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Regional Connections — Powered by Jaunt

Provides curb-to-curb demand-response service in the counties of Buckingham, Fluvanna, Louisa, Greene, Nelson, and rural Albemarle. Also provides ADA paratransit service in the City of Charlottesville and urban Albemarle.

Provides fixed-route commuter service to UVA and downtown Charlottesville from Crozet, 29 North, Buckingham, and Lovingston. Reservations are not required to ride, just show up at the advertised stop and time.

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104 Keystone Place, Charlottesville, VA 22902 [email protected] 434.296.3184 434.296.4269 fax

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Jaunt, Inc. is a regional transportation system providing service to the citizens of Charlottesville , Albemarle , Fluvanna , Louisa , Nelson , and Buckingham counties. Jaunt runs a sixty-four vehicle fleet that carries the general public, agency clients, senior citizens and people with disabilities throughout Central Virginia.

The CEO is Ted Rieck .

• 2 Governance
• 3 On-demand service
• 4 Hollymead Transit Route
• 5 Park Connect
• 6 Crozet services
• 7 Fluvanna exit
• 8 Salary increase?
• 10 Greene County
• 11 Sheffield resignation and subsequent investigation
• 12 Board of Directors
• 13.1 Former Staff
• 14 References
• 15 External Links

Jaunt was organized in 1975 under the name Jefferson Area United Transportation . It has served 8 million passengers. [1]

Jaunt is owned by the local governments it serves and uses federal, state and local funding to supplement fares and agency payments. In 2010, it began providing rides from Culpeper to Charlottesville in collaboration with the Foothills Area Mobility system [2] .

Although in 1975, Jaunt was an acronym for Jefferson Area United Transportation, in 1983, Jaunt, Inc. was created and the acronym went away.

On-demand service

Jaunt is piloting an on-demand service. Sheffield spent the late summer and early fall of 2020 going to various boards and commissions to get feedback from elected and appointed officials. [3]

• August 3 , 2020 – Charlottesville City Council [4]

Hollymead Transit Route

Jaunt launched a commuter route from Hollymead Town Center to the University of Virginia and Downtown Transit Center in 2016 called the Route 29 Express . The agency funded te service in part through a proffer for a section of the center known as A-1. However, developer Wendell Wood is asking that the proffer be amended. [5]

The service launched on May 2, 2016. [6]

Park Connect

Jaunt partnered with the UVA Foundation in the summer of 2018 to plan for a free commuter route connecting Central Grounds with the UVA Research Park . [7]

Crozet services

Service between Crozet and Charlottesville began on August 5 , 2019. [8]

Fluvanna exit

Fluvanna County experienced significant budget shortfalls for the 2013 fiscal year, resulting in complete cuts to funding for Jaunt and end of service in Fluvanna July 1 2012. In 2011 Jaunt provided about 21,000 trips to Fluvanna residents and operated an afterschool activity shuttle bus service for county schools. [9]

Salary increase?

In the budget process for FY2019, Jaunt sought to increase the salary of its bus drivers from the current median wage of $14.89 an hour to $16.43 an hour. Albemarle's proposed budget for FY2019 includes an additional $142,000 for this purpose, but a $105,000 request from Charlottesville was not included in their proposed FY2019 budget. [10]

Jaunt is working with Perrone Robotics on an autonomous shuttle that will serve the Crozet area. The project is called TONY, short for To Navigate You. [11]

Greene County

Jaunt took over operations and administration of Greene County Transit on July 1 , 2020 . [12]

Sheffield resignation and subsequent investigation

Former director Brad Sheffield was asked to resign following an investigation by radio host Rob Schilling into questionable spending led to an audit that revealed tens of thousands of expenses on business trips. Sheffield resigned but claimed no wrong-doing. In May 2021, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation announced an investigation. [13]

