Charlottesville Area Transit (formerly Charlottesville Transit Service)[1] is the provider of mass transportation in Charlottesville, Virginia. The organization was formed in 1975 when the city bought out Yellow Transit Company, which held a private monopoly on city busing. In 1999, the agency took a big leap in terms of providing better service and gaining more ridership, as it established a free shuttle route (which is officially called a trolley, using green-painted trolley-style buses) connected downtown with the University of Virginia. In 2007, the University Transit Service and Charlottesville Area Transit entered into an open ridership agreement that allows UVA students, faculty, and staff ride CAT for free by showing a valid UVA ID card.[2] Eleven routes are offered Monday through Saturday from the early morning until the late evening. Sunday service is only available on the Free Trolley and Routes 2, 9, and 12.
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| Founded | 1975 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 1545 Avon Street Ext. |
| Locale | Charlottesville, Virginia |
| Service area | City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Virginia |
| Service type | bus service |
| Routes | 13 |
| Fleet | 36 |
| Daily ridership | 6,589 |
| Fuel type | Diesel, Hybrid |
| Website | Charlottesville Area Transit |
Fares
editDue to the COVID-19 pandemic and funds provided by the American Rescue Plan & CARES Act, CAT operates fare-free. In December 2021, the City of Charlottesville announced that they received a grant from the Commonwealth Transportation Board to continue fare-free service through June 2026.[3]
Routes
edit| Route[4] | Terminals | Primary Hubs | Additional Major Stops | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1
PVCC & Riverside |
PVCC
(Dickinson Bldg) |
Riverside Ave
(Riverbluff Cir) |
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|||
| 2
5th Street Station |
5th Street Station | Loop |
|
|
| |
| 3
Southwood & Belmont |
Southwood Mobile Home Park | Belmont Park |
|
|
||
| 4
UVA Health & Willoughby (via Cherry Ave./Harris Rd.) |
Willoughby Square Shopping Center | UVA Hospital | Downtown Transit Station |
|
||
| 5
Barracks Road Shopping Center & Walmart |
Barracks Road Shopping Center | Walmart |
|
|
||
| 6
UVA Health & Willoughby (via Ridge St. & Prospect Ave.) |
Willoughby Square Shopping Center | UVA Hospital | Downtown Transit Station |
|
||
| 7
UVA Health, Barracks Road Shopping Center, and Fashion Square |
Downtown Transit Station | Fashion Square Mall |
|
|
||
| 8
Preston Ave. & Stonefield |
Downtown Transit Station | Shops at Stonefield |
|
|
||
| 9
UVA Health, YMCA, and CHS |
Downtown Transit Station | Kenwood Ln. at Yorktown Dr. |
|
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| 10
Pantops & Martha Jefferson |
Downtown Transit Station | Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital |
|
|
||
| 11
Locust & Fashion Square |
Downtown Transit Station | Fashion Square Mall |
|
|
||
| 12
Seminole Trail (Sundays only) |
Downtown Transit Station | Walmart |
|
|
| |
| T
Free Trolley |
UVA at Stadium Rd. | Downtown Transit Station |
|
|
||
Fleet Information
editThe fleet consists of the following vehicles (as of September 2018):[5]
| Year/Make | Capacity | Length | Fuel | Wheel Chair Lift/Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Gillig Low Floor Trolley Replica | 20 | 30' | Diesel | Front |
| 2008 Gillig Low Floor | 26 | 35' | Diesel | Front |
| 2008 Gillig Low Floor | 20 | 29' | Diesel | Front |
| 2010 Gillig Low Floor | 20 | 29' | Hybrid Electric | Front |
| 2010 Gillig Low Floor | 26 | 35' | Diesel | Front |
| 2011 GM-Goshen BOC | 12 | 26' | Diesel | Rear |
| 2011 Gillig Low Floor | 20 | 29' | Hybrid Electric | Front |
| 2012 Gillig Low Floor | 20 | 29' | Hybrid Electric | Front |
| 2012 GM-Goshen BOC | 12 | 26' | Diesel | Rear |
| 2013 GM-Goshen BOC | 12 | 26' | Diesel | Rear |
| 2014 Gillig Low Floor | 20 | 29' | Hybrid Electric | Front |
| 2014 Gillig Low Floor Trolley Replica | 26 | 35' | Diesel | Front |
| 2014 Gillig Low Floor | 26 | 35' | Diesel | Front |
| 2015 Gillig Low Floor | 26 | 35' | Diesel | Front |
| 2016 GM-Arboc BOC | 12 | 26' | Gasoline | Rear |
References
edit- ^ "With new bus service name come route revisions". Daily Progress. 10 August 2010. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
- ^ "Parking & Transportation". www.virginia.edu. Archived from the original on 2008-07-06.
- ^ "Charlottesville, VA". Charlottesville, VA. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ "CAT Rider's Guide". August 4, 2018. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
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