Do you have additional suggestions for bicycle and pedestrian access along the project corridor?

·        -Consider a bicycle left turn lane and/or "bike box" northbound at Market.
-Providing a direct bicycle/pedestrian ramp linking to Water Street in both directions is a unique opportunity to improve connections to the Transit Station and proposed Coal Tower trail. Even a set of stairs with a "bike gutter" would help, as long as alternative ADA access continues to exist.
-A pedestrian access way onto the Mall around the Pavilion is a unique opportunity to improve access during gated Pavilion events.

·        The multiuse path should be visual distinguished from the motorized vehicular traffic lanes with a different style of pavement, or at least paint. It should also be protected with a raised median.

·        I like the idea of a dedicated, wide, pedestrian/bike path that is separated from the traffic with some kind of low, vertical divider.  This seems safest for all the kids and walking/biking people that use the bridge.  Typical bike lanes feel narrow and I think discourge some people from biking, especially across bridges that feel tight and congested anyway.

·        Higher railing. Wider ped path. Bike lane.

·        Consider wide multi-use paths on each side separated from car traffic rather than sidewalks and bike lanes.

·        Bike lanes are a must!  I bike to and from work every day and sharing the lane with large vehicles and buses is just not practical.

·        (see above). 

·        Dedicated bike lanes in both directions, and wider/safer/more pleasant sidewalks. A planted median seems like a waste of space.

·        Increase pedestrian safety by removing Left turn into Graves St. when heading South on the bridge.  Likewise prohibit Left turn from Graves St. onto bridge (heading South).  This would allow for a pedestrian island in the middle of the bridge where the current pedestrian crossing at Graves St. is.  9th St (bridge) is currently too wide for safe pedestrian crossing.

Left hand turn from Southbound 9th St. can address any issues that above suggestion raises with regards to access to/from Graves St.

Keep bicycles and pedestrian separate.  Make right hand lane a "Shared" bike and automobile lane.

·        A safety divider separating the pedestrian section from the cars would be a good idea.

·        A railing, versus spaced posts, to divide the pedestrians from the automobiles seems safer for the children crossing.

·        Make the bridge one vehicular lane in each direction, and use the rest of the space to create a dynamic bicylce and pedestrian zone, separated from the vehicular traffic by plantings and other design devices.

·        A flashing light in the crosswalk at Spudnuts crossing is soooooo needed. People honk and try to run you over in that crosswalk.

·        Keep them out of auto traffic.  Limit the pedestrian crosswalks to only places where there are traffic lights.  Crosswalks that exist without being tied into the traffic light system and overall traffic flow- pedestrians using those crosswalks impede the flow of traffic, causing backups and congestion during peak auto usage hours. 

Have a railing between the pedestrian parts of the bridge and the main roadway to prevent pedestrians from crossing into traffic mid-bridge from one side to the other (east to west and vice versa).

·        Could a pedestrain easement be placed on a lower level? Seperating pedestrians from cars and integrating into the mall at different locations. By beefing up pillar weight capacity & adding a pedestrain layer below the span.

·        You can ride on the sidewalk, it's only a few 100ft and you can stop and let others pass.

·        Please make sure the railings opposite the road are higher.  I have seen kids numerous times climb and crouch on the railings in quite a dangerous manner.

Please make sure that bicycle lanes are included in the plan. My husband and several neighbors and colleagues ride to work and depend on safe passage.  The city is trying to be more progressive with alternative transportation. Omitting bike lanes seems to be in opposition to this goal.

·        I live in Belmont and frequently walk downtown with some or all of my 4 children. I have been doing this walk with children for 10 years and it still makes me nervous. My children often have scooters or bikes with them and will zoom ahead of me on the sidewalk. The cars are very close to the children when they drive by. I am always concerned that one of my children will wreck on their bike or scooter as they are crossing the bridge and fall off the curb into traffic. With all of that said, I would love to see some kind of barrier between the sidewalks on either side and the lanes of cars that would prevent pedestrians from falling off the curb directly into traffic. In addition, a higher rail on the outside of the bridge would be welcomed. I think if there was a safer crossing of the bridge, more parents would enjoy walking downtown and feel comfortable letting age-appropriate children walk or ride downtown on their own.