Board of Directors

• Randolph Parker, President, Executive Committee, Regional Transit Partnership Rural Representative (Louisa County)
• Lucas Ames, Vice President, Executive Committee, Regional Transit Partnership Urban Representative (City of Charlottesville)
• Raymond East, Treasurer, Executive Committee, Finance Committee (Albemarle County)
• Harold Morgan, Secretary, Executive Committee (Fluvanna County)
• Fran Hooper, Finance Committee (Albemarle County)
• William Wuensch (Albemarle County)
• Audrey Dannenberg (City of Charlottesville)
• J. Raymond Heron, Finance Committee (City of Charlottesville)
• Christine Appert, Executive Committee (City of Charlottesville)
• Willie Gentry (Louisa County)
• Diane Mcnaught (Nelson County)
• Vacant (Fluvanna County)
• Vacant (Nelson County)
• Karl Carter, Executive Committee (Buckingham County) [14]
• Karen Davis , Interim Executive Director

Former Staff

• Ike Eichling, Executive Director c. 1975
• Brad Sheffield , Executive Director (2017 to 2020).
• ↑ Web. Nelson resident honored as JAUNT's 8 millionth trip passenger , Staff Reports, Lynchburg News and Advance, retrieved November 5, 2014.
• ↑ Web. New service buses patients to Charlottesville , Rhonda Simons, Culpeper Star-Exponent, November 9, 2010, retrieved November 9, 2010.
• ↑ Web. July 20, 2020: Greene County water, Council action, mobile home park rezoning in Albemarle , Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Community Engagement , Town Crier Productions, July 20, 2020, retrieved September 12, 2020.
• ↑ Web. August 4, 2020: COVID concerns in Lynchburg; Council hears complaints on listening session , Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Community Engagement , Town Crier Productions, August 4, 2020, retrieved September 26, 2020.
• ↑ Web. Hollymead developer seeks changes to transit proffer , Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, April 23, 2016, retrieved April 25, 2016.
• ↑ Web. Albemarle County Announces 29 Express Route Starting May 2 , Press Release, Albemarle County, April 28, 2016, retrieved January 2, 2017.
• ↑ Web. FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE LAUNCHING AUGUST 2018 , Press Release, UVA Foundation, retrieved September 9, 2018.
• ↑ Web. Input sought on Crozet-Charlottesville bus , Allison Wrabel, Daily Progress , Lee Enterprises, April 15, 2019, retrieved April 19, 2019.
• ↑ Web. JAUNT to end bus service in Fluvanna , Bryan McKenzie, Daily Progress , Lee Enterprises, May 9 2012
• ↑ Web. JAUNT fighting for wage increases as city withholds funding , Allison Wrabel, Daily Progress , Lee Enterprises, March 4, 2018, retrieved March 5, 2018.
• ↑ Web. TONY Spotted Downtown , Theresa Curry, News Article, Crozet Gazette, April 5, 2019, retrieved April 13, 2019.
• ↑ Web. Greene County Transit now under Jaunt , Staff reports, Daily Progress , Lee Enterprises, July 1, 2020, retrieved July 4, 2020.
• ↑ Web. State launches investigation into JAUNT’s “troubling” spending, funding paused , RIley Wyant, News Article, WVIR NBC29, May 21, 2021, retrieved May 26, 2021.
• ↑ Web. Jaunt Board of Directors , Website, Jaunt, retrieved March 17, 2021.

External Links

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Transportation Services

• 104 Keystone Pl Charlottesville VA 22902
• (434) 296-3184
• (434) 296-4269
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Office hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

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Office address: 104 Keystone Place, Charlottesville VA 22902

JAUNT, Inc. is a regional public transportation system providing service to the citizens of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson, Buckingham, and Amherst Counties, as well as Charlottesville. Organized

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JAUNT staying fare-free as ridership begins to rebound

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - Public transportation in Charlottesville took a hit during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, JAUNT is trying to create a solution.

“We had pretty good ridership levels prior to COVID,” JAUNT CEO Ted Rieck said. “But we are seeing an increase.”

JAUNT changed the way it does business because of the pandemic.

