CAT Route 7 to go to 15-minute headways in late October

The Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority is the successor entity to the Regional Transit Partnership. Both groups are creations of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, a governmental entity whose staff conducts work on behalf of member localities.

As with meetings of the the now-defunct RTP, CARTA gathering provides an opportunity to learn what area transit providers are working on. The Charlottesville Area Transit website currently has no information about an upcoming service change but a mailer will soon be sent out according to CAT Director Garland Williams.

“Service improvements, I wanted to outline that [on] the Route 7, you will see a 15-minute frequency during peak periods starting Monday, October 26,” Williams said.

Williams said the increase reflects higher amounts paid to CAT via Albemarle County.

Another route change will be made in February when the Route 2 is scheduled to be split into two. That’s another project called for in the Transit Strategic Plan.

“That will provide better service to [Piedmont Virginia Community College], provide good service to the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail and Monticello High School,” Williams said.

However, the split is contingent on the ability of bus stops to be constructed at places such as Mill Creek Drive which is not currently served by transit. Williams said his planners have had issues with the Virginia Department of Transportation in the site plan process that have caused delays in getting them built.

City transportation planning manager Ben Chambers explained further.

“When we’re talking about putting concrete down, which is really what we’re talking about, we need an 8 by 5 pad of concrete to be able to have ADA access at these bus stops,” Chambers said. “We’re asking permission to use their property. That’s not necessarily the case when we’re going to the city, often right-of-way is something we already have purchased, so it’s not as difficult for us to work it out.”

Grant Sparks of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation said his agency is working with VDOT to try to address this issue because it has caused delays in bus stops being built throughout the Commonwealth.

Two other updates:

• As of September 24, installation of CAT’s battery-electric charging infrastructure was 95 percent complete according to Williams. The next step would be “commissioning” which could take until the middle of November.
• Williams also said CAT applied for a federal Low-No Emission grant program for two battery-electric hybrid buses and 2 battery-electric buses.

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