Free trolley between U.Va. and downtown launched

U.Va. employees wanting to dash downtown to do errands or have lunch need no longer worry about parking hassles.

They can ride on the free trolley, a new bus funded by U.Va. and the City of Charlottesville that runs from 6:38 a.m. to 11:53 p.m. daily and services each bus stop once every 15 minutes.

"If you work at the hospital and want to have lunch on the downtown mall, you can get down there in eight minutes," said Rebecca White, interim director at Parking and Transportation. "It's a great way to go downtown."

Note: The trolley runs continuously from 6:38 a.m. until 11:53 p.m. Each bus stop is serviced ever 15 minutes.

The latest version of the Hoo Bus, which was started in 1998 and ran Thursday through Sunday from 4:30 p.m. to midnight, the trolley averaged 900 riders a day its first two weeks of operation, which started Sept. 25. "The buses are beautiful," said White. "Inside, they're all brass and wood and big windows."

The trolley route includes a loop around the downtown mall on Market and Water Streets, a trip up and down West Main Street, and a loop around Grounds via Jefferson Park Avenue, Maury Avenue, Alderman Road and McCormick Road (see map).

Though the trolley is free, riders cannot get transfers for Charlottesville Transit Service (CTS) buses, which require a $.75 fare (riders can buy a book of 10 fares for $6 or 40 fares for $21).

University Transit Service buses, which carry 15,000 riders per day, are free to any riders except unaccompanied children, but only those with a U.Va. I.D. card can get transfers to the CTS system.