October 2, 2025: Statewide Rail Plan will include work toward east-west passenger service across Virginia
Plus: Information on various capital projects in Albemarle County
Today’s edition is sponsored by the Ragged Mountain Running and Walking Shop
After five years of writing and producing Charlottesville Community Engagement, there are patterns and favored tropes as this opening paragraph is crafted. Dating conventions in the United States of America puts the month first, and with October being 10 this gives the opportunity to talk CB code! October 2 translates to 10-2, which means “reception is good” according to one website and “receiving well” according to another. I’m Sean Tubbs and this is an exercise in clearing the mind for more writing.
In today’s installment:
One person is dead after being hit by a vehicle on U.S. 29 on Wednesday night
Updates on several capital projects in Albemarle County including grass athletic fields at Darden Towe Park
A project to build a sidewalk on Old Lynchburg Road under I-64 is moving forward in Albemarle
Area officials get a briefing on the Virginia Statewide Rail Plan and the prospect of additional passenger service
First shout-out: Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards Tree Sale on October 11
Thinking of planting a tree, or trees on your property this fall? The Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards can help!
Stop by the Virginia Department of Forestry at 900 Natural Resources Drive in Charlottesville between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 11th.
Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards (CATS) maintains its own tree nursery, entirely run by volunteers. We plant saplings obtained from the Virginia Department of Forestry and other sources and nurture them until they are large enough to be planted out. We concentrate on native trees, some of which are hard to find from commercial sources. Fall is a great time to plant your tree to allow it time to adjust to transplanting before the heat of summer.
View a list of available trees and pricing here!
Man killed crossing Emmet Street Wednesday night
A 67-year-old man died Wednesday night after being struck by a vehicle while crossing Emmet Street North near the intersection of U.S. 29 and the U.S. 29/250 bypass.
The deadly conflict happened in the 1700 block of Emmet Street North around 9:30 p.m. according to an information release from the Charlottesville Police Department.
“The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators,” said Kyle Ervin, a public safety information officer with CPD.
The police department’s Traffic Unit and General Investigations Bureau are investing as well as the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. The identity of the man killed is being withheld until the next of kin is notified.
FES report: Darden Towe field project ahead of schedule faster, Monacan Indian Nation Park dedicated, and more
There are many ways to keep track of what local governments do and one of the main purposes of Charlottesville Community Engagement is to help draw attention to the work.
One of the divisions of government in Albemarle County is the Department of Facilities and Environmental Services and a fresh report is made every quarter. The fall 2025 report is included in a recent packet of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors if you want to read the whole thing.
Localities that have systems of pipes that convey stormwater into rivers and streams must obtain a permit from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
“As a community with a municipal separate-storm-sewer-system (MS4) permit and program, one of the County’s mandates is to provide educational and interactive opportunities for the public to learn about how to keep stormwater clean in our watersheds,” reads page 2 of the report.
Part of that outreach took place at the recent Rivanna Riverfest attended by over 2,000 people, according to the report. Albemarle is a member of the Rivanna Stormwater Education Partnership.
The MS4 permit also requires Albemarle to take steps to reduce the amount of sediment and debris that enters local waterways. The county recently purchased a street sweeper to accomplish that goal. Named Sweeping Beauty, the vehicle recently completed its second year of service.
“In FY25, the sweeper covered 4,718 miles and removed approximately 333,000 pounds of debris across 436 lane miles,” reads page 5 of the report. “Improved route planning and operational efficiency led to a 6% increase in debris collection over the previous year.”
Monacan Indian Nation Park dedicated
As part of the development of the Southwood Community, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville dedicated land for the new Monacan Indian Nation Tribute Park. An informal ribbon cutting was held on June 3 and a dedication ceremony was held on September 27.
“This gateway project acknowledges both the history and presence of the Monacan people who once cared for the land and thoughtfully transitions users between the adjacent development and Biscuit Run Park,” reads page 3 of the report.
One of Albemarle County’s legislative requests for the 2026 General Assembly is funding for a connector trail to Biscuit Run Park. That had been included in the General Assembly’s state budget for this year but Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed the funds.
Project to improve grass fields at Darden-Towe Park ahead of schedule
In April 2023, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors opted to proceed with improvement of grass fields at Darden-Towe Park rather than install synthetic turf and the first of four fields was completed last fall.
The work is being undertaken in-house by the Facilities Planning and Construction Division and includes the installation of underground irrigation systems and drainage to get the playfields in good shape.
“The original plan was to restore one field per year,” reads page six of the report.
This year, however, the county has worked out a schedule with Parks and Recreation and local sports leagues that will allow the second and third fields to be completed this year.
Albemarle County is also building grass athletic fields at Biscuit Run Park.
“The project is generally described as the Construction and Installation of a paved park entrance roadway, a 70-space parking lot with a vault toilet building, two natural grass athletic fields, athletic field irrigation systems with an irrigation supply water main, and related work,” reads an invitation for bids for the project.
Bids are due on October 21. (learn more)
Procurement round-up: Albemarle County seeking firms to build improvements on Old Lynchburg Road
This fall, Albemarle County will move forward with three projects to improve sidewalks in the designated growth area.
The first is for pedestrian improvements on Old Lynchburg Road and a request for proposals was issued today by county procurement staff. The project will include a sidewalk underneath Interstate 64 to allow people who live in Albemarle County to safely get to Azalea Park. (Invitation for Bids)
“The project is generally described as a new sidewalk and crosswalks along the West side of Old Lynchburg Road from the end of an existing sidewalk to the Rivanna Trail,” reads a section of the scope of work.
