University Transit Service


University Transit Service is a fare-free transit system providing service to the University of Virginia's students, faculty, and staff. UTS serves more than 3 million passengers per year and traverses the University of Virginia Central Grounds, University of Virginia Health System, and student housing areas. UTS also provides chartered services for university-sponsored events.

History of UTS

The University Transit Bus System began in 1972 at the same time as the introduction of parking fees at UVA, when fifteen student drivers started a pilot program. The bus system alleviated parking congestion on the Central Grounds and provided an alternative to individual car usage.
The first fleet consisted of four rented buses, but these were replaced by UTS' own fleet in November 1972. From the start, students provided most of the work force. At first, service was provided Monday-Friday 7:30am–12:30am, with the first route running from Copeley Hill Apartments to Scott Stadium. A gate preventing access to the University Law School was removed in order to allow for bus traffic. Eventually, service was expanded to include the Rugby/Grady neighborhood, a popular student housing area. Charter services were available from UTS’ first days of operation.
In 1972, bus passes were required and cost $7.50 per semester. Students had to purchase these passes separately from parking permits. On the first full day of service, 3,300 passengers rode the new University buses. UTS provided additional equipment to accommodate standing passengers.
In 1979, the service was extended to include a weekend service after a student referendum to raise the comprehensive transportation fee by $5. By March 1979, UTS had three routes and 16 buses. Talks began in 1979 concerning the combination of UTS and CTS.
On August 3rd, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, UTS will add several new routes and modify the UVA Health Commuter routes.

Service provided

Routes

UTS routes are designed to provide service to those that are transit-dependent, rather than those that ride out of convenience. The following are the six University Transit Service routes:

Academic Routes

UTS currently only offers one Health Commuter route. Changes are expected to be announced on August 7th, 2020.
University Transit Service contracts with to provide a mobile app that shows the estimated arrival time and approximate location of each bus according to the GPS tracking system.

Types of service

University Transit Service operates at different service levels dependent on the needs of the students and staff who use the service, as well as the availability of various campus access points.
University Transit Service offers Charter Services to accommodate the special transportation needs of various academic groups and affiliates of the University of Virginia. UTS Charters also participates heavily in major events at the University of Virginia such as graduation, home football and basketball games. In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, UTS has stopped accepting new charter requests.

Connecting transit services

University Transit Service works closely with Charlottesville Area Transit and . The University provides an annual subsidy for the Charlottesville Free Trolley Route that connects the downtown mall with Central Grounds. The University has an agreement with the city to provide a subsidy that allows staff, faculty, and students to ride city buses fare-free with a valid UVA ID. This open ridership program allows access to the Greyhound bus station and Amtrak's Union Station on West Main Street, encouraging more people to travel by bus and rail. In the 2017 fiscal year, UVA staff, faculty, and students formed just under 24 percent of CAT's ridership.

COVID-19 Response

UTS made a number of notable changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic, including the following:
The current fleet consists of the following vehicles:
UnitYear/MakeHeightLengthWidthWeight Wheel Chair Lift/Ramp
5136
5236

5436

5536		2006 Gillig Phantom10'35'8'13.5Front
9032
9132

9232
2007 Gillig Low Floor9'8"35'8'5"13Front
9332

9432		2009 Gillig Low Floor9'8"35'8'5"13Front
12132
12232

12332

12432

12532

12632		2012 Gillig Low Floor9'8"35'8'5"13Front
14132
14232

14332

14432

14532		2014 Gillig Low Floor9'8"35'8'5"13Front
17132
17232

17332

17432

17532

17632

17732		2017 Gillig Low Floor9'8"35'8'5"13Front
18132
18232

18332

18432

18532

18632

18732

18832		2018 Gillig Low Floor9'8"35'8'5"13Front
19132
19232

19332

19432

19532
2019 Gillig Low Floor9'8"35'8'5"13Front

Administration

University Transit Service employs full-time and part-time non-student drivers. All drivers are required to undergo a rigorous training process that satisfies the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles' requirement for a Commercial Driver's License and teaches them the different routes at UVA. Three official training classes are offered throughout the year during January, May, and August, although new drivers can be trained one on one or in small groups throughout the semester, based on their schedule. All of the new driver training is performed by current UTS drivers who have been trained by existing trainers. Training is overseen by the Safety and Training Manager.

Supervisory Staff

Each year, new supervisors are chosen from current drivers who apply. These supervisors manage all drivers that are currently on the road while they are on duty, whether they are student drivers, wage drivers, or full-time drivers.

Supervisor Training

Unlike becoming a new driver, there are no training classes for becoming a supervisor. New supervisors are instead taught on the job for a few weeks by current supervisors. The previous supervisor acts only in a mentoring capacity and generally does not directly supervise drivers during this time.

Budget

The University Transit Service budget consists of several components: the Mandatory Comprehensive Transportation Fee of $193, and UVA Health System funding.