County asks to use four Georgie Tyler parking spots for Suffolk–Windsor pilot; board tables vote

County transportation staff asked the Isle of Wight County School Board Sept. 11 to allow up to four parking spaces at Georgie Tyler Middle School to be reallocated as a park‑and‑ride lot for a pilot transit route that would connect Windsor with downtown Suffolk.

Jamie Oliver, county director of transportation, described a grant‑funded pilot developed with the city of Suffolk. "We'd like the school board's concurrence to use up to 4 parking spaces at the corner of the lot at Georgie Tyler to be converted into what would function as park and ride spaces to serve a bus stop," Oliver said. The proposed plan places the bus shelter on Court Street and would not route buses into the school parking lot.

Oliver said the pilot would run roughly four round trips a day once buses are available and said the county would post signage, prohibit overnight parking and follow the division's standards for public behavior at school property. The county planned two stops in Isle of Wight: one near the 460 Commerce Center and one at the proposed Georgie Tyler/Court Street location.

Board members voiced concerns about the immediate parking impact and possible growth if riders increased, asking where additional vehicles would park should demand exceed four spaces. Oliver said the county would reevaluate location and expand parking if needed, and highlighted that the pilot's schedule would avoid morning arrival and dismissal windows.

After discussion the board voted to table the request for one month so members could inspect parking at peak use times and return with more detailed operational information. The board's recorded vote to table was unanimous (Kolick, Cunningham, Perkins, Wooster, Marsh all voted yes). Administration and county staff said they would follow up with site observations and a revised plan at the Oct. meeting.