A plan to hold a one-year pilot of on-demand transit service in two of Albemarle County’s development areas is one step closer to being implemented. Last week, the City of Charlottesville awarded a contract to River North Transit LLC of to operate the service on behalf of Charlottesville Area Transit. Specifically the firm will “provide…
A transportation budget making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives stands to make severe cuts to programs to expand alternatives to driving. On Tuesday, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted 34 to 27 on the FY24 budget that passed through the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee (THUDRAS). That body…
A proposal to construct a bridge across the Rivanna River to connect Pantops and the Woolen Mills has lost out in its second attempt at funding. “We did not get the RAISE grant for preliminary engineering for the Rivanna River pedestrian bridge,” said Commissioner Rory Stolzenberg at the July 11 Planning Commission meeting. RAISE stands…
How do transportation projects get selected? That question covers one of the major themes of reporting here at Charlottesville Community Engagement as I seek to help more people understand how “they” decide what happens. Who are “they” anyway? Can it be “us?” Anyway, let’s start with one key document. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires localities to…
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…
One of the key documents required for a community to build transportation projects is the federally-mandated Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The Federal Highway Administration requires urban localities to have a public process for decisions related to projects that receive funding from the U.S. Government. Twelve years ago, this document became a key battle point…
Becca White will retire from the position of director of Parking and Transportation after serving for many years. “She leaves behind quite a legacy for our system of parking, transportation, transportation demand management, regional transportation collaboration, and just the enthusiasm that she would bring to everything that she did which will be hard to replace,” said Bill…
Charlottesville Area Transit is continuing to plan for a one-year pilot to run microtransit operations in two sections of Albemarle County. Last August, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation awarded a $1.552 million grant to CAT to provide the service. Firms had until April 26 to respond to a request for proposals to operate the…
Those who use Plank Road to get through southern Albemarle County may want to plan for other routes later this month. The Virginia Department of Transportation has announced a bridge over the Mechums River near Batesville will be closed from June 12 through June 27 to allow for a replacement of the superstructure. “During the…
The body that approves funding across the Commonwealth of Virginia will meet this week at the Residence Inn on West Main Street in Charlottesville, steps away from a now-canceled project. The Commonwealth Transportation Board will begin with a workshop at 8:30 a.m. that will feature a large amount of state-wide business. One item to watch…