Also, a flashing crosswalk at the main pedestrian crossings, with a sizable median to wait for traffic, at each end of the bridge would be very helpful. Again, it is sometimes challenging to cross the road during high traffic volumes while pushing a stroller, holding a little ones hand and/or directing multiple kids on scooters or bikes.

·        i am 12 years old and i walk downtown with my friends a lot and i think that having a barrier and maybe a crosswalk to cross from on side to the other would make it a safer and more enjoyable walk downtown
thank u and have a nice day

·        In order for bicycle commuters to adequately use the bridge the bike lanes need to be on each side of the road and set up in such a way so bicycles are safe to make left turns onto Market as well as go straight through the intersection.   A shared bike/pedestrian lane will not work for those commuting by bicycle and will result in the bikes back in traffic as they are now (option C.) 

·        --Ideally incorporate a network of safe sidewalks/trails that extend from the bridge/downtown mall all the way down Avon Street to the Albemarle subdivisions (Mill Creek, Lakeside Apts, etc), the future Biscuit Run State Park, and the Saunders-Monticello Trails.  (How incredible would it be to be able to safely bike/jog/hike all the way from the downtown mall, to the future state park, and on to Monticello?!)

·        Suggestion Three:  I prefer a design with two lanes in each direction, with on-road bike facilities in each direction, and a sidewalk ONLY on the West side of the bridge.

Rationale: Almost all pedestrians walk on the West side anyway, since we’re heading to/from the Downtown Mall.   The sidewalk on the East side of the bridge is unnecessary, and the space should be used to allow on-road bike paths on each side instead, facilitating smooth bike commuting.  The problem with the West-side shared bike/pedestrian facility plan is that it would require bikers to engage in two dismounted/risky crossings of all lanes of traffic.  This bridge is critical to the future of C'ville bike commuting--we should include excellent and safe bike facilities.

Suggestion Four:  Create additional pedestrian access from Belmont neighborhood to Downtown Mall during construction (and beyond?) by creating a temporary pedestrian crossing of train tracks at the very end of Monticello Road that leads to Lexis-Nexis tunnel entrance to Pavilion.

Rationale:  This would be a low-cost way to provide an alternative, more pleasant, perhaps safer, construction-zone-free pedestrian access to the Downtown Mall during the bridge replacement project.

Suggestion Five:  At least one if not both of the crosswalks at the South end of the bridge should have embedded lights.  This would greatly improve pedestrian safety.

Suggestion Six:  This would be a great time to build the rails/trails bike facility under the bridge, and connect it to the bike lanes crossing the bridge, leading to a new set of bike racks/storage outside the transit center.

·        Make wider sidewalks with a higher curb to shield people from cards.  Also find a way to reduce speeds on the bridge. 

·        I just want to do anything possible to encourage walking and biking on the bridge.

And shade is of great benefit for anyone walking in the summer months.
   I suggest on the sides of the bridge SHADE trees, and not the standard Crepe
   Myrtles, which are nice, but don't shade enough.
   Maybe some grand Magnolias at each end?

·        increase separation between vehicle traffic and pedestrians.  pedestrians should not be made to feel that they need to get off the bridge as quickly as possible for their safety - allow for a leisurely stroll and enjoy the view.

·        I heard of ideas of having only one pedestrian walkway. Please still have the west and east pedestrian walkway when you built a new bridge. I understand that the west walkway has more usage, however for those of us who use the east side, it will be a great inconvenience to have to cross the bridge twice in order to get to my destination. This also poses additional risks of having to cross the bridge twice. We should all learn to share a walkway, giving space to strollers, wheelcahirs and dogs on the walkways, I don't see a need for an extra wide walkway, this will only make us less interactive as residents. Bicyclist should be allowed to share the walkway with pedestrian, this is common in other countries I have visited.

Bottomline - we should all share the little city we live in.

·        For the sake of safety, would there be anyway to separate the bike path and pedestrian walkways from the flow of traffic? 

