Reasons to Get Outside: Loop de Ville and a New, Central Greenway

This text was taken from an email alert sent out on Sept. 16, 2024. Sign up for email alerts →

person in right of frame runs down paved pedestrian path with green trees on either side — Photo by Peter Krebs/PEC.

Dear Supporter,

Fall is one of my favorite times to get outdoors, enjoy the local beauty and move about in cooler temperatures. It is also a busy time, with lots happening and ways to mobilize for better walking, biking and access to the outdoors in Charlottesville and Albemarle.

This email will list a few upcoming events and provide a glimpse at one transformative greenway project that is within reach of being magnificent. You’ll be able to learn more about it by reading on – or by visiting it during an upcoming guided walk.

Upcoming Events

Rivanna Basin Conference
Sept. 27, 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Carver Recreation Center
This gathering for community leaders, environmental stewards, students, elected officials, businesses and members of the public will focus on “Bridging the Gaps: Conservation, Connectivity, and the Future of the Urban Rivanna River.” I’ll be on a panel at 11:10.

Loop de Ville: 20-Mile Hike / Bike / Run / Volunteer
Sept. 28, All Day, Starting and finishing at Rivanna River Company
Celebrate National Public Lands Day by walking, biking or running the beloved 20-mile Rivanna Trail. There will be numerous hikes, walks, runs, and bike rides for people of all abilities — with guides and support along the way. As you can imagine, an endeavor of this scale also needs many volunteers.

Loop de Ville 5-Mile Advocacy Hike
Sept. 28, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., McIntire Park
If 20 miles is too much Loop-ing for you, we have a much-shorter (but still serious) five-mile loop you can try! This guided walk will showcase the five-mile greenway circuit, centered around McIntire Park, that PEC and our partners have been advocating for. More on that below.

Loop de Ville Concert and Afterparty
Sept. 28, 5 – 10:00 p.m., Rivanna River Company
Finish the trailfest and share your adventures (whether you Looped that day or not) with live music, food, beverages, a raffle with some shockingly good prizes and loads of fun! This party, like the rest of the Loop de Ville, is free – with optional donation.

Note: In the event of rain, the walks, rides, runs and afterparty will be rescheduled for Sunday, Sept. 29.

Piedmont Mobility Alliance Meeting
September 30, 4 – 5:30 p.m., 407 East Water Street
The Piedmont Mobility Alliance is a coalition of organizations (including PEC), agencies, businesses and groups who work together to pull off everything I’ve described so far — and much more. This meeting, which includes a hybrid option, will be a great opportunity to find out what’s happening in the community and ways to get more involved.

two women in pink shirts walk on path next to sign that says Butterfly Greenway — The greenway along the John Warner Parkway is already a popular place for people to walk, bike and run. Our vision is for it to be a piece of a well-connected network. Photo by Peter Krebs/PEC.

Five Mile Central Loop Greenway Within Reach

Last week was my seven-year anniversary on this job. During that time, I’ve watched several projects come together, one step at a time. One of my favorite examples (and a great place to walk, bike and run) is a five-mile loop trail connecting McIntire and Greenbrier Parks, three schools, hundreds of businesses and thousands of residents.

What began as a rustic footpath is slowly being transformed into a braided greenway system that will include options for people of all ages and abilities. That is the kind of sustainable infrastructure for active transportation and access to fresh air close to where people live, work and play that we have been fighting for.

The City of Charlottesville is in the process of acquiring a small but important parcel along the 250 bypass (location F on the map) that will allow the connection of the currently- fragmented planned shared-use path all the way from McIntire Road to Hydraulic and beyond.

Connecting the final dots, namely the pink and spotted purple lines, will enable a five-mile contiguous greenway in the center of the city. Meet at PEC’s cheer zone Saturday, Sept. 28 for a guided hike of the proposed greenway. Map by Peter Krebs/PEC.

Thanks to advocacy from people and groups too numerous to name, almost the entire project is either built, funded or under construction. The next steps will be to fund construction of section F and then build the remaining keystone element: a pedestrian tunnel under the railroad between Greenbrier Park and the John Warner Parkway (H on the map).

Once complete, this multipurpose path, which winds through parks and park-like settings, will provide car-free transportation links to many of the region’s most important destinations and easy out-the-door access to nature for thousands of residents — right in the heart of the community.Learn more about this must-have win for the community — and how you can help – by reading our blog post or by joining the advocacy walk on Sept. 28.

Parks, trails, and green spaces can be places to get away from everything. But walking, biking, running — and encouraging others to do so — can also help us connect with one another. That’s the spirit of the Loop de Ville and a big reason why I love it so much and why I encourage you to take part.

Maybe I’ll see you there, or as I often do, with a nod or a wave as we pass on the trail or sidewalk.

Sincerely,

Peter Krebs
Albemarle and Charlottesville Community Advocacy Manager
[email protected]
(434) 465-9869