Charlottesville Area Transit (formerly Charlottesville Transit Service) is the provider of

mass transportation Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

. 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 The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

. 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. 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.

Fares

Due 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 The Commonwealth Transportation Board, formerly the State Highway and Transportation Board, regulates and funds transportation in Virginia. It oversees the Virginia Department of Transportation. Membership The Board consists of seventeen members: * ...

to continue fare-free service through June 2026.

Routes

Fleet Information

The fleet consists of the following vehicles (as of September 2018):

References

External links

Charlottesville Area Transit
Bus transportation in Virginia Transportation in Charlottesville, Virginia Transit agencies in Virginia {{Virginia-transport-stub