Charlottesville, Virginia… 4/26/2017… Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) is soliciting feedback from the general public for potential service changes.
In the coming weeks, CAT will host three public meetings. Topics covered will included proposed changes to Route 4 and Route 9. All three meetings will be identical in scope.
The first meeting will occur at CitySpace (100 5th St NE, Charlottesville, VA 22902) on Monday, May 1 at 11:00 AM. The second meeting will occur at CitySpace on Thursday, May 4 at 5:00 PM. The third meeting will occur at CAT’s administrative offices (1545 Avon St Ext, Charlottesville, VA) on Wednesday, May 10 at 6:15 PM.
Individuals who are unable to attend a meeting are encouraged to provide comments by email to CAT@charlottesville.org or by mailing a letter to:
Attn: Public Comment
Charlottesville Area Transit
615 East Water Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Public comments will be accepted through May 15, 2017.
Summary of Service Adjustments
Route 4
Background Increased traffic congestion during the morning and evening commutes has increased the time necessary for Route 4 to make its trip from the Downtown Transit Station (DTS) to the Willoughby Square Shopping Center and back. Because of this, published time points in CAT’s Riders’ Guide, at CAT’s bus stops, and online no longer accurately represent what the route is capable of doing. In order to “catch up”, CAT has been deadheading (taking the bus out of service to travel directly to an endpoint) one or both buses on the route. This has resulted in delayed service and missed bus stops.
Proposal To ensure customers can anticipate when the bus will come and the time necessary to travel along the route, CAT would like to extend the amount of time Route 4 has to complete a loop.
Option 1 (Schedule) – Extend the time needed to complete the loop from 60 minutes to 70 minutes. This will alter the day service frequency from every 30 minutes to every 35 minutes and the night service from every 60 minutes to every 70 minutes.
Option 2 (Schedule) – Extend the time needed to complete the loop from 60 minutes to 70 minutes. Increase service frequency from every 30 minutes to every 24 minutes during the morning and evening commute. Reduced the service frequency from every 30 minutes to every 70 minutes during the mid-day period. Reduce the late night service frequency from every 60 minutes to every 70 minutes.
Route 9
Background This summer, the Piedmont Family YMCA will open a new location near the McIntire Park. Per the Charlottesville City Council’s directives, CAT was asked to create several proposals to serve the new location.
Proposal Given the current financial constraints and ridership statistics, CAT has opted to propose alignment and schedule adjustments to Route 9. In FY2016, Route 9 provided 26,851 passenger trips accounting for only 1.14% of total passenger trips taken on CAT (for comparison, Route 1 was the second lowest with 53,677 passenger trips). To increase ridership, while providing service to the new facility CAT has prepared three alternative options.
Option 1 (Map & Schedule) – Discontinue service north of Kenwood Lane to Fashion Square Mall but add service to both the YMCA and downtown. The new alignment would travel as follows: Departing UVA Hospital from Jefferson Park Avenue, left onto Lane Road, left onto Crispell Drive, right to stay on Crispell Drive, left onto Roosevelt Brown Boulevard, straight onto 10th St NW, right onto Grady Avenue, right onto Preston Avenue, left onto Rose Hill Drive, right onto Rugby Avenue, serve the YMCA, right onto Rose Hill Drive, left onto Del Mar Drive, right onto Greenleaf Lane, right onto Gentry Lane, right onto Dairy Road, right onto Grove Rd, serve Charlottesville High School, left onto Concord Drive, left onto Kenwood Lane, left onto Yorktown Dr, right onto Grove Road, left onto Dairy Road, left onto Gentry Lane, left onto Greenleaf Lane, left onto Del Mar Drive, right onto Rose Hill Drive, left onto Rugby Avenue, serve the YMCA, left onto Rose Hill Drive, right onto Preston Avenue, left onto Grady Avenue, left onto 10th St NW, straight onto Roosevelt Brown Boulevard, right onto Crispell Drive, left to stay on Crispell Drive, right onto Lane Road, right onto Jefferson Park Avenue, serve Pinn Hall (formerly Jordan Hall) right onto West Main Street, left onto Ridge McIntire Road, right onto West Market Street, continue straight onto East Market Street, right onto 10th Street NE, right onto Water Street, serve the Downtown Transit Station, continue straight on Water Street, continue straight on West Main Street, left onto Jefferson Park Avenue.
Option 2 (Map & Schedule) – Discontinue service north of Greenbrier Drive to Fashion Square Mall as well as service to UVA Hosptial and 10th St SW. Add service to downtown, McIntire Road, the YMCA, and the John W. Warner Parkway. The new alignment would travel as follows: Departing the Downtown Transit Station from Water Street, right onto Ridge McIntire Road, straight onto McIntire Road, left onto the Route 250 Bypass, right onto the exit ramp towards Rugby Avenue, left onto Rugby Avenue, serve the YMCA, right onto the Route 250 West Bypass ramp, merge onto the Route Route 250 Bypass, right onto Meadowbrook Heights Road, right onto Grove Road, serve Charlottesville High School, left onto Concord Drive, left onto Kenwood Lane, right onto Yorktown Drive, right onto Greenbrier Drive, left onto Greenbrier Drive, right onto Rio Road, straight onto the John W. Warner Parkway, right onto Melbourne Road, left onto Grove Road, serve Charlottesville High School, continue on Grove Road, left onto Dairy Road, left onto Gentry Lane, left onto Greenleaf Lane, left onto Del Mar Drive, right onto Rose Hill Drive, left onto Preston Avenue, straight onto West Market Street, straight onto East Market Street, right onto 10th Street NE, right onto Water Street.
Option 3 (Map & Schedule) – Discontinue service north of Kenwood Lane to Fashion Square Mall, but add service to the YMCA, downtown, and McIntire Road. The new alignment would travel as follows: Departing Pinn Hall (formerly Jordan Hall) on Jefferson Park Avenue, right onto West Main Street, left onto Ridge McIntire Street, right onto West Market Street, straight onto East Market Street, right onto 10th Street NE, right onto Water Street, serve the Dowtown Transit Station, continue straight on Water Street, right onto Ridge McIntire Road, straight onto McIntire Road, left onto the Route 250 Bypass, right onto the exit ramp towards Rugby Avenue, left onto Rugby Avenue, serve the YMCA, right onto the Route 250 West Bypass ramp, merge onto the Route Route 250 Bypass, right onto Meadowbrook Heights Road, right onto Grove Road, serve Charlottesville High School, left onto Concord Drive, left onto Kenwood Lane, left onto Yorktown Drive, right onto Grove Road, left onto Dairy Road, left onto Gentry Lane, left onto Greenleaf Lane, left onto Del Mar Drive, right onto Rose Hill Drive, right onto Preston Avenue, left onto Grady Avenue, left onto 10th St NW, straight onto Roosevelt Brown Boulevard, right onto Crispell Drive, left to stay on Crispell Drive, right onto Lane Road, right onto Jefferson Park Avenue.