“During the height of COVID, you wanted to limit the interaction between the bus operator and the rider. So if they come up and pay a fare, they’re in close proximity,” Rieck said. “We did go to a fare-free system during the pandemic, and we were able to afford that because of the COVID money. But before I got here, they did a study that showed that it cost us more money to collect fares than we actually got.”

JAUNT says the no-fare plan is staying.

A national study says the pandemic rally cut into public transportation ridership: Around 80% of riders opted out.

More of them are back now, but it still isn’t what it was before.

“We’re not quite back to pre-COVID levels, but we’re getting there,” Rieck said.

JAUNT relies on state and federal funding to pay the bills, as well as money from the seven areas it serves.

“Albemarle is in a position to fund a robust system, but Buckingham is less able to do so. So we see different levels of commitment based on those communities’ priorities and their ability to afford service,” Rieck said.

Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here .

Copyright 2023 WVIR. All rights reserved.

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104 Keystone Place Charlottesville, VA 22902-6200

(434) 296-3184

Contact Information

JAUNT provides public transportation for the six-county area of Albemarle,  Buckingham, Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson, and the city of Charlottesville. Anyone can ride JAUNT as all JAUNT vehicles are equipped with lifts and low steps for persons requiring such features. JAUNT provides curb-to-curb service for individuals with disabilities, using lift-equipped buses.

CONNECT provides fixed-route commuter service to UVA and downtown Charlottesville from Crozet, 29 North, Buckingham, and Lovingston. Reservations are not required to ride, just show up at the advertised stop and time.

Greene County Transit provides curb-to-curb service within Greene County as well as scheduled runs to and from Charlottesville.

Until further notice, there is no fare to use any of the JAUNT transportation services.

Who We Serve

Cost & payment methods, general eligibility, availability, intake & referrals, accessibility.

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Quality of Service

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Geriatric Care Management [email protected] 800-434-1633

JAUNT Demand-Responsive Transportation for People with Disabilities in Charlottesville Virginia

Charlottesville, Albemarle, Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson & Buckingham, Virginia Click here for a map of the JAUNT service area. 434.296.3184 www.ridejaunt.org  

About This Service Provider

JAUNT provides, among other services, curb-to-curb bus transportation for people who cannot, due to a disability, use the Charlottesville Area Transit Service (CAT) .

For schedules and more information visit JAUNT's website .

To use the service due to a disability, download an application here.

For instructions, download the How to Ride Guide here.

For service changes due to inclement weather, call 434.296.3184 *5 or visit the JAUNT Facebook page .

Services Offered:

In the City of Charlottesville and Urban Albemarle County, JAUNT offers complementary demand-responsive service to people with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Transportation at reduced rates is offered to individuals who cannot, due to a disability, use the Charlottesville Area Transit

Individuals not able to use CAT and wishing to use JAUNT's demand-responsive paratransit service should complete a CAT ADA Application to be approved.   Click here to download the application , then mail it, or drop it off in person, to CAT (information included on the form). For more information contact JAUNT's Community Relations Manager , by calling (434) 296-3184 ext 123 or by  email . Interested individuals may also contact the CAT Customer Relations office at (434) 970-3649.

The hours of service are from 6:15 am to 11:50 pm Monday to Saturday and 7:30 am to 10:00 pm on Sunday. The fare is $1.50 each way within the urban area. There are increases outside urban area , please call the administrative offices for more information and reservations at (434) 296-3184.  

Charlottesville Area: 434.326.5323 Shenandoah Valley: 540. 246.0211 Toll Free: 800.434.1633 Email: [email protected]

Related Videos

• How to Ride the JAUNT Bus
• JAUNT Transportation Overview

Charlottesville Tomorrow

State investigation finds Jaunt’s use of public money ‘troubling’ and freezes funding while exploring ‘next steps’ with attorney general

The state is investigating Jaunt Inc.’s use of public funds after learning of the many lavish business trips made by the corporation’s former chief executive officer.

All state and federal money to the corporation has been frozen while three state agencies —  the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the State Inspector General — work together to determine “the appropriate next steps.”

