Charlottesville, Virginia would like to be a “world class city” yet our public transportation system is reminiscent of Andy Griffith’s Mayberry.
Can a family that lives in Louisa, Fluvanna, Orange, Nelson or Greene County ride a consistent, affordable and accessible bus into the City of Charlottesville? No, way, Jose!
There is a direct correlation between our public transportation system in Charlottesville, Central Virginia and The 5th District and our lack of affordable housing in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. If we prioritize public transportation, housing will become more affordable in the City of CVille and Albemarle County.
Please let me explain:
Our most impoverished citizens and our blue collar workers who earn income below area median income (AMI) have two options for housing:
Pay $1,250 per month for a ramshackle two-bedroom in the City, or pay $750 per month for a good two-bedroom in the outer counties. If the second option is the choice, the family will sacrifice its rent savings on gasoline and vehicle maintenance because of the 20-50 minute one-way commute to the epicenter of employment (the City of Charlottesville).
We are constantly discussing affordable housing and creating more human density in CVille. Well, before we try to cram more folks into a 10.27-mile City, why not improve the transportation and accessibility of our public transportation system first?
It’s the classic chicken-and-an-egg scenario.
Central Virginia in totality has a population of roughly 250,000 – 300,000 people. The City of CVille has a population of roughly 50,000 people. Many in Central Virginia are our most impoverished citizens. We must not neglect Central Virginia’s population by prioritizing Charlottesville’s population.
We must offer a public transportation system with affordable routes across Central Virginia, including our outer counties, especially Fluvanna, Louisa, Orange, Nelson and Greene Counties.
If we had a more robust public transportation system, then our most impoverished Central Virginia citizens could live in these counties where the housing is more affordable without sacrificing the rent savings. If we improve the public transportation system, we will literally keep more disposable income in the pockets of our most impoverished citizens.
There are other benefits as well:
(1). Alleviated traffic and parking issues.
(2). Reduced pollution across Central Virginia.
(3). Minimized vehicle accidents.
(4). Improved quality of life.
The only way I see a robust public transportation system like this working is through a public/private partnership. Government bureaucracy moves just too slow. Plus, where would the money come from?
Either a social entrepreneur (aka a Conscious Capitalist) with deep pockets or the University of Virginia would need to rise to the occasion. In fact, UVa has the most skin-in-the-game because it’s the largest employer in Charlottesville. It’s also dealing with an image and PR issue associated to its meager pay of team members.
This idea would require financial resources and much effort, but once the public transportation routes were in place, the upside is tremendous for Charlottesville, Central Virginia and the 5th District.
I would like to thank Alex Urpí, the president of Forward Adelante, Virginia’s first bilingual business journal, for putting this public transportation on my radar.
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BACKSTORY: I recently published a thread on my Twitter account (Twitter.com/JerryMillerNow) about public transportation that sparked some discussion. I originate most of my ideas on Twitter, so if you’re into breaking news & brainstorming possibilities, I encourage you to follow me in the Twittersphere.
CEO Jerry Miller
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