Middle Grounds: Pedestrianizing The Corner

Pro: Pedestrianizing The Corner Has Health, Economic, and Safety Benefits

Last week, I was walking down 14th Street to the CVS on The Corner, when I saw what’s become an all-too-common occurrence. A girl about my age was careening down the 14th Street hill on a Veo, swerving and struggling to stop before crashing into the back of a white Nissan and slamming to the ground. The Corner is one of UVa’s busiest off-grounds areas in Charlottesville, generating business for the local economy and helping us create community as students at establishments like 1515, Crozet, Grit, and more. Here, I’m going to talk about how to make The Corner and Charlottesville even better–by pedestrianizing the area to allow for a more walkable, livable space, on and off-Grounds. 

A greater emphasis on walkable communities and public spaces is considered the future of urban planning, especially as the populations of city centers continue to grow. Evidence from a variety of cities that have engaged with this paradigm shift is astonishing– by encouraging and enabling residents to walk in their own communities, cities have seen improvements in physical, economic, and environmental health. When residents walk more, their risk of developing serious health issues like diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease is dramatically lowered. These health benefits are compounded by the environmental benefits of less cars being on the road. Better air quality also leads to better respiratory health for residents. 

Allowing for the pedestrianization of busy areas like The Corner also lends itself to the development of a stronger and healthier economy. By rerouting key streets and eliminating parking requirements, areas like The Corner would likely see more development of business and living spaces, increasing density in a city that desperately needs it. Because students and Charlottesville residents will be walking more and driving less, they would be far more likely to shop at these businesses, providing a boost to the local economy. The ebb and flow of pedestrian traffic would naturally increase, improving conditions for these beloved shops on The Corner.

Not only does pedestrianizing have incredible benefits, but it also dramatically reduces the risk of danger to UVA students and other pedestrians on these streets. According to the CDC’s most recent data, about 1 in 6 people who are killed in car crashes in the US each year are pedestrians, equaling about 8,000 people per year. Additionally, there are an estimated 104,000 emergency department visits of pedestrians with non-fatal crash injuries. In almost half of all crashes involving pedestrian death, alcohol was involved, and the CDC and Virginia DMV both cite it as one of the major risk factors associated with car crashes involving pedestrians. On The Corner, where students travel in and out of bars every weekend and drunkenly dance on the sidewalks, the risk of pedestrian death or injury is heightened. We can almost entirely eliminate that risk by pedestrianizing The Corner, making it safer and more accessible for everybody. 

In short, pedestrianizing The Corner is more than a pipe dream; it’s a necessity. The benefits are countless, allowing for Charlottesville to develop for the future, and its residents to create a greater sense of community in a walkable area. Through genuine sustainable development like this, we can, and will, create a city that works for everyone within it. 

• Morgan Meyer

Con: Pedestrianizing The Corner Will Disrupt Essential Services

There is an understandable desire to reduce traffic congestion and improve the experience of pedestrians on The Corner. No doubt, there are good reasons to favor such an overhaul. However, there are also significant risks and downsides that must be considered. This article will explain the status-quo perspective on UVA pedestrianization that, despite being the paradigm across the entire country for decades, seems almost unheard and irrational today. There are valid and undiscussed reasons to keep car traffic on The Corner, even though pedestrianization in other circumstances can offer great benefits.

Unfortunately, the primary issue with removing road traffic is the fact there is a road to begin with. The Corner, as it stands today, was built around University Avenue, and such a drastic change to the status-quo could cause serious repercussions. The University relies on University Avenue for bus transportation. The Night Pilot would no longer be able to pick up from The Corner, increasing the risks for intoxicated and vulnerable students trying to return home at night. This issue speaks to a greater challenge: shaking up the entire transit and routing methods for businesses, parking lots, fraternities and sorority houses, and critically- the UVA Hospital. First, businesses on The Corner would no longer be able to access drivers for delivery or pickup. Of course, just how many businesses would be impacted depends on how much of University Avenue would be removed, but regardless,  many businesses would be stranded and without accessible parking. Additionally, lots used by students would be disrupted, worsening an already desperate lack of parking at the University. Some of the parking and shipment areas would be left with just a single, one-lane road for dozens of cars and trucks. Thus, the return for businesses seems very minimal, if not negative, in exchange for a small increase in foot traffic, as most who visit The Corner already walk anyways. This would also hamper development, as construction along The Corner would become extremely difficult without direct road access, which could harm the area in the long run and prevent any increase in density.

Cutting a major road network would cause other major issues. As University Avenue is the main route for a large number of buildings, parking lots, and other parts of Grounds would see their traffic rerouted elsewhere. In some cases, this would unnecessarily and drastically increase transit times, backups, and accidents. The network of small roads north of The Corner would become significantly more difficult to access, harming students and local residents.

The most critical issue which will almost certainly prevent any pedestrianization in the short to medium term is that of the UVA Hospital. Without University Avenue, the Hospital would face significantly longer transit times and only a single road of access: Jefferson Park Avenue. JPA, already suffering from traffic issues as-is, would become the sole lifeline for dozens of students and Charlottesville residents alike. If a traffic accident rendered the road unusable, the hospital would become practically stranded. Of course, this depends on how much of The Corner would lose its road access, but even if West Main Street kept road traffic, access to areas like Mad Bowl and Central Grounds would become much more time consuming. In a medical situation, time lost is lives lost.

Since August of 2019, there have been 3 reported accidents with injuries on University Avenue, the most recent from October of 2023. While some of these accidents may have involved pedestrians, they also might have only involved cars. As that specific data isn’t reported, unfortunately it is impossible to tell. However, the risk caused by reducing access to the UVA hospital is simply too high to justify the potential reduction of three injuries every five years. As tragic as these cases are, the stakes are just too high and there is no guaranteed reduction of accidents. Traffic will ultimately just be diverted to other roads with smaller sidewalks, fewer stop signs, narrower streets, and few if any crosswalks.

While the idea of a pedestrian Corner is tempting – I’ve seen plenty of car-caused issues on University Avenue myself – there are just too many issues with the idea. There are other, better ways of improving pedestrian safety on The Corner. Pedestrian overpasses, reduced speed limits, safety barriers, and other measures can provide less expensive and less disruptive improvements to the Corner, which can reduce accidents and injuries without jeopardizing so many important and even life-saving parts of the UVA community.

• Jake Martin