The aim of the Albemarle County Transit Expansion study was to identify short-range opportunities to expand transit service to key population and employment centers in Albemarle County. The Charlottesville-Albemarle County region is the second-fastest growing metropolitan area in Virginia, behind only Northern Virginia. In recent years, growth has largely been concentrated in the designated Development Areas of Albemarle County, just outside the Charlottesville city limits. Going forward, the region stands to benefit from improved and expanded transit service that can enhance mobility options for residents and visitors.
The Albemarle County Transit Expansion study focused on three specific areas of Albemarle County identified by the Regional Transit Partnership. The US-29 North corridor and the Pantops area are designated urban growth areas of the county, while Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is a major cultural and tourism destination. The Foursquare ITP team developed two service scenarios for each of the three study areas, including a mix of fixed-route and microtransit options. The scenarios were presented at a series of public and stakeholder meetings as well as on a project website. Final recommendations were developed for each study area based on the feedback received from a diverse array of stakeholders over the course of the project. These recommendations focused primarily on microtransit service for Albemarle County.
Albemarle County launched a microtransit program, MicroCAT, in October 2023. The service was featured in several local news articles.
Solutions and Outcomes
- Developed two service scenarios for each of the three study areas.
- Submitted recommendations to DRPT in a Transit Demonstration Project Grant application.