FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 6, 2026

Charlottesville Area Transit

1545 Avon Street Extended 

Charlottesville, VA 22902

Contact: Alex Pasqualone

434.970.3349

pasqualonea@charlottesville.gov\

Charlottesville Area Transit to Conduct Onboard Rider Survey in March

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — Charlottesville Area Transit will conduct an onboard rider survey during the month of March 2026 to better understand how passengers use the transit system and to help guide future service improvements.

Surveyors will ride select CAT routes during peak service hours and ask riders a few brief questions about their trip. Questions will include where passengers boarded, where they plan to exit, and whether they will transfer to another CAT route or transit service. The survey is designed to take only a few moments and will not require personal identifying information.

The purpose of the survey is to collect origin and destination data that will support both short-term service adjustments and long-range transit planning. As CAT continues to grow and evolve, understanding how riders move through the system is essential to improving route efficiency, protecting key transfer locations, and strengthening connections across the network.

Since CAT transitioned to fare-free service in 2020 with the help of the Transit Rider Incentive Program funded by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, the agency no longer collects farebox data that previously helped track transfers between routes. While Automatic Passenger Counters provide strong data on boardings and alightings, they do not capture how trips connect across the system. This survey will help fill that gap by developing a clearer picture of linked trips and major transfer points.

The survey was developed by Charlottesville Area Transit and Neighborhood Development Services with consultant support. The City is partnering with the University of Virginia to conduct the survey in collaboration with graduate students in the Urban Planning program to collect data as part of their senior capstone course. The City is also collaborating with UVA’s School of Data Science to analyze the results and assist in developing a transfer matrix that identifies and protects key rider connections.

The March 2026 survey will serve as an important baseline at a critical point in CAT’s annual and long-range planning efforts for both the City and the broader Region 10 area.

CAT encourages riders to participate if approached. Feedback gathered through this process will directly inform future service improvements and help ensure the system continues to meet the needs of the Charlottesville community.

For more information about the survey, visit our webpage: https://www.charlottesville.gov/1997/2026-On-Board-CAT-Rider-Survey

For any questions, please contact Alex Pasqualone, CAT’s Marketing and Public Outreach Coordinator, at Pasqualonea@charlottesville.gov.