Three Notch’d Trail Update – 4 February 2026

Found in the latest Board of Supervisors’ agenda.

Learn much more at the Three Notch’d Trail page on Albemarle.org and more at the Three Notch’d Trail page.

It would be so great if this came to fruition in the next 40 years.

Three Notched Trail Shared Use Path
Albemarle County was awarded just over $2,000,000 in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with
Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant funds to complete a Master Plan for a future Three Notched Trail
Shared Use Path. The plan is expected to take two years and involves four major planning tasks:

1. Conduct an alternatives analysis of up to three potential alignments for the shared use path;
2. Conduct stakeholder and public engagement to determine a preferred alignment;
3. Reach functional (30%) design for priority sections of the preferred alignment; and
4. Develop an implementation plan for the shared use path that identifies segments of the
   alignment that would have independent utility if constructed separately.
   The selected consultant team of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) and several sub-consultants,
   including Toole Design and EPR began work in February 2025. Following is a list of the project activities
   so far:
   – Staff presented on the project at the Active Mobility Conference in early March,
   – The project website (https://engage.albemarle.org/three-notched-trail-master-plan) went live,
   – The project’s technical committee – composed of representatives from Albemarle County,
   VDOT, City of Charlottesville, University of Virginia, Nelson County, City of Waynesboro, the
   Rivanna Trails Foundation, and the Blue Ridge Health District, among others – has met three
   times, once in mid-March again in late June, and most recently in late October,
   – The second of four public meetings occurred in early December, where the three potential
   alignments were shared for feedback,
   – An second online public survey on the project is currently open.
   – A meeting of selected stakeholders occurred in late June to help identify considerations and
   possible alignments to be evaluated for the initial alternatives analysis.