·        A protected walkway that has a guard rail or chain link fence to protect walkers from traffic would be wonderful.  This bridge is very important to people who work downtown.  We need to keep pedestrian access going.

·        For pedestrian safety on a bridge, I think it's important to have a significantly raised sidewalk, more so than in other areas. And significantly higher than in your current design (side view with elevations).  If a car was to lose control and veer onto the sidewalk, there is no where to go but into the street or over the railing.  I believe in your current design, you are already planning to extend the height of the railings, which I think will also help.  In a strong wind, for example, or if one was to temporarily lose their balance, there is some danger of someone falling over the currently installed railing.

·        Railing between the road and sidewalk.

·        Bike access should be on grade from all connecting intersections/streets.  Do not share bike access w/ pedestrians.  Bikes are more likely to get hit by cars when entering road from sidewalk than when on road all the time.

·        I believe that roundabouts ought to be considered at the adjacent intersections. Pedestrian counts strongly suggest that pedestrian travel should be routed along the west side of the bridge, where the Downtown Mall access is. It would be very helpful if adjacent land were redeveloped to front on the bridge, creating an attractive pedestrian landscape that extends the Mall.

·        A curb divider between the bike lane and roadway.

·        I like Design C

·        I live in Belmont and a walkover/crossover over the tracks to the Downtown Mall (extended) would cut pedestrian traffic on the BB enormously and be a much safer alternative for all concerned. Thanks.

·        bicycle lanes on both sides, along with sidewalks is supreme.

west side pedestrian sidewalk larger than east side definitely.

·        Please include dedicated bike lanes for both north and southbound traffic lanes. This is a very heavily used biking area. Can we put bike bollards on the bridge cut-out adjacent to the pavilion? This would let bicyclists lock of their bikes before descending to the downtown mall.

·        PLEASE do not have a combined bike/pedestrian path.  Sidewalks AND bike lanes can and should be accommodated on this bridge.  Keep the bike lanes separate for the pedestrians' safety and to make biking across the bridge quicker and easier.

·        The bigger the better -- as a recently former resident of Graves Street, I used to walk over the Belmont Bridge twice a day and consistently felt over-exposed to the cars racing past.  I would love to see a wider sidewalk, the inclusion of a bike lane, and the installation of flashing pedestrian crosswalk lights at the intersection of 9th/Avon and Monticello Ave (near the Bridge PAI).

·        I walk across the bridge all the time (I live in North Belmont).  I would ride my bike more if there was a separate bike lane. 

·        Just that we need both bike and pedestrians lanes on each side of the bridge

·        I think bicycle lanes on each side of the road would be ideal. I ride my bike to work using the belmont bridge and currently cars going north will get in the left lane to go around me. This is fine unless there is a lot of traffic, in which case I get squeezed in between a vehicle and the sidewalk.

·        additional development of vertical stair access from both sides and both ends of the bridge should be considered. In particular, stair access at the pavilion/ transit center should be considered, especailly as an alternate route when access through public space is denied due to paid/private events going on at the pavilion. Please consider the incorporation of all special design elements, materials to be focused on the pedestrian areas of the bridge where they will be of value and appreciated and not for the vehicular.

·        Maybe an area or two that would provide shade (covered area over benches) to protect from the summer sun.

·        This bridge is as much about pedestrians as it is about cars.  I would have no trouble sacrificing a lane of traffic to provide wider sidewalks and good separation between the sidewalk and road.  It would be great to have trees planted between the sidewalk and roadway.

·        bikes one side pedestrians on other

·        Please provide some barrier between pedestrians and traffic on the west side of the bridge. While this will add some element of physical safety, it will go even further in adding a sense of psychological safety and make walking across the bridge much more pleasant. It is a highly traversed bridge, and the barrier - nothing monumental, just a small division - will made a world of difference in the trip.

The current width of the pedestrian lanes in the above section do not seem nearly wide enough. Close pedestrian traffic on the east side to widen on the west. Take one lane out to make it wider on the west.

Thank you.

·        A design with pedestrians and cyclists in mind should have designated walks and lanes in each direction. Option C is not a good one, as cycling lanes and sidewalks are not present on both sides.

