Keep on asking

Community members are wise to keep up the pressure for better sidewalks and bikeways in the Pantops area.
The Pantops Community Advisory Council is the group charged with overseeing implementation of the area’s master plan.
Recently, the group alerted the Board of Supervisors to several areas of concern: traffic congestion, the continued development that could create more congestion and the sidewalks and bike paths that could help relieve it.
Unlike U.S. 29 immediately north of Charlottesville, U.S. 250 east of the city has no sidewalks.
And both areas lack crosswalks and traffic lights timed to help pedestrians. Both highways are at least eight lanes — more where turn lanes exist — and so pedestrians definitely need assistance and protection in trying to cross these busy highways.
The council acknowledges that the county has scant funding to address such matters.
The council has already discussed public-private partnerships with bus-iness to fund some of the improvements, but the same recession-related problems that prevent the county from having money to spend also constrain businesses.
But it’s good to keep the issue visible. Chances for infrastructure improvements might be slim now, but without some public pressure those chances would be virtually nil.