The move will not impact Jaunt’s bus services, the company said Thursday.

Jaunt is almost entirely publicly funded. Thirty-seven percent of its revenue is state and federal grants, according to data the corporation submitted to the city of Charlottesville. Fifty-six percent is local tax dollars.

“While the review is still underway, the initial findings are troubling and show a disregard by agency leadership for operating in the best public interest,” Haley Glynn, a DRPT spokeswoman, said in an email.

She added that the agency would make no other comments about the ongoing review.

The state launched its investigation the day after Charlottesville Tomorrow published a story about the costly business trips made by company executives between March 2019 and June 2020.

The company’s former CEO, Brad Sheffield, and other company leaders took multiple trips throughout the country and internationally — spending tens of thousands of dollars on first class flights, luxury hotels and upscale restaurants.

On one such trip, Sheffield booked a $7,275 flight from New York to Paris aboard Air France.

The ticket was for the airline’s exclusive La Première cabin . It’s a private suit available only on certain planes. The suits have memory foam beds, reclining seats, televisions — and a slew of extras. Guests receive gourmet meals, fine French wine and “ travel kits ” filled with beauty supplies, a bathrobe and slippers.

“In the La Première cabin, you will receive a tailored personalized service from our staff at all times,” according to the airline. “Whatever you need during your flight, we will be ready at hand.”

That and other expenses were flagged as unreasonable during an annual financial audit last year to review the corporation’s use of various federal grants.

The auditors ultimately could not determine whether any federal money was used to pay for the travel. Sheffield has said he paid for all travel using money from private contracts.

When auditors brought their findings to Jaunt’s board of directors in December 2020, the board quickly requested Sheffield’s resignation.

It had previously been unaware of the CEO’s expenditures, said Jaunt’s interim CEO, Karen Davis.

“It was not communicated to them at all,” Davis told Charlottesville Tomorrow on Thursday. “It really comes down to Mr. Sheffield felt that those program funds were funds that Mr. Sheffield felt he had the ability to spend as he saw fit because they weren’t state, federal or local. And there was no oversight of that.”

Davis accompanied Sheffield on at least one of the flagged business trips to London in 2019. Company receipts show she flew first class from Charlottesville on a Delta flight, costing some $3,652.35. 

Jaunt Chief Administrative Officer Chris Rowland also partook in several such trips.

Sheffield “was adamant that what he was doing, not only had we earned it by doing the programs, but it was ours to spend without the same constraint as federal, local and state dollars,” Davis said. “I did not participate in it to the level that Brad did, but he was adamant that it was perfectly fine — and he’s CEO of the company.”

Since taking the helm, Davis has said she is committed to being more transparent and implementing safeguards so the corporation’s funds are better managed.

For that reason, she welcomes the state’s investigation into their finances and internal structure.

“Of course they’re doing an investigation; we’re largely funded by them,” said Jody Saunders, Jaunt’s spokeswoman. “We’re just going to do whatever we need to do to cooperate and make sure that they feel like we’re being good stewards of their money and that we can earn their trust and confidence going forward.”

The state is not the only government agency with which Jaunt will need to rebuild trust. After seeing the travel receipts, the Charlottesville City Council plans to request a meeting with the corporation.

In 2019, the City Council gave Jaunt $1.4 million. The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, meanwhile, gave $1.9 million.

Seeing the receipts “definitely hit home the importance of really being able to have a lot more transparency and answers from Jaunt,” said Charlottesville City Councilor Michael Payne. “It raises more questions, for me at least, once you see the receipts than perhaps the high level story did. Being a member of a body that provides them with funding, it does raise questions that you want answers to.”

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Jessie higgins.

I'm Charlottesville Tomorrow's managing editor and health and safety reporter. If there’s something you think we should be investigating, please email me at [email protected]! And you can follow all the work we do by subscribing to our free newsletter! Hablo español, y quiero mantener a la comunidad hispanohablante informada. Si tienes preguntas o información que debo saber, por favor, envíame un correo electrónico a [email protected].

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