2026 On-Board CAT Rider Survey

The Who, What, When, and Why of the 2026 CAT Onboard Rider Survey

WHY are there surveyors on the bus?

Transit agencies use onboard passenger surveys to better understand how people use the system. This includes where riders start their trip, where they are going, why they are traveling, and whether they are transferring to another route.

The goal of this survey is simple: to improve service. The information collected will help CAT review routes, evaluate transfers, and explore adjustments that could provide more direct service and more convenient connections.

Because this survey is conducted in person on the bus rather than online, it allows us to collect accurate, real-time information about how riders are actually traveling. The Spring 2026 survey will create an important baseline of data that will guide both short-term service updates and long-range transit planning for CAT and the Region 10 area.

WHY does fare-free service affect transit data?

Since 2021, CAT has operated fare-free thanks to funding from the Transit Rider Incentive Program provided by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. While fare-free service benefits riders and improves access, it also changes how we collect ridership data.

Before fare-free service, farebox data helped track transfers between routes. Today, CAT relies primarily on Automatic Passenger Counters to measure boardings and alightings by stop, route, time of day, and day of week. This tells us how many people are getting on and off, but it does not show how trips connect across the system.

For example, we can see that passengers get off Route 7 at Barracks Road Shopping Center and board Route 5, but we cannot measure those linked trips in a structured way. Without that transfer information, it is harder to protect key connection points and coordinate schedules during the planning process. This survey helps fill that gap.

WHO are the surveyors?

The survey was designed by Charlottesville Area Transit and Neighborhood Development Services with support from a local consultant.

To conduct the survey, the City is partnering with the University of Virginia. Graduate students in the Urban Planning program will collect data as part of their senior capstone course in March 2026.

WHEN will surveyors be on the bus?

Surveyors will ride select routes during peak service hours throughout the month of March 2026. Not every trip will include a surveyor, but you may see them on board during busy travel times.

WHAT questions will they ask?

Surveyors will ask a few quick questions about your trip. This includes where you boarded the bus, where you plan to get off, and whether you will transfer to another CAT route or transit service. The survey is brief and designed to take only a moment of your time.

WHERE will the data go?

The City is partnering with UVA’s School of Data Science to analyze the information collected. As part of a master’s level capstone project, students will help develop a transfer matrix that identifies important connections across the fixed-route system.

This analysis will support future service planning and help protect key transfer locations that riders rely on every day.

I have more questions. Who can I contact?

If you have additional questions about the survey, please contact Alex Pasqualone, CAT’s Marketing and Public Outreach Coordinator, at Pasqualonea@charlottesville.gov