Charlottesville versus Waynesboro shopping

A neat comment on the quality of service in the two locales.

I can go on and on and on with differences in customer services and/or shopping experiences between the same corporate chain on both sides of the mountain (ed. note: referencing Charlottesville, not Crozet) and every time the Waynesboro side comes out ahead.

I’ve written about Waynesboro shopping a few times before. Waynesboro (and the Target, Outback, Lowes, Home Depot, Martin’s grocery store, Applebee’s, drive through Starbucks) is one of the best things about living in Crozet.

JAUNT is for Everybody

And they have some marketing to do to get that message across to the public. In short, as Charlottesville Tomorrow reports – if we want (bus) transit to and from Crozet, we have to ask and we have to use it.

Mallek is currently collecting names from those expressing interest, and trying to determine what schedule and location would best serve Crozet commuters. She says many of the constituents she’s talked to have offered to pay for a seat on the new route on a monthly basis, rather than day to day, to ensure that JAUNT sees sufficient interest to keep the service going.

It’s not rail, but efficient transit may help real estate values.

A comment on JAUNT in Crozet

The following is from a reader. It seems that JAUNT has some marketing to do.

“Thanks for your blog entry that mentioned Jaunt. I didn’t know they offer commuter service. I thought they only did transport for handicapped folks. I spoke with (someone) at Jaunt who advised that all commuter service between Crozet-Cville is door-to-door upon request, and they have no way of knowing how long any particular route would take on any given day.

She said that there are no plans for express service — and it would have to be taken up with city council who funds them.

I would definitely consider using the service if it would just be one pick-up in Crozet (say at Bank of America parking lot which is a designated park & ride) to a stop (or two) in Cville [Downtown Mall & UVA/Corner?].

I think that the service needs to have a predictable schedule and route.

I really can’t commit to using a service that might take 45 mins-1 hour due to multiple stops along the way.”

Rail service from Crozet? It’s not impossible

This is a slightly different post in that I am asking for something from you, the reader. Please email this post to your neighbors, homeowners’ associations and friends.

First, a tip about possible bus service from Crozet courtesy of Jaunt –

We’d love to provide more (and faster) service to Crozet. Currently JAUNT leaves Crozet about every two hours on weekdays. The 8 AM morning bus to Charlottesville is well-utilized, so it takes a while to reach town (we go door-to-door). But the 10, 12 and 2 buses are quicker. We provide return trips at 9:15, 11:15, 1:30, 3 and 5, too. Fare is $3.00 each way. We did try an express commuter route from Crozet a few years ago, but we had very few takers.

If we want this service, we need to ask – 434-296-3184

On to rail –

Getting train service from Crozet to Charlottesville is not impossible; read today’s story at the HooK. Like anything, we need to ask – we just need to use our collective voices to make it known.

A lot of people have been meeting with a lot of different people discussing the possbility of bringing rail service back to Crozet. This post is an attempt to get some of those people on the same track so to speak about Crozetians’ desires for rail. What do you think? Nearly everyone to whom I have spoken has expressed interest, but turning that interest into cohesive action is a challenge in and of itself.

Think of this as part of a the community’s effort to help Crozet.