In addition to construction costs, the bid documents seek estimates for excavation of rock and other material as well as a “solar powered rectangular rapid flashing beacon” at the location where the Rivanna Trail crosses the road.
The estimated construction cost range is between $500,000 and $1 million according to the bid documents. The firm Line and Grade created the construction drawings.
The other two projects to be put out to bid are for Commonwealth & Dominion Drive Sidewalks (November 6) and Library Avenue Extended (December 1).
Other items of procurement interest:
Albemarle’s Economic Development Authority is seeking information from potential firms or attorneys interested in providing legal advice and perhaps serving as bond counsel. The deadline was today. (learn more)
Albemarle County issued a contract to Transfr VR for “comprehensive, hands-on intelligent tutoring system” for the Department of Facilities and Emergency Services.” This was done on an emergency basis. (learn more)
The City of Charlottesville is seeking bids for a firm to perform restorative maintenance at the Market Street Parking Garage. The concrete structure requires several repairs because such garages “require periodic maintenance to ensure ongoing structural integrity and safety for users.” Bids are due on October 29. (learn more)
Second-shout out: Friends of JMRL Book Sale coming up on October 4
Fall is in the air and for many in the community, that means the Friends of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Book Sale is fast-approaching! Friend of JMRL put on the
week-long sale of books and other items to raise money for the regional library system. This past spring, the group raised over $168,000!
The next sale begins on October 4 at 300 Albemarle Square from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and runs through October 12. There is also a preview for members on October 3, and there is still time to join so you can be there!
For more details and hours of operation, visit the Friends of the JMRL Library website. The group is also looking for volunteers and could always use new members!
Library Director, David Plunkett, congratulates the book sale volunteers on a spectacular sale and commends their dedication and commitment to the promotion and support of the Jefferson Madison Regional Library.
Transit agency gearing up for update of Virginia’s State Rail Plan
In the federal system, states work with national agencies over years to plan for services and infrastructure for the people who live in the country. That includes the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) who are beginning to prepare an update to the Statewide Rail Plan.
“In the past, in order to qualify for certain federal grants, you had to have an active state rail plan. That’s changed a little bit in recent years,” said Taylor Holden, a planning and data manager for the DRPT. “However, many states are continuing with this process to kind of maintain that continuity.”
The Commonwealth of Virginia has been investing in rail travel for many years including dedicating funds for the Amtrak Northeast Regional service.
In late 2019, Governor Ralph Northam announced a $3.7 billion investment in passenger rail including the purchase of right-of-way on existing railroads.
Since then, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority began operations as a separate entity in 2020 and in 2022 the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation created its first-ever Statewide Rail Plan for the Federal Railroad Administration.
“To look back at the 2022 rail plan, kind of our big accomplishment with that one was that we built it entirely in ESRI story maps,” Holden said. “So it’s all fully digital with multimedia applications, so interactive maps, dashboards, that sort of thing.”
Holden said DRPT provides the long-term planning and the VPRA has taken charge of operations. That includes the construction of a passenger rail station in Christiansburg as well as construction of the new Long Bridge. The DRPT is currently working to secure two identification from the Federal Railroad Administration for two future passenger rail corridors.
“There is the D.C. to Bristol corridor, which is an extension of that Roanoke service that is currently being extended to New River Valley so we’ll be studying that,” Holden said. “And then the Commonwealth Corridor is our first east-west connection.”
Among the VPRA’s right-of-way is the Buckingham Branch line that runs between Clifton Forge and Doswell and Holden said that is the preferred option for the Commonwealth Corridor between Richmond and Charlottesville but it may be expensive because the line is mostly single-track.
The Statewide Rail Plan may cover some of the details and creation of a new plan will soon begin with a public engagement section beginning in early 2026. This will be an opportunity to demonstrate how much activity has been underway.
“Our 2026 plan priorities are to kind of record and discuss Virginia’s changing role in passenger rail,” Holden said. “With VPRA’s creation and the acquisition of all this right of way, it’s a big change for Virginia. Not many states own as much right of way as we do.”
Holden’s came from the September 30 joint meeting of the Charlottesville-area and Staunton-area Metropolitan Planning Organization policy boards.
Stay tuned for more as the process comes nearer. In the meantime, what thoughts do you have?
Reading material for October 2, 2025
September rental costs decline in Charlottesville, data says, Kyndall Hanson, WVIR 29News, September 30, 2025
Work to repair low-water bridge competed, CBS19 News, October 1, 2025
UVa Law grad, Charlottesville resident joins Dems hoping to unseat McGuire, David Velazquez, October 1, 2025
A quick disposal of #931
Today is a quick one because I’ve got to be somewhere at 3 p.m. I also have to be somewhere at 6 p.m. I dislike scheduling of mostly anything because I want to be able to be flexible to get the newsletter out. When I begin to add obligations, I put weight and pressures on me and it’s not a nice feeling.
There are still so many stories I want to get to because I want to know what happened. These include the Albemarle County Planning Commission public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan, the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority meeting from late September, and whatever happened at the Board of Supervisors yesterday. Sometimes not getting to these stories fills me with panic.
In any case, yes, this is a little rushed, but… is that such a bad thing?
Fun fact: I had to wait to publish until after 4 p.m.!
Tell me more about this Libary Avenue Extended sidewalk. :)