Slow train comin’
Last month, Governor Ralph Northam signed agreements with CSX railroad and other entities to complete a $3.7 billion investment in passenger rail in Virginia. The agreement will eventually add more train service to and from Charlottesville, but it will be at least a couple of years before passenger rail becomes available.
The city’s three currently offered train routes are the daily Northeast Regional from Roanoke to D.C. and points north, the Crescent from New Orleans to New York, and the Cardinal from Chicago to New York. The latter two only run three days a week.
The Charlottesville area was promised a second daily train to D.C. in 2014 after a western bypass of U.S. 29 was canceled and other projects received the funds, but the new route never materialized because the only railroad bridge that crosses the Potomac is at 98 percent capacity. The new rail package could remedy that issue, adding a two-track bridge dedicated to passenger and commuter service next to the existing Long Bridge—though it might not be ready for a decade.
The Commonwealth of Virginia will also soon own tracks between Doswell and Clifton Forge, allowing Charlottesvillians to take the train east. This will form part of the proposed east-west Commonwealth Corridor, but there’s no timetable yet for when service might begin. Details may be forthcoming in the next year as Virginia works on an update to its statewide rail plan.
Amtrak ridership has taken a hit due to the pandemic, but the American Rescue Plan has allowed the company to hire back more than 1,200 furloughed employees. The Crescent will return to daily service in July.
Feeling special on Harris Street
Another development vote divided City Council at its April 5 meeting. Developers C-ville Business Park LLC, which already has a permit to destroy one house and a small commercial building on Harris street and construct 105 new apartment units, asked at Monday’s meeting for a new permit to kick that up to 120. Both the initial permit and the new one promise the building will contain five designated affordable units and also five units available for those paying with housing vouchers.
The Planning Commission unanimously approved the new permit in March. On Monday, City Council voted 4-1 to approve the new permit, with the majority of council arguing that all new housing is good housing. Mayor Nikuyah Walker was the lone dissenter, saying the project didn’t provide for enough affordable units.
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Quote of the week
“Displaying these statues in the public is like displaying the burned remains of a cross from a Ku Klux Klan rally.”
—UVA professor John Edwin Mason at Monday’s City Council meeting, asking the city to cover the Lee and Jackson statues
with tarps until they can be removed
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Oh say can you 1C
On April 12, phase 2 of vaccinations will begin in the Blue Ridge Health District, which makes all residents age 16 and older eligible for a shot. As of last week, the district is in phase 1C, meaning higher education employees, members of the media, construction workers, lawyers, hairdressers, and a variety of other professions are now able to register. Demand for shots remains high in the area, and many who showed up to the JC Penney for vaccination appointments last week reported waiting for hours before getting the jab.
School’s in
Townies, say goodbye to any peace and quiet you might have enjoyed during the pandemic. UVA announced on Thursday that it will resume a regular, fully in-person education plan for the fall 2021 semester. “These plans are based on our expectation that vaccines will be widely available by the beginning of the fall term, and the prevalence of the coronavirus will be much lower than it is today,” wrote the administration in a community-wide email.
Carp’s out
Software engineer Josh Carp declared his candidacy for City Council 48 hours before the deadline to make the ballot. Eight days later, he dropped out, citing concerns about his own mental health and anxiety. Carp says he hopes to continue advocating for the issues that spurred him to get involved in the first place, like climate and housing policy. Dropping out is an understandable decision—the thought of sitting on Charlottesville City Council should be enough to make anyone uneasy.