press release

Transit operations center a ‘cutting edge’ facility

June 17, 2010
By Rachana Dixit
Charlottesville Daily Progress

Officials on Thursday lauded a new operations center for the area’s bus system as being on the cutting edge as a “green” facility and providing more energy-efficient transit.

“We can count on CAT to create a greener future for Charlottesville,” Councilor Holly Edwards said of the Charlottesville Area Transit system.

The new center, at 1545 Avon St. Extended, comprises four buildings and will house CAT administration, maintenance and operations. CAT’s fleet will also be located at the new space.

“Our area is the envy,” Del. David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville, said at Thursday’s grand opening ceremony. “We’re always on the cutting edge, and we’re doing it today with this facility.”

Ground was broken in March for the $15.6 million transit base, which has about 27,000 square feet of usable space. The city purchased 6 acres on Avon Street Extended in Albemarle County for the project at a cost of $2.25 million.

The facility has incorporated a number of measures to conserve energy, such as geothermal heating and cooling, natural light, fuel and waste capture systems that will separate oil and water, and a 50,000-gallon rain water system, the water from which will be used to wash buses and flush toilets.

“We should rarely ever use tap water to wash buses,” said Scott Hendrix, a facilities management project manager for Charlottesville’s Department of Public Works. Of the new technology, Hendrix said, “It’s going to make our city cleaner.”

While the transit system has its new center, all other areas of public works will still be housed in the City Yard on Fourth Street Northwest. The city expects that the new center will receive LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council next year. The Downtown Transit Center on Water Street has already been given the certification.

CAT is the new name for CTS, the Charlottesville Transit Service. The system is also undergoing changes to its logo and bus graphics.

VMDO Architects was founded in 1976 and is the youngest firm to receive the T. David Fitz-Gibbon Virginia Architecture Award, the most prestigious honor given by the Virginia Society of American Institute of Architects.

For further information, interview, and photography opportunities in reference to this project and VMDO Architects, please contact William Bishop at 434.296.5684, email at bishop@vmdo.com.