by Larry Lagarde

Recently ranked by Sperling and Sander as the best place to live in the USA , Charlottesville, Virginia (pop: 118,400) is best known for the 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites located there - Thomas Jefferson's home ( Monticello ) and the university he founded (the University of Virginia ). Also the southern gateway to Shenandoah National Park (just 20 miles west off I-64), Charlottesville offers a wealth of recreational opportunities which soon may grow to include a bicycle beltway trail that will encircle the city.

According to a story yesterday in The Daily Progress , Charlottesville is acquiring easements for 20 miles of bike trails that will parallel the existing Rivanna River hiking trail system . City planners hope to begin construction by the end of the 2007 and complete the system by 2015. The city is budgeting $100k/yr over the next 5 years for trail construction and is counting on state, federal & private grants to cover much of the multi-million dollar total cost.

For a city the size of Charlottesville to embark upon such an ambitious bicycle facility building program speaks volumes towards the importance of bicycling. Obviously, this is a city that wants to remain among the best places to live for years to come.

Labels: Amtrak_Crescent , Charlottesville_Virginia , Virginia_bike_trails