Keeping on the transit theme, last week Charlottesville Area Transit held the second of two public input sessions on upcoming route changes. The presentation on July 21 was the same as five days earlier. This time the first question came from Jane Colony Mills, the executive of the food pantry Loaves and Fishes.
“We are located down Lambs Road at the intersection of Hydraulic and Lambs,” said Mills. “We serve probably 25 to 30 percent of Charlottesville’s population but if you don’t have a vehicle they can’t get to us.”
The nearest bus line is Route 5, and it’s about three quarters of a mile away from the nearest stop on Commonwealth Drive.
“I was out doing registration today and there are just numerous people who have to catch rides or figure out other ways of accessing our services because they can’t get here on public transport,” Colony Mills said.
Another person on the call wanted to know if service could be restored to Albemarle Square, which has a new tenant in a new grocery store. CAT Deputy Director Juwhan Lee explained why there are no bus routes there anymore.
“The property owner actually asked us to leave the property and so until they invite us back in, we will not able to serve the property directly,” Lee said.
The route changes will have to be approved by Council before going into effect.
At the same time, Albemarle County and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission begin the public input component of the a study about ways to expand transit in urban Albemarle, with the goal of increasing service to Route 29 north of the Rivanna River, to Pantops, and to Monticello. Tonight’s meeting deals with service in the north and begins at 6 p.m. (meeting info)
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