![]() | |
Parent | Town of Blacksburg |
---|---|
Founded | 1983 |
Headquarters | 2800 Commerce Street |
Locale | Blacksburg, Virginia |
Service type | Fixed-Route Bus Service, Demand Response & Paratransit |
Routes | 19 |
Fleet | 53 Transit Buses 18 Paratransit vans |
Daily ridership | 17,000 (weekdays, Q1 2024) [1] |
Annual ridership | 3,638,800 (2023) [2] |
Director | Brian Booth |
Website | ridebt.org |
Blacksburg Transit, or simply BT, is a local government-owned urban-suburban bus line based in Blacksburg, Virginia. The system originated in 1983 with six buses, but has since expanded its operation to 53 fixed-route buses and 18 body-on-chassis vehicles. In FY 19, Ridership exceeded 4.6 million passenger trips per year; ridership is dominated by Virginia Tech students who account for approximately 90 percent of all riders, with the remaining percentage being split between Virginia Tech faculty and staff, and other Blacksburg citizens. Ridership decreased in FY20 and FY21 due to COVID-19, but began rebounding in FY21. [3] Blacksburg Transit serves the towns of Blacksburg, Christiansburg and limited portions of Montgomery County. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,638,800 or about 17,000 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024. In 2024 the agency claims to provide around 22,000 rides per day during school season. [4]
In 2019, BT was named the American Public Transportation Association's Outstanding Public Transportation System for agencies carrying fewer than 4 million passenger trips per year. BT was singled out for their successful delivery of service to Virginia Tech, Blacksburg and Christiansburg based on performance on 24 quantitative and qualitative criteria, including ridership. In the three years evaluated (2016, 2017 and 2018), BT experienced an unprecedented 22 percent growth in ridership from 3.5 to 4.3 million passenger trips per year.
The majority of BT's drivers are part-time employees, making BT a popular employer with Virginia Tech students as well as retirees. The majority of the service's full-time staff consists of administrative and supervisory positions.
BT Access [5] is Blacksburg Transit's complementary paratransit service. The service is available for persons with a temporary or permanent disability who meet the criteria established under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Once approved, riders can schedule one time or recurring trips with door-to-door service to any destination within Blacksburg. Riders wishing to go to Christiansburg can schedule a trip to meet the Two Town Trolley at its Squires Hall timecheck or at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery.
Vehicle(s) | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Active Fleet | ||||
7223, 7224 | 2022 | New Flyer | Xcelsior (XE60) | |
7211 - 7213 | Xcelsior (XE40) | |||
7021, 7022 | 2020 | Xcelsior (XE60) | Unit 7022 is wrapped in a full body “Charged Up” electric bus promotional livery. | |
7005, 7006, 7007 | Xcelsior (XE35) | Unit 7007 is wrapped in a full body “Charged Up” electric bus promotional livery. | ||
6931, 6932 | 2019 | Xcelsior (XD60) | First buses to be painted in the maroon and gray Blacksburg Transit livery. | |
6726 – 6729 | 2018 | Xcelsior (XD60) | ||
6425 | 2014 | Xcelsior (XD60) | ||
6411 – 6414 | Xcelsior (XD40) | Unit 6413 is wrapped in a full body Virginia Tech “Ring Bus” livery. Unit 6414 is wrapped in a full body CMG Leasing advertisement. | ||
6401 – 6404 | Xcelsior (XD35) | |||
6323, 6324 | 2013 | Xcelsior (XD60) | ||
6305 – 6308 | Xcelsior (XD35) | Unit 6305 is wrapped in a full body Blacksburg “Love Where You Live” wrap. Unit 6306 is wrapped in a full body New River Community College advertisement. | ||
6201 – 6204 | 2012 | Xcelsior (XD35) | Unit 6201 is wrapped in a full body “No Hokie Left Behind” promotional livery. | |
6021 – 6022 | 2010 | Low Floor (DE60LFR) | ||
6011 – 6017 | Low Floor (DE40LFR) | Unit 6017 is wrapped in a Hybrid Electric Bus promotional livery and is affectionately known as the “Hippie Bus.” | ||
1911–1924 | 2009 | Low Floor (D40LFR) | ||
Retired Fleet | ||||
2711, 2712 | 2007 | New Flyer | Low Floor (D40LF) | |
2701 | Low Floor (D35LF) | |||
2015, 2025 | 2002 | Low Floor (D60LF) |
| |
5211 – 5218 | 2002 | Low Floor (D40LF) |
| |
5201 – 5202 | Low Floor (D35LF) |
| ||
4201, 4202 | Low Floor (D30LF) |
| ||
3101 – 3106 | 2001 | Low Floor (D35LF) | ||
1811–1816 | 1998 | Low Floor (D40LF) | ||
1801–1809 | Low Floor (D35LF) | |||
3612, 3621, 3637, 3639 | 1976 | New Look |
| |
2614 – 2616 | 1987 | Flxible | Metro (40102-6N) |
|
2604 – 2606 | Metro (35102-6N) | |||
2611 – 2613 | 1986 | Metro (40102-6N) | ||
2601 – 2603 | Metro (35102-6N) | |||
1911–1912 | 1989 | TMC | RTS |
|
1901–1902 | RTS (T802) | |||
1701–1703 | 1977 | Flxible | New Look |
|
1611, 1613, 1616, 1618 | 1966 | GMC | New Look |
|
1603–1606 | New Look |
| ||
1508–1510 | 1965 | New Look |
| |
1501, 1502 | New Look |
| ||
1309 | 1984 | Blue Bird | City Bird | |
1302–1308 | 1983 | City Bird |
Blacksburg is an incorporated town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 44,826 at the 2020 census. Blacksburg and the surrounding county is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of Virginia Tech.
