Transportation and the social determinants of health
A 2017 report by the American Hospital Association estimated that more than 3.6 million people do not obtain medical care each year due to transportation issues. A 2019 Kaiser Permanente report found that, beyond providing healthcare access, reliable transportation fills a social need that, if unmet, threatens to deteriorate mental and physical health.
Thus, transportation improvements for the 2023 CHIP focus mainly on transit services and their ability to provide District residents, both urban and rural, with reliable, efficient, and accessible accommodations to healthcare providers and everyday activity centers.
Workgroup Partners: Albemarle Board of Supervisors, Charlottesville Area Alliance, CAT, Jaunt Piedmont Mobility Alliance, Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, University Transit Service.
CHIP Goals + Objectives | 2023-2025 CHIP Report (PDF)
| GOAL | Objective | Convener | Contributors | Target Date | Indicator | Target | Status |
| 1. Improve all public transit infrastructure | 1.0 Obtain approved contract to allow installation of mobility accessible, age-friendly bus shelters where needed | Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) |
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12/31/2025 | # MOUs approved for new bus shelter design by 12/31/2025 | 2 | 10% – DRPT guidance provided to CAT |
| 1.1 Produce a governance study for a mechanism to increase funding for regional transit and manage those funds |
Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) |
|
12/31/2023 | # final governance study documents published by 12/31/2023 | 1 | 65% complete. 3 preliminary studies presented as of 07/31/31. | |
| 1.2 Improve infrastructure for getting patients to and from health system hospitals and providers |
Blue Ridge Health District | Jaunt | 12/31/2025 | # people using improved on-demand transport | baseline + 10% | 20% complete as of 07/31/31. Discovery phase begun with UVA E.D. to measure ride demand and barriers to on-demand rides. | |
| 1.3 Improve scheduling service for Jaunt | Jaunt | N/A | 12/31/2023 | # people using improved scheduling service to book transportation | baseline + 10% | Software buildout begun as of 07/31/2023 | |
| 1.4 Jaunt locality service is sufficient for residents’ needs | Jaunt | N/A | 12/31/2025 | % Jaunt locality service users who give a positive rating to the the service [based on rider survey] | 75% | Asset mapping begun as of 07/31/2023 | |
| 1.5 Expand GPS tracking app availability for riders | Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) |
|
12/31/2025 | # GPS apps developed by 12/31/2024 # GPS apps implemented (put in service) by 11/01/2025 |
1 | Continued work with VDRPT/VDOT and beginning design plans. | |
| 1.6 Initiate a sustainable mechanism for including community voices in transit decisionmaking | Charlottesville Area Alliance (CAA) | TBD – group finalizing by September 1 | 12/31/2025 | # participants in Group or mechanism that sustains community voices in transit decisionmaking | 20 | Grant from AARP to host facilitated workgroups with community partner agencies awarded 06/2023. | |
| 1.7 Implement microtransit pilot | Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) | N/A | 12/31/2025 | # micro-transit vehicles in service by 12/31/2025 # rides taken in micro-transit vehicles during 2025 |
610,000 | Microtransit vendor contract being ratified. Awarded vendor announced fall 2023. | |
| 2. Develop a robust rideshare network for patients and clients |
2.0 Develop a Mobility Management Program to include a one-click-one-call information and referral center | Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) |
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12/31/2025 | # annual users of Mobility Management System | 500 | Mobility Management System Project launch scheduled for fall 2023 |
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