Proximity to transit may increase property values . (From 2005 ) Walkability increases property values and livability . And now, studies have shown that real estate property values increase with proximity to bicycle paths. People enjoy living close to bike paths and are willing to pay more for an otherwise comparable house to be closer to one . (h/t BHG ) In short, proximity to functional, viable, affordable, multi-modal infrastructure increases property values.
Posts tagged Transportation
Transportation Costs and Housing Affordability
If Walkscore put walkability on the real estate map (it’s getting better all the time, by the way), the new online tool Abogo might do the same for transportation affordability. … Seeing this number in black and white may help diffuse the old drive-til-you-qualify myth – that you can find more house for the money the further from the city you move. Living in lower densities may pose less up-front costs per square foot, but the ongoing cost of getting to where you need to go on a regular basis is real and likely much higher. … The numbers look high to me , and my transportation numbers are going to be higher than the average user (I do drive pretty much for a living).
Riding a Bike in Charlottesville – Mountain Biking and More
If you’re curious about mountain biking in the Charlottesville area, road racing, and/or connecting with fellow bikers in the Charlottesville area, you will probably find this interview useful and interesting.
…When survey participants were asked to identify the three most important areas the cycling community should champion in the next few years, the largest percentage of votes, 82 percent, went to pushing for more bike lanes.
…I would ask about what the members are like, are they crazy riders or trail riders, where are the good trails, what types of events do they have, is there a weekly ride?
… Lastly: Bike Polo & Segway Polo Resources : Charlottesville Albemarle Mountain Biking Club (CAMBC) & their Facebook page Charlottesville Racing Club Bike Charlottesville Charlottesville Bike Club What is Single Track (mountain biking) Observatory Hill trails Mountain Biking Trails – Trails.com Rivervew Park in Charlottesville Rivanna Trails in Charlottesville Mint Springs Park in Crozet & Trails.com Preddy Creek (29 North area) Mountain Biking in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests Planners propose commuter bike trail from Rivanna Station military base to downtown Charlottesville
UVA is Getting Bigger – And We All Get a Clue
The University of Virginia Foundation has been given the greenlight to expand its research park on Fontaine Avenue.
…To get a feel for where UVA’s growth is going, spend some time perusing their 2008 Grounds Plan . The best sentence in the Charlottesville Tomorrow story succinctly pinpoints why the Charlottesville-Albemarle region chooses not to build roads .
…The most recent rezoning does not answer conclusively the future of the proposed Sunset-Fontaine Connector but does offer clues to how parts of it might be funded.
Funding and Intent Are Two Different Things
Two clichés come to mind: – where there’s a will, there’s a way – perfection is the enemy of progress People move to the Charlottesville-Albemarle region because we don’t have Northern Virginia traffic and congestion; it’s one of the reasons Charlottesville is one of the 10 most livable college towns . … The transportation section of Albemarle County’s Places29 Master Plan has been slimmed down to include only projects that have a reasonable chance of being constructed within its first five years. … I don’t know whether I’ve ever seen the business community campaigning against growth while the Piedmont Environmental Council and Southern Environmental Law Center are campaigning for growth : Carter Myers, a former member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board who owns several car dealerships on U.S. 29, said grade-separated interchanges would threaten Albemarle County’s bottom line. … But Jeff Werner of the Piedmont Environmental Council said the interchanges would provide a way for motorists to cross U.S. 29 without stopping, a necessary step in alleviating traffic congestion.
Blast From the Past – Why Charlottesville and Albemarle Can’t Build Roads
Browsing through the archives, I found this comment , which could have been written fifteen years ago, four years ago or this morning:
My biggest issues with the county and city are the relentless studies and meetings to conclude what an average driver in Charlottesville could tell you. I mean I understand the point of a few studies to make sure money is being spent right, but for god sakes at some point you need to start laying pavement. … Now the county is spending tons of money on studies to figure out if 29 needs to be widened to Greene and if 250 needs to be widened to Fluvanna.
How Do you Get From Charlottesville to Airports without Using a Car?
Hawes Spencer at the HooK notes the benefits of inter-modal transportation, getting to the various airports in Virginia/Maryland/DC and allows a tiny dream – what if we didn’t have to drive everywhere … … Now I look at Charlottesville (CHO) first and then Richmond (RIC). 29 is a horror with seemingly a new stoplight every time I go to DC.
Planners call this inter-modal transportation, and it’s something that can allow people in small towns like Charlottesville to seamlessly make their way— typically via rail— to the better long-distance options found in bigger cities.
… We can’t do much about the reality in the US, but we could try to do something regionally that attempted to alleviate the need for a cars for everything .