Christiansburg is a town and the county seat of Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. The population was 23,348 at the 2020 census, up from 21,041 at the 2010 census. Christiansburg, Blacksburg and the city of Radford are the three principal municipalities of the Blacksburg–Christiansburg Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses those municipalities, all of Montgomery County, and three other counties.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people throughout five counties in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It also manages projects that maintain, replace, and expand its infrastructure, facilities, and vehicles.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is a transit agency serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex of Texas. It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and twelve of its suburbs. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 50,463,300, or about 157,900 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
Trinity Metro is a transit agency located in and serving the city of Fort Worth, Texas and its suburbs in surrounding Tarrant County, part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. Since 1983, it was previously known officially as the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA), and branded itself as The T. As of January 29, 2018 the Board of Directors has voted to rebrand bus services as Trinity Metro, replacing the previous and long standing name. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 5,717,800, or about 17,900 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
The Greater Richmond Transit Company, known locally as GRTC, is a local government-owned public service company which operates an urban-suburban bus line based in Richmond, Virginia. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 9,833,200, or about 33,100 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) is a New York State public-benefit corporation overseeing a number of multi-modal parts of public transportation in the Capital District of New York State. CDTA runs local and express buses, including four lines of an express bus service called BusPlus, and day-to-day management of three Amtrak stations in the Capital region–the Albany-Rensselaer, Schenectady and Saratoga Springs Amtrak stations. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 15,779,000, or about 55,100 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
The Transit Authority of River City (TARC) is the major public transportation provider for Louisville, Kentucky and parts of southern Indiana, including the suburbs of Clark County and Floyd County. TARC is publicly funded and absorbed private mass-transit companies in Louisville, the largest of which was the Louisville Transit Company. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 6,655,200.
The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) provides area residents and visitors public transportation within parts of Charleston and Dorchester counties in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina, including the cities of Charleston, North Charleston and the surrounding communities of Mount Pleasant, Summerville, James Island, Sullivan's Island, and the Isle of Palms. CARTA presently contracts with Transdev for staffing and managing the bus drivers in addition to maintaining and scheduling the buses. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,191,500, or about 7,100 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
Valley Metro, the operational name for the Greater Roanoke Transit Company, is a local government-owned urban-suburban bus line based in Roanoke, Virginia with First Transit providing the general and assistant general managers. The staff is employed by Southwest Virginia Transit Management Company, a First Transit subsidiary. Valley Metro serves the independent cities of Roanoke and Salem, the town of Vinton, and limited unincorporated portions of Roanoke County. Valley Metro has a fleet of 42 buses and 7 paratransit vehicles, and many lines originate and/or terminate at Campbell Court, a central bus station in downtown Roanoke which is also served by Greyhound. In FY 2023 the system got around 3,600 boardings per day according to the DRPT.
GoRaleigh is the transit system responsible for operating most of the public transportation services in Raleigh, North Carolina. The system operates 27 fixed routes throughout the city's municipal area and also operates five regional/express routes in partnership with GoTriangle, the regional provider. GoRaleigh is contracted to operate two additional routes, an express route to the Wake Tech Community College campus south of Raleigh and a local circulator service in the Town of Wake Forest. Capital Area Transit, also known as CAT, was rebranded to GoRaleigh in 2015 under the consolidated GoTransit, a joint branding of municipal and regional transit systems for the Research Triangle. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 5,094,000, or about 15,000 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) is the transit authority that operates in Denton County, Texas. It operates transit service in three cities within Denton County, as well as the A-train, a regional commuter rail line to Carrollton. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,852,000, or about 11,600 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
VINE Transit is a public transportation service in Napa County, California, United States; it is managed under the Napa Valley Transportation Authority and operated by Transdev. The system offers extensive service throughout the county along with providing connections to other public transportation systems in adjacent counties. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 498,600, or about 1,400 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
Marin Transit is a public bus agency in Marin County, California, in the United States. Originally formed in 1964 as Marin County Transit District (MCTD). Marin Transit was re-branded on 30 July 2007 and now provides a variety of fixed-route and demand-response services using contractors. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,814,700, or about 9,000 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
Wichita Transit is the public transportation department of the City of Wichita which operates paratransit and transit bus services within Wichita, Kansas, United States. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,169,400, or about 4,300 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
Lextran is a public transportation bus system serving Lexington, Kentucky. Lextran operates 25 bus routes throughout the city of Lexington. Buses converge at the Downtown Transit Center located at 220 East Vine Street. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,901,900, or about 14,500 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
The South Bend Public Transportation Corporation is a municipal bus system that serves the cities of South Bend and Mishawaka, as well as the nearby suburbs of Notre Dame and Roseland, in the very north of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the most recent incarnation of the South Bend Railway Company, a street railway company that was founded on May 25, 1885. Transpo receives funding from local, state and federal taxes. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,262,400, or about 5,000 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
The Greensboro Transit Agency (GTA) is the operator of public transportation in the Greensboro, North Carolina area. It complements three other local and one regional bus service in the Piedmont Triad. Fifteen routes travel almost solely within the city limits. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,367,000, or about 8,300 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) provides public transportation for Manatee County, Florida and is operated by the county. the system had about 4,100 riders per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
The PickUp is a free weekend-only nighttime shuttle bus service operating a single route along Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. First launched in 2013, it primarily serves passengers patronizing bars, clubs and other entertainment venues located along the Santa Monica corridor.