And then study the conclusion of that study, too.

Please excuse my cynicism.

This is a potentially very encouraging step forward – from the Daily Progress:

More than a year after discussions began on creating a jointly run bus system, Albemarle County and Charlottesville elected officials unanimously agreed Monday to form a regional transit authority.

Next year the two localities will ask the General Asse-mbly for permission to establish the new transit body, which would have the power to levy fees and float bonds to pay for the expansion of the bus network.

Officials in both localities have concluded that forming a transit board with the ability to raise its own revenue is critical to attracting thousands of new riders and to realizing their ambitious visions: high-frequency buses running on an L-shaped backbone from downtown Charlottesville to the University of Virginia and up U.S. 29 to the airport, with smaller buses servicing neighborhoods.

Charlottesville Tomorrow has more:

Next the consultants will finalize their report and recommendations. Additional public meetings on the plans for creating a Regional Transit Authority will be held in 2008.

Four thoughts –

1 – Right now I’m still like this system, which combines bigger buses, smaller buses and bikes.
2 – Realistically, my prediction is that nothing is implemented for at least four years – (hopefully) get General Assembly approval in 2009, study and tweak for at least two more years.
3 – Will people buy houses or develop commercial based on either the hope that one day transit will come, or will they wait until it’s implemented – and will they even do it then?
4 – This is a good start – now we need to start talking about working with the University of Virginia and the surrounding counties. I’d love to see more recent commuting data than the 2000 Census.

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