the statue has been removed). “We want to make sure that we are improving safety for all road users,” Chambers said, pointing to a history of serious injuries and fatalities at the location.

Why it matters: Chambers said the design is intended to make the intersection safer and to score on congestion points in the Smart Scale application, which the city will pursue as a primary funding route. He told council staff had prepared a preliminary cost estimate of about $11 million (not yet inflated to construction-year dollars) and that the city will file a Smart Scale pre-application and seek council endorsement before the full application.

Key details: Chambers said VDOT advised that congestion improvements score well in Smart Scale and that turning Water Street one-way is the cost-effective way to gain those points. The recommended design includes a two-way or one-way cycle track on the north side of Main Street, curbside drop-off areas on Water Street, clearer wavefinding signage and signal timing changes that reduce turning movements.

Councilors raised operational questions about transit, truck deliveries and traffic redistribution. Chambers said the plan would not significantly change transit routing and the modeling shows South Street has capacity to accept redirected eastbound Water Street traffic; he added that current design assumptions do not require removing parking on South Street. On protected bikeway treatments, Chambers said final designs are pending but likely will be physical protections (for example, concrete curb treatments) rather than raising the bikeway to sidewalk level because that would increase costs.

Timeline and next steps: staff will submit a Smart Scale pre-application (Chambers said the pre-application is due April 1), hold a focused outreach session with downtown businesses and residents (tentatively April 27 at CitySpace), return with a recommended staff alternative in July for council endorsement, and—if selected by the Commonwealth—advance through state review with construction funding potentially appearing in the state’s six-year program in fiscal 2033/2034.

Cost and coordination: Chambers noted a major utility project on West Main means the city must coordinate timing so repaving and Smart Scale work align; the earliest repaving window is 2029. He characterized the $11 million estimate as on the smaller end of competitive Smart Scale projects but cautioned the number will increase when inflated to construction-year costs.

What’s next: staff will refine the design based on public and business feedback, finalize the pre-application materials for Smart Scale, and return to council in July for endorsement to move the application forward.