CARTA members briefly discuss the entity’s future

The current and future state of public transportation is one of the topics at the joint meeting scheduled for October 6 between the Albemarle Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council.

Both elected bodies agreed nearly two years ago to join the Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority, a government body authorized by the General Assembly in 2009 that wasn’t created until late 2024. CARTA consists of two City Councilors and two Albemarle Supervisors and has an initial charge of both identifying and prioritizing funding for new streams of revenue to pay for additional service.

This year CARTA has been overseeing a route prioritization study that has been conducted by the firm RK&K. At the August 24 meeting, several members expressed a desire to explore ways to take a more direct role in transit governance. The sentiment continued when the full Board of Supervisors discussed the matter on September 16.

CARTA is staffed by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission and transportation planning manager Taylor Lowery acknowledged the disconnect as the September 24, 2026 meeting.

“When we brought forth a list of prioritized transit improvements, many of you expressed some difficulties with being able to weigh in on those, with so many big questions still unanswered about CARTA, what CARTA’s role would be in the future related to governance and the authority that it would have,” Lowery said. “So we just wanted to let you know that we heard you all.”

Lowery said staff heard two main questions on which to base an analysis to present to CARTA next May or June.

1. What is the role of CARTA for regional transit governance?

2. What is the legislative funding proposal and pathway?

A working group of area transit staff would help oversee the analysis and provide input from the perspectives of the multiple jurisdictions.

Supervisor Mike Pruitt of the Scottsville District said he felt elected officials needed to be having the conversation but recognized that none of them are transit professionals.

“We are non-expert and we need to have the problem framed for us,” Pruitt said. “So I recognize the tension there.”

But Pruitt also said the members of CARTA have enough experience to weigh in when presented with clear information.

“The option to have an analysis of alternatives is something that stirs debate and comparison and lets us actually sink our teeth into something, because we will be given a finite universe of things that we can compare,” Pruitt said.

Pruitt was the only member of the board to comment. Supervisor Sally Duncan of the Jack Jouett District was not present.

At the September 24 meeting, CARTA learned how the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority is funded. They’re made up of five cities and four counties.

Previous stories:

• Albemarle Supervisors vote to join Regional Transit Authority, December 15, 2024
• Charlottesville joins regional transit authority; Council holds first reading on federal transit allocations, December 28, 2024
• Albemarle Supervisors want say in governance of the future of public transit, September 18, 2026

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