Albemarle County Discusses Western Bypass
News from the Daily Progress shows changes to the Albemarle County supervisors board that may have an impact on a Western bypass of US Route 29. In a January 9 story, writer J. Reynolds Hutchins chronicles a byzantine interweaving of two municipal boards, the Board of Supervisors and a board called the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization or MPO, as well as a history of board decisions skirting public opinion, and scant provisions for public meetings on the bypass issue.
It seems that with this year’s changes, there is the possibility to block the bypass project more comprehensively, which may be a welcome development for representatives who would have seen a bypass disturb their properties or local infrastructure.
Charlottesville Roads and Bypass Impact
Locals have pointed out that a bypass could provide many positives as well. Some of these would involve better accommodations for commuters, as well as relief for some kinds of traffic congestion. A curious October 2011 post from the Daily Progress is attributed to Jim Lansing and simply notes a variety of benefits from a Western bypass above a list of cons that reads simply “there are none” – while many would question this one-sided analysis, it’s clear that there are opinions on either side of this issue. A variety of other pieces, in story form, quote backers and opponents of the project – these stories are raising and re-raising issues involving wildlife impact, cost, practicality, chronology and the relative amount of progress made on the project over a number of years. It’s clear that the western bypass plan is a major controversy, and one that many locals have already weighed in on.
What about the impact for clients of Virginia personal injury lawyers? In many cases, these considerations would have to do with whether a public project helped, or hindered, public safety, for example, whether, during crucial transitions, clear signage was in place, and whether road crews were directed to plan for lane changes and other sudden renovations.
Public Safety
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Inside of the greater controversy, public safety issues deserve a seat at the table, as Virginia personal injury lawyers or other legal professionals would recognize. Decreasing congestion and helping good traffic flow is a part of providing safe roadways, but various kinds of traffic changes and roadwork can also raise accident risks. Without the proper safety precautions and equipment, big projects like a Western bypass could result in some kinds of disastrous accidents. Professional accident and injury attorneys often evaluate these kinds of factors when they look at accidents and injuries that occur in areas of transition, where not enough thought has been put into making temporary changes safe for drivers. In many personal injury cases, there are external factors that played a part, and professional legal teams help to find them, to the benefit of their clients.
If you’ve been involved in a traffic accident or suffered a personal injury in a public area, talk to the Virginia personal injury lawyers at MartinWren, P.C. We have experience in helping locals to deal with the aftermath of an unfortunate accident injury, to plan for recovery, and to protect a family’s financial health.
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