Transit line between Charlottesville and Staunton becoming reality

CHARLOTTESVILLE, V.A. (WVIR) - Plans for a transit route between Charlottesville and the Shenandoah Valley are one step closer to becoming a reality.

Thursday afternoon, the Jefferson Area Regional Transit Partnership recommended that Albemarle County, the University of Virginia, and Charlottesville allocate funding for Afton Express. The bus route would make four trips a day between Staunton and Charlottesville and have a $3 fare price.

“We have been hearing this for many years, the demand for a commuter bus system,” said Bonnie Riedesel, Executive Director of the Central Shenandoah Planning District. “It’s an economic development tool for our localities to be able to get workforce from one area to the other.”

The buses will be able to carry 32 passengers a trip. If the funding is approved by the state, the routes are slated to start in early 2021.

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