Meeting Time: September 06, 2023 at 1:00pm EDT
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Agenda Item

20. 23-365 Plank Road (Route 692) Through Truck Restriction. To receive public comment on the County's intent to request the Commonwealth Transportation Board prohibit through truck traffic on 1) Plank Road (Route 692) from Monacan Trail (US 29) to Rockfish Gap Turnpike (US Route 250).

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    Kristen Rabourdin about 1 year ago

    My name is Kristen Rabourdin and I am the owner of The Batesville Market. Given there are more appropriate and safer routes for through trucks to take, we ask that through truck traffic be restricted on Plank Road. Batesville is a small, vibrant community with many residents living just steps from Plank Road. It is imperative to protect the safety of our residents and guests - many of whom are elderly or small children. Since alternative routes better capable of handling larger trucks are available, we implore you to consider restricting through truck traffic. The width and curves of the road, the lack of shoulder for oversized vehicles to potentially pass each other, and the active community that bikes and walks Plank Road daily creates a need for through truck restriction.

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    William Cocke about 1 year ago

    I've lived near Batesville for 17 years and use Plank Road (SR 692) on a regular basis. I support the through truck restriction on Plank Road. Other commenters have noted the nature of the curving, hilly, two-lane road, and its inadequacy for tractor-trailers, but I would like to emphasize the dangers these trucks pose to this small, rural, historic crossroads community. Many homes are just a few feet from the right-of-way and the town itself has a blind curve for eastbound traffic that endangers community safety. We would like to encourage a safe, walkable community for families with young children and that includes other traffic calming measures to reduce speeding through the heart of town. Preserving property, small businesses, and quality of life in a historic community is in keeping with the county's new Comprehensive Plan which specifically lists Batesville as a rural crossroads community. Thank you for considering my comment.

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    Mike Drude about 1 year ago

    My name is Mike Drude and I am the Head of School of the Miller School of Albemarle. I worked with our Batesville neighbors to successfully restrict through truck traffic on Miller School Road a few years ago. The difference this has made on Miller Road is immeasurable. The road is significantly safer for our students (new drivers), faculty, and parents - and for our neighbors. Plank Road should receive the same consideration for a restriction - and also traffic calming plans and safe walking paths for the many people who frequent the Batesville Store or enjoy the many community events held on the field across from the store or at the Methodist Church. Thank you.

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    Kevin Jones about 1 year ago

    I live near Batesville, I drive or walk on Plank Road daily, and I support the proposed through truck restriction on Plank Road. Plank Road contains blind hills (near Ortman Road and at Miller School Road, for example), blind curves, and is narrow enough to make passing an oncoming tractor trailer unsafe. I have driven off the pavement twice recently to avoid collisions or sideswipes with eastbound tractor trailers on the twisty section of Plank Road between US 250 and Batesville. I often see bicyclists and pedestrians on this road. Through trucks using the combination of the US 29 and I-64 multi-lane divided highways would be safer for the local drivers (including local truck drivers) and bicyclists on Plank Road, for pedestrians in the residential areas along Plank Road in and beyond the village of Batesville, and for the through truck drivers themselves. Thank you for considering this resolution.

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    Shannon Worrell about 1 year ago

    As a resident of Batesville and owner of the oldest structure on Plank Road (18th C log cabin) we are very concerned about the safety for our families and buildings, specifically the through-truck restriction. We need a WALKABLE BATESVILLE that will not put children on bikes, neighbors walking dogs, friends gathering at the Market or in the adjacent Page's field in SERIOUS DANGER. Massive trucks are constantly speeding through the village, many too wide to pass on Plank west of Batesville, causing drivers to pull over to let them pass at illegal speeds.

    Batesville is a historic rural crossroads community as noted in the county's new "Comprehensive Plan". It is critical that these rural crossroads are protected for safety sake, historical preservation, and the integrity of the county and state. Please don't wait until an accident happens-- Shannon Worrell, Plank Road resident

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    Doug Gellman about 1 year ago

    I live in Batesville and have lived here for 17-years and have been an Albemarle resident for over 30-years. The rural character of the Batesville area is what brought me here. I ride my bicycle throughout the Batesville area every day, and I have seen tractor trailers stuck and causing issues across our small Hamlet. The character of the area is diluted by these through trucks and since there are so many alternative routes for these trucks, I want to note my support for the through truck restriction on Plank Road (SR 692). There are so many blind curves and rises, particularly in the 25mph pedestrian zones, that allowing continued and increased tractor trailer traffic would further deteriorate the safety and character of the historic community.

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    Hamp Carruth about 1 year ago

    I want to add my comment in support of the through truck restriction on Plank Road (SR 692). The road, especially the section from Batesville to Rockfish Gap Turnpike (US-250), simply is not suitable for large tractor trailers, being too narrow and curvy for large truck traffic. It is unsafe for pedestrian, bicycle and automobile traffic to have these tractor trailers on Plank Road. Batesville residents have desired the through truck restriction for years, and both VDOT and Albemarle County staff have now agreed the conditions of the road qualify it for the through truck restriction. I urge the supervisors to pass the resolution requesting it.

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    Robert Leedom about 1 year ago

    Our family live in Batesville with our two young daughters, age 10 & 12. Multiple times per month, Plank road is impassable due to stuck tractor trailers conveying through Batesville, via Plank Rd. This coupled with the narrow nature of Plank Rd. ,specifically as it passes through Batesville, precludes the community from safely crossing the street as these tractor trailers routinely violate the 25 mph speed limit. Simply put, Plank Rd. is not built to facilitate commercial traffic due to tight confines, blind curves, and proximity to populated pedestrian areas. If commercial through traffic is allowed to continue, it will not be long before someone who lives in the community becomes a statistic.