A major key to a future in which more people live here will be getting more people on area buses. There are no shortage of plans currently underway or from the recent past that aspire to do just that.
Over two years ago, CAT had hired Kimley Horn and Nelson Nygaard group to create a series of route changes that were never made. This is different from the Transit Development Plan from the spring of 2018.
Council was briefed on the changes in late May 2021, as I wrote about at the time. Unfortunately, the link to the presentation as well as references to that work are no longer on the CAT website.
In October 2022, CAT manager Garland Williams explained why the route changes had not been made.
“CAT doesn’t have enough operators to implement the proposed routes enhancements presented to City Council last year,” he wrote me at the time.
- Council briefed on proposed transit changes, June 2, 2021
- Regional Transit Partnership talks park and ride, future bus type, and CAT changes, July 4, 2021
- Next steps for Charlottesville Area Transit route changes outlined at partnership meeting, June 24, 2022
Soon after that, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission began a Regional Transit Vision Plan funded by Albemarle County and Charlottesville that recommended a theoretical expansion of the entire system. That work culminated in a governance study that is underway that could lead to formation of a regional transportation authority to help pay for more service.
- Public meeting tonight for Regional Transit Vision Plan, Fluvanna and Louisa Supervisors briefed last week, June 23, 2022
- Albemarle and Charlottesville officials weigh in on regional transit vision, June 14, 2022
- Regional transit vision plan nearing completion, November 2, 2022
- Governance study: A primer on regional transit systems, December 15, 2022
- Two out of five phases complete for transit governance study, April 5, 2023
CAT is also responsible for providing microtransit service in Albemarle County for a one-year pilot that does not yet have a start date.
- Studying the expansion of transit in Albemarle County[, August 11, 2021
- Charlottesville Area Transit to operate on-demand demonstration project in Albemarle, August 24, 2022
- Deadline extended for firms to apply for run microtransit for CAT on behalf of Albemarle County, April 13, 2023
- Council briefed on Albemarle microtransit program, June 18, 2023
With all that as background, this week CAT begins the public engagement phase for a Transit Strategic Plan.
“Transit Strategic Plans are required for transit agencies operating in metropolitan areas of Virginia to ensure that transit services are planned to better meet their communities’ mobility needs,” reads the website for the plan. “This presents CAT with an opportunity to evaluate and update our services and network to respond to changes in our community.”
Now CAT wants your feedback and there’s a survey that runs through July 31. There are also two pop-up events to learn more with one happening Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Charlottesville City Market and one on Wednesday at the Downtown Transit Station from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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