Charlottesville Area Transit
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Charlottesville Area Transit (formerly Charlottesville Transit Service) 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, establishing a free shuttle route (which is officially called a trolley, using green-painted trolley-style buses) connecting 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 to ride CAT for free by showing a valid UVA ID card. Eleven routes are offered Monday through Saturday from the early morning until the late evening. Sunday service has been suspended since 2020 due to COVID-19. Prior to 2020, Sunday service was only available on the free trolley and Routes 2, 9, and 12.
Fares
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and funds provided by the American Rescue Plan and 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.
Routes
| Route | Terminals | Primary Hubs | Additional Major Stops | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 PVCC & Riverside | PVCC (Dickinson Bldg) | Riverside Ave (Riverbluff Cir) | Downtown Transit Station PVCC @ Dickinson Bldg. Market St. @ Old Preston Riverside Ave. | |||
| 2 5th Street Station | 5th Street Station | Loop | Downtown Transit Station 5th Street Station Avon St. Ext. @ Park & Ride | Willoughby Square Shopping Center | Free parking at Avon St. Ext. Park & Ride | |
| 3 Southwood & Belmont | Southwood Mobile Home Park | Belmont Park | Downtown Transit Station Willoughby Square Shopping Center Southwood Market St. @ Old Preston Belmont Park | Willoughby Square Shopping Center Albemarle County Office Building | ||
| 4 UVA Health & Willoughby (via Cherry Ave./Harris Rd.) | Willoughby Square Shopping Center | UVA Hospital | Downtown Transit Station | Downtown Transit Station UVA Hospital/Pinn Hall (outbound & inbound) Willoughby Square Shopping Center | ||
| 5 Barracks Road Shopping Center & Walmart | Barracks Road Shopping Center | Walmart | Barracks Road Shopping Center (Arlington Blvd.) Fashion Square Mall Walmart | Shops at Stonefield Rio Hill Shopping Center (at Berkmar Dr.) Albemarle Square Shopping Center | ||
| 6 UVA Health & Willoughby (via Ridge St. & Prospect Ave.) | Willoughby Square Shopping Center | UVA Hospital | Downtown Transit Station | Downtown Transit Station Pinn Hall Willoughby Square Shopping Center | ||
| 7 UVA Health, Barracks Road Shopping Center, and Fashion Square | Downtown Transit Station | Fashion Square Mall | Downtown Transit Station UVA Hospital/Pinn Hall (outbound & inbound) Barracks Road Shopping Center (northbound & southbound, Arlington Blvd.) Kroger at Hydraulic Rd. Fashion Square Mall | Amtrak Station Shops at Stonefield Seminole Square Shopping Center | ||
| 8 Preston Ave. & Stonefield | Downtown Transit Station | Shops at Stonefield | Downtown Transit Station Barracks Road Shopping Center (CVS) Kroger at Hydraulic Road | Seminole Square Shopping Center Shops at Stonefield | ||
| 9 UVA Health, YMCA, and CHS | Downtown Transit Station | Kenwood Ln. at Yorktown Dr. | Downtown Transit Station UVA Hospital (outbound & inbound) YMCA (outbound & inbound) Grove Rd. at Concord Dr. (Charlottesville High School) | Health Department | ||
| 10 Pantops & Martha Jefferson | Downtown Transit Station | Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital | Downtown Transit Station Pantops Shopping Center Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Avermore Apartments | Rivanna Ridge Shopping Center | ||
| 11 Locust & Fashion Square | Downtown Transit Station | Fashion Square Mall | Downtown Transit Station Fashion Square Mall | Locust Grove Neighborhood Pen Park CATEC | ||
| 12 Seminole Trail (Sundays only) | Downtown Transit Station | Walmart | Downtown Transit Station UVA Hospital/Pinn Hall (outbound & inbound) Barracks Road Shopping Center (northbound & southbound, Arlington Blvd.) Fashion Square Mall (inbound & outbound) Walmart | Amtrak Station Shops at Stonefield Seminole Square Shopping Center Rio Hill Shopping Center (at Berkmar Dr.) Albemarle Square Shopping Center | Currently not in service due to COVID-19 | |
| T Free Trolley | UVA at Stadium Rd. | Downtown Transit Station | Downtown Transit Station UVA Hospital UVA Chapel | Amtrak Station |
Fleet Information
The fleet consists of the following vehicles (as of September 2018):
| 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 |