·        I don't know if my suggestion is "additional" or not, because I can't read the text on the ideas above.  I can't see any notation that bike lanes have been included in the plans.  Bike lanes are a must for this busy corridor between Belmont and Garrett and Downtown.  I used to ride my bike to work over that bridge and I still see people riding bikes across it.  It would be much safer with a designated lane. 

Charlottesville often talks the talk of being more biker-friendly; this is a real opportunity to walk the walk as well.  People in this community place a high value on pedestrian and bike access.

·        Sidewalk at least on the west side so folks can get to and from the Pavilion without having to cross traffic in the middle of the bridge.

·        seperate, divided bike lanes. lighted crosswalks, divider in middle of travel lanes on bridge.

·        A bike lane should be added for traveling in both directions by bike and it should be completely separate from any foot traffic or vehicle traffic.  The bike lanes aught to be at least four foot in width for each direction.  

·        Both directions of traffic should support safe bicycle passage and separate pedestrian passage. Appropriate bicycle lanes beyond the bridge (which may be outside the scope of this project) are necessary to truly provide safe cycling and prevent the bridge bicycle lanes from being another random spot in the patchwork of bicycle accommodation in Charlottesville.

·        As a frequent biker from the Mill Creek area to the Pantops area, I would love to see proper bicycle lanes put in place. While it wouldn't be a huge inconvenience to only have a lane on just one side (Option C), I would be concerned that space would run out during Pavilion events when pedestrians are known to crowd the sidewalk area on that side.

I prefer Option B.

·        Wonder why you don't have pedestrian on West side and cyclists oon east side...most folks walk on that side.

·        I would recommend some sort of railing/plantings to block and protect the sidewalk/pedestrian/bike area from the vehicle lanes.  Right now it feels a bit dangerous as children are running along that sidewalk and cars are coming right at them.

·        See below...

·        Let the designers do this, I am not a designer or architect.

·        use plain zebra striping at crosswalks so there’s no doubt what they’re there for.  Fix the pedestrian signals at Market St and Levy/Garrett so they activate automatically with green lights rather than making us wait an entire light cycle for a ‘walk’ sign.  Long term, provide at-grade pedestrian x-ings over RR tracks btwn Belmont and E Market.

·        I'm concerned shared bike+ped path would be too slow for bike commuters, and it means the bikers have to cross back and forth over the busy street to get to the path. Bike lanes each way is more encouraging to bikers.  

·        please make improvements to the cross walk at the Monticello Road/Spudnuts crossing including signage and flashing cross walk lights such as at other locations near the mall.  Many people cross here rather than at the traffic light at Garrett.
2. please include interior barriers or walls between the sidewalks and the road.  In the current configuration, we feel exposed to traffic as we walk with kids across the bridge.
3. please raise the height of the exterior walls of the bridge from the current height.  we feel somewhat exposed walking with our kids because the walls and barriers seem low enough to be a risk for pedestrians.

·        How about a study of bike traffic over the bridge?  I couldn't help but notice that no such study was included in the preparation of these materials. 

·        Possibly have a section for those who want to sit on benches and then have a section for those "moving" across the bridge at a faster pace.

·        Green-light demand button for bicycles at nearby intersections.
Dedicated bike lanes, not shared use.

·        These two modes of circulation should not have to share a common lane - bikes on the road, people on side walks.  You need a buffer between pedestrians and vehicles.  The bridge should become more of an urban landscape. 

·        Please provide a nice, inviting, pedestrian stair to street level at Water Street and Avon St.  Ideally this stair should be accessible from either side of the bridge so pedestrians are not tempted to cross the street.  Best if they could be X-shaped, converging under the bridge so that they could be used as a way to cross the street under the bridge, especially at the Water Street side, where many pedestrians from the Belmont side need to cross to enter the mall/pavilion.

It would be a good idea for the median barrier to be tall enough to discourage pedestrians and (especially) from crossing the street.  Very dangerous.  Could it be a planter, or something attractive??

