Free Bridge Promenade
The Charlottesville / Albemarle region has some great places to hike or ride a bike, but they’re often rugged and far away. There is a distinct lack of flat, calm places, close to town, where a parent can teach a child to ride a bike or skate, where someone with a walker or in a chair can enjoy barrier-free access to the outdoors, or where unstructured play or informal activities can pop up organically.
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Albemarle County has taken an important step toward meeting this need by closing Free Bridge Lane to cars. What started as a one-year trial has now been made permanent, resulting in a quiet, half-mile riverside greenway that is accessible to people of all abilities. Free Bridge Lane is located right in the heart of the community, within walking distance of thousands of residents, and connected to a wider network of riverside parks and greenways.
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​Project scope:
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Gates have been installed on Free Bridge Lane to eliminate through traffic and create a very basic, open space that community members may enjoy as they wish. It has proven to be quite popular.
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You can sign the Piedmont Environmental Council’s petition, which successfully asked for the permanent closure. But it is also asking for short- and long-term County funding, which are also needed and not currently included in the County’s budget.
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We are seeking these immediate infrastructure upgrades:
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​Park benches and picnic tables (which can be commemorative)
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Improved parking
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Interpretative signage
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Bike racks and a repair station
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If you have ideas for installations, projects or programs along Free Bridge Lane, or if you would like to make an in-kind contribution, please let us know! Peter Krebs is the project lead for ACPF and can be reached with any questions or suggestions at pkrebs@pecva.org.
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Benefits: Allows free-flow activities that are not possible elsewhere like roller skating or teaching kids to ride bikes. The Promenade also has the capacity to host small events and community gatherings.
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Costs: Completion of initial projects listed above are estimated at approximately $50,000. To donate to this project, please go to our donation page.​​​​