Charlottesville plan would add 10 transit drivers and support staff; city share about $1.45M for FY27
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Summary
Staff proposed a four-year transit expansion beginning with 10 new drivers and five support positions and continuing zero-fare service. City staff estimated Charlottesville’s FY27 share of the initial increase at about $1,451,460, with additional exposure depending on county contributions.
City staff presented a proposal to expand transit service over four years and to fund a first-year package that includes 10 new bus drivers and five support positions (operations manager, operations supervisor, two bus technicians and an inventory specialist). The package would also preserve the city’s zero-fare policy for buses implemented during the COVID emergency.
Staff presented unit-cost estimates: drivers budgeted at $80,889 each (salary plus benefits). The total initial program cost was described as roughly $2.2 million; staff said the city’s FY27 share of that is approximately $1,451,460 once the county’s portion is accounted for. Transit Director Mister Williams explained the support positions address night‑shift mechanics, inventory control for FTA compliance and supervision needs that become more acute as frequency and hours increase.
Councilors questioned the ratio of support staff to drivers and asked whether the proposed frequency increases would change routing; staff said the initial proposal focuses on increased frequency on existing routes (no route expansions in FY27) and that some schedule changes would be targeted to peak commuting hours (Route 7 was highlighted as a priority). Sanders said the county was involved early to allow them to evaluate their budget exposure and that staff included the county impact so the proposal could be considered collaboratively.
No formal decision was taken; staff said they had included the transit increases in baseline planning pending county direction and would return with additional detail.
