Black and White

boring technology

I always call Miss Utility before I dig. Calling Sister Utility is the law. I don’t know anyone who has ever been arrested, but the State, the County, the City, they all make pretty clear:

Failure to notify Miss Utility before you dig could make you liable for the cost of any repairs should you damage a utility service.

In the picture above a concrete sanitary sewer main runs right to left, downhill, beneath Chesapeake Street in Charlottesville Virginia, headed for the sewage plant.
Also pictured, a half inch diameter, high pressure gas line running from seven o’clock to one o’clock, overtop the sanitary sewer.
Also pictured, the damage that resulted when the HDD (horizontal directional drilling) operator inadvertently steered the drilling rig through the sewer.

The benefits of drilling, no trench, less erosion, it is minimally invasive street surgery. The problem, no laparoscope.

Our City is actively pursuing inflow and infiltration of rainwater into the sanitary sewer. They cruise pipes with video cameras, find and fix damaged pipe.

exeunt

CH669E1-gabe's-truck
Pictured above, Gabe’s truck, parked on West Main, February, 1994. No one broke in.
A good man gone.

under the asphalt

peebles block portsmouth ohio
Paving bricks are larger…typically 9 ” by 4 “, and much heavier. One paving brick weighs almost 10 lbs each. They have at least twice the “crush strength” of typical bricks, and are fired at a higher temperature, which results in an exterior coating that makes them more impervious to water.–Keith

(in the course of infrastructure changes on W Main some of Charlottesville’s old road history is unearthed, paving brick)

dome room

DSC_0661-Rotunda-dome-room

election day

strange bedfellows
Unusual alliances in blue Charlottesville.

Jake, Mike and Emma
Election morning, Council candidate Farruggio with his children at Recreation precinct.

Vegan Dog Bomb Dog

Bill Clinton, vegan dog
President Bill Clinton came to town Halloween Eve to support the Macker, Terry McAuliffe, next Governor of Virginia.

the road show held in the Paramount theater
There are those who bemoan the difficulty of the choice, having to choose between snake oil and holy water. It really isn’t a difficult choice.

Lots of good writing on the race and on the candidates. My favorite article in the past few days is by Noreen Malone titled

Terry McAuliffe’s Shamelessness Makes Him Loveable
His extremist opponent doesn’t hurt, either

One could always cast a write-in for the fabulous Bomb Dog!

Three Notched

Charlottesville City staff join personnel from Rhodeside and Harwell for a walk up and down a portion of the Three Notch’d Road. At the west end of the 4,000 foot segment are the grounds of University of Virginia, at the east end of the segment, is the Charlottesville pedestrian mall.

Of the area in-between the West Main subcommittee of the PLACE Task Force comments:

The subcommittee’s preliminary discussions about the corridor suggested that there were several impediments to its success that related to: the design of many of its discrete elements; the codes and design guidelines that govern both the public right-of-way and the adjacent properties; and the review process for new development. Several of the design problems include, for example, the conflict between street trees and overhead utilities, sidewalks that are too narrow, poor lighting, excessive off-street parking along the street edge, and unsafe intersections (particularly the intersection of west Main Street and Ridge/McIntire).

The different character of West Main along its length was not reflected in the planning guidelines and codes governing the corridor, and the expectations for redevelopment were not clear, creating a difficult review process for those wishing to build along the corridor. Property owners and developers also indicated that many of the issues they face need to be addressed collectively, and would support efforts from the city to coordinate the actions of individual property owners. These issues include parking, stormwater management, maintenance and security.

Pictured above, Elliot Rhodeside. Behind him is the awesome pedestrian no-man’s land formed by the intersection of South Street, Water Street, Ridge-McIntire, Ridge and West Main. How about the Poynton approach?

A great deal of activity on W. Main these days. How will the commons fare? Commons is the space shared by cyclists, trees, fire-engines, pedestrians, parked cars, gas, water, stormwater and sewer lines, overhead utilities, street lights, street furniture, signage, student BMW’s, public transit, local freight, skateboarders….

Sustain!