Regional Transit Planning
Program Information
Regional Transit Partnership
The Regional Transit Partnership (RTP) serves as an official advisory board, created by the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, UVA, and JAUNT, in Partnership with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to provide recommendations to decision-makers on transit-related matters.
PATH (Partnership for Accessible Transportation Help)
PATH is a mobility management program helping support transit and improve transportation services for underserved populations and people who can not drive. The program is supported by the US Federal Transit Administration, The state Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and many local partners. See the webpage for more details.
Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority (CARTA)
The Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority’s (CARTA) first board meeting was February 2, 2025. Based on recommendations from the 2023 Regional Transit Governance Study, the 2009 CARTA legislation, allowing the establishment of a regional transit authority, was enacted by the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County at the end of 2024. The CARTA board and committees will work towards establishing additional funding sources to support the provision of the services outlined in the 2022 Regional Transit Vision Plan.
Plans and Studies
Regional Transit Governance Study
December 2023 -As a follow up to the Regional Transit Vision Plan, the Regional Transit Governance Study will work with stakeholders representing each jurisdiction in Region 10 to identify new funding opportunities for the transit services identified in the Regional Transit Vision Plan and develop a governance structure to manage the new revenue and regional transit planning. This study will look at peer region’s transit revenue sources and governance structures and work with the jurisdictions to build a consensus for a revenue and governance structure that will work for Region 10.
The final work product will be a final report summarizing the current transit governance structure, peer transit governance structures, and recommendations for potential revenue sources and governance structures for transit in Region 10. The project started in September 2022 and will be completed in December 2023. It is funded by the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission.
Regional Transit Vision Plan
November 2022 – Local leaders, transit agencies, and a wide variety of stakeholders will collaboratively develop a clear vision for the future of high-quality transit in our region.
Early work will gather data from a variety of sources to identify the types of transit service that can be supported on travel corridors throughout our region.
The final work product will be a Regional Transit Vision Plan document that identifies short-term, long-term, and extended long-term actions the community must take to support the community’s vision for high-quality transit.
Albemarle County Transit Expansion Study
February 2022 – This feasibility study will result in an implementation plan for expanded transit service to population and employment centers within Albemarle County: the Pantops area, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and along Route 29 North (between City limits and the UVA North Fork Research Park).
Topic: Final Report
– Meeting Recording
– Presentation
– Agenda
Topic: Improving mobility in the Pantops Area
– Meeting Recording
– Presentation
Topic: Improving mobility in the US 29 North Corridor
– Meeting Recording
– Presentation
Regional Transit Coordination Study
December 2016 – In 2016, local decision-makers of the Planning and Coordination Council (PACC) asked the TJPDC/CA-MPO to reexamine opportunities for improved communication, coordination and collaboration on transit matters. The effort would explore operations of the region’s three transit providers: Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT), JAUNT and University Transit Service (UTS). Rather than focus specifically on an RTA, the Commission’s (TJPDC) assignment was to “review organizational, decision-making and formal communication options for the transit service organizations in the region and to explore partnership opportunities between CAT, JAUNT and UTS to enhance transit service in the region.” This effort and ensuing study resulted in the development of the Regional Transit Partnership and serves as the fundamental document for that group.
Charlottesville – Albemarle Regional Transit Authority
June 2008 – This study explores the formation of a regional transit authority and is intended to promote the development of regional transit services and to provide travelers with an attractive alternative to driving on increasingly congested roadways throughout the Charlottesville-Albemarle area. Five transit enhancement options were developed for the Charlottesville-Albemarle area, each providing substantially more service in Albemarle County. To put these concepts into context, they are compared against a Baseline, which represents service operating in fall 2007.
Regional Rail Conceptual Study
November 2004 – This Regional Rail Conceptual Study will concentrate upon exploring rail transit options in considerable depth. It is proposed here that a three-radial-route high-capacity system of light-rail trackage be constructed as a potential solution to the efficient movement of commuters and shoppers between Charlottesville and major population or development nodes within about a 20-mile radius of the City. Such a system works best with an isolated right-of-way to achieve immunity from motor vehicle traffic congestion. Some tentative route alignments (for the Rte. 29N, Rte. 250E and Rte. 250W corridors) are presented here along with potential pedestrian-accessible station stops that reflect present or expected near-term patterns of residential clusters, employment centers, and commercial development. This constitutes the Light Rail Proposal beginning on page 13. Any routes depicted on maps herein do not presently designate or guarantee any specific corridor alignment or station location, but are intended to stimulate dialogue leading toward the ultimate realization of an official corridor plan for high-capacity transit.