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Board gives consensus to pursue Stevensburg/Brandy Station transit expansion pilot
Summary
Supervisors gave staff the green light to seek a modest, CTB‑contingent expansion of Culpeper Transit (a hybrid on‑demand 'wishbone' serving Stevensburg and Brandy Station) at an estimated additional operating cost of $30,000 annually.
The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday gave consensus to pursue a proposed pilot expansion of Culpeper Transit to serve Stevensburg and Brandy Station using a hybrid "wishbone" model described by Economic Development Director Bridal (Brian) Rothman and Virginia Regional Transit (VRT).
Rothman said the concept would use on‑demand pickups in Stevensburg and Brandy Station with set cluster return times to the depot (examples given: 07:45, 08:45, 09:45) so riders could transfer to the existing trolley routes. He estimated the additional operating cost at about $30,000 for a full year and said the county would expect to cover roughly two‑thirds to three‑quarters of that amount; continuation would be contingent on matching route funding from the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), which meets in May–June.
VRT transit manager Mike Soha said the county’s on‑demand buses are currently operating near capacity (reporting roughly 350–450 rides per month per bus) and recommended a hybrid cluster model; Soha and VRT said a similar approach piloted in Gordonsville produced a roughly 50% ridership increase. Rothman said staff surveyed a Stevensburg 5‑mile radius (1,994 surveys sent) and received just over 100 responses; about 30% of respondents said they would use public transit or indicated conditional interest if the service were available.
Board members expressed support and asked staff to proceed with seeking the CTB matching funds and preparing necessary budget language; the board recorded a consensus to move forward, not a formal budget appropriation at this meeting.
What’s next: staff will notify VRT of the board’s comfort level to seek the new route match and pursue CTB funding; any route addition will depend on CTB approval and subsequent staffing and vehicle availability.