Please contact me if you want to discuss this:  Inova property owner

·        street over tunnels other sculpted bridge(s) over street

·        As a cyclist and pedestrian, I prefer the options with bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the bridge. Also, it would be great to add easier pedestrian access to Water Street, particularly since the transit station is right there. Perhaps this could be combined with one of the pocket parks?

·        It is important to have safe access for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.  It may be advisable to create a separate pedestrian/bicycle bridge at another location in addition to having routes across the bridge.

·        _Regarding MMM’s aerial photographs with the 3 lane option overlays:
Prefer Plan A or B with two on-road bicycle lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the bridge. Do not want Plan C with shared use bike/pedestrian path. The mixture of cycling and walking rarely works effectively and signals to car drivers that bicycles do not belong on the road.
_Improve pedestrian signal and traffic light coordination at intersection of bridge and Market Street.

·        I prefer bike lanes to be on the road and not on the sidewalk or linked within the pedestrian experience.

·        just do what you can when you can.  again, absolutely delighted that the city adopted a plan for "complete streets".  i know money is tight, buildings do not move just because you ask them to, etc..  just keeping it in mind is key.  i appreciate my city government, i really do.

·        A bike lane that is separate from both the pedestrian lane and car lanes.

·        have it and have it be a pleasure to walk across this thing.

·        Make pedestrian crossing from Graves Street (in front of Spudnuts) over Avon Street safer by adding blink lights or similar feature to highlight crossing.

·        As noted above, something that encourages biking and walking would be great. I walk, many people bike and unless there is ample bike lane room the two, unfortunately don't go together. I hate to be walking along the sidewalk and having to step aside for a bicycle coming the other way or having the bicyclist have to jump the sidewalk to avoid me..or having the bicyclist suddently come up from behind and around me...but the streets in Belmont are narrow (horse and buggy style) and yet everyone (myself sometimes included) drives.

·        We must accommodate both. I am not convinced we need pedestrian or bike lanes on both sides. If there is only one pedestrian lane put it on west side closer to: mall, majority of businesses, pavilion and add a stair down Water Street.

What if there were a wide (60”?) raised pedestrian only lane on the west side and wide (60”?) flush cycle, jog lane with a narrow (30” ? non-ADA) pedestrian lane on the east.

Could bike lane be a center raised lane to double as barrier between directions or is that a bad idea?

·        Barrier between bike and auto along with raised median.

·        Please, a bike lane! Please! That's lit or has reflectors or something!

·        Alternative "C" is unacceptable to me as a cyclist. We just had this past spring a fatal accident in the city due in part to a commuting cyclist riding off a sidewalk as if they were in traffic; two-way sidepaths do not have commonly understood right-of-way rules other than those for pedestrians. At a time when local bike advocates are trying to encourage cyclists to ride safely in traffic, having the city introduce a maze of pedestrian facilities with pedestrian right-of-way rules, which are claimed to also be for bike use, is highly counterproductive.

To use the sidepath, cyclists heading from Belmont would have to cross the entire width of the street, use the path while yielding to pedestrians who could be occupying any part of it, and potentially cross the street again at the north end. This increases the amount of interaction with cross traffic and the resulting potential for accidents, as well as the inconvience to the cyclist. It is a second class facility which relegates bike commuting to a second class mode of transportation. Build a first class facility with bike *lanes* on the road!

I know that as a cyclist, I would never use the path going northbound; I would simply ride in the right lane of traffic instead. Alternative "C" does not increase access or safety for experienced cyclists, who would simply not use it as intended, nor for inexperienced cyclists, who would have trouble negotiating the non-traffic right of way at each end, nor for pedestrians who are better served by sidewalks on each side for pedestrian use alone.

Bike paths can be useful if they are part of a continuing network which provides access along a corridor, but a path which goes all of two blocks across a bridge and terminates directly back into traffic is worse than useless.

·        It would be good to truly separate the space for pedestrians from the space for cars. This could be done by adding a railing on the street edge of the sidewalk.  It would make it safer for kids and more pleasant for all pedestrians. 

·        Easy access connection to the bus terminal

·        Maintain pedestrian access to mall when pavilion is in use.
Recognize and design the pedestrian ‘gateway’ condition from the bridge to the mall at the pavilion.

·        yes