For over four decades, Albemarle County has designated areas close to Charlottesville where intense growth is allowed to occur. As this year comes closer to an end, there’s a lot happening in what’s known to planners as Places 29-North.
“We are reviewing an application for about 1,500 homes in the North Fork area,” says Deputy Director of Planning Kevin McDermott. “Directly across U.S. 29 from there is a development called North Pointe.”
But that’s just some of what’s coming. Albemarle’s development dashboard currently shows nearly 4,000 units approved but not yet built in the Hollymead area, with another 2,916 under review as of October 1. That’s the most of any of the county’s growth areas, but one with limited public transportation options.
To change that, Albemarle and Charlottesville Area Transit launched a new microtransit service on October 30.
“It offers people an opportunity to take a different way to get into their work and their school and their play, wherever they need to get to,” McDermott says. “It’s not going to take a major amount of cars off the road but it does offer people another choice.”
McDermott said the one-year pilot program will provide data that can be used to plan future fixed-route buses where there is currently no service. Albemarle County’s urban ring is about 30 square miles compared to just over 10 for the entire City of Charlottesville. Albemarle Board of Supervisors Chair Donna Price says that’s too large an area for hourly bus service, but the on-demand MicroCAT is seen as a first step.
“The county’s Pantops and U.S. 29 North areas do have sufficient increased density which, while too small to support that fixed-route system, is sufficient to support this on-demand service,” Price says.
To use the fare-free service, download the MicroCAT app on an Android or Apple iOS device. Or you can call 442-2466 to book a ride. The service operates Monday through Saturday from 6:30am to 9:30pm.
One of the drivers is Peter Lafford, who told reporters on a ride along that he is glad to be doing the work. He’s a member of IMPACT, a congregation-led group advocating for solutions in the community.
“They are pointing out issues concerning affordable housing, underserved public transport systems, and after-school programs,” Lafford says. “I was supportive of those efforts, and so now it’s exciting to find I’m a part of a program solving some of those issues.”
The service will depend on existing roads and streets.
Over the past several years, Albemarle and the Virginia Department of Transportation have invested in the road network, with projects such as the extension of Berkmar Drive Extended. The UVA Foundation paid $7 million to extend Lewis and Clark Drive to Airport Road, and has offered around $4 million in improvements connected to the North Fork rezoning.
Meanwhile, the county seeks to purchase 462 acres around the Rivanna Station military base for economic development purposes. Supervisors are seeking state assistance to help cover the $58 million cost to buy the land from developer Wendell Wood, but the deal is expected to close soon.