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Williamsburg Area Transit Authority

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Williamsburg Area Transit Authority
WATA-VA logo.png
New WATA Buses.jpg
Founded1977 (1977) as James City County Transit
Headquarters7239 Pocahontas Trail
Williamsburg, VA
LocaleHistoric Triangle
Service areaCity of Williamsburg, James City County, York County, Surry County
Service typebus service
Routes14
Destinations
HubsWilliamsburg Transportation Center, Walmart store in Lightfoot
FleetBus: 20, Trolley: 2
Daily ridership4,200 (weekdays, Q4 2021)[1]
Annual ridership1,323,900 (2021)[1]
Fuel typeDiesel
Executive DirectorZachary Trogdon[2]
Websitewww.gowata.org

Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) is a multi-jurisdiction transportation agency providing transit bus and ADA Paratransit services in the City of Williamsburg, James City County, York County in the Historic Triangle area and Surry County, VA of the Virginia Peninsula subregion of Hampton Roads in southeastern Virginia.

WATA operates 13 bus routes within the city and 2 counties, using a "hub and spoke" designed system using the intermodal Williamsburg Transportation Center and the James City County Walmart as hubs. Additionally, a connection to the City of Newport News and the Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) public transit bus system is provided on Route 1 serving U.S. Route 60 east by traveling into the western edge of Newport News and meeting 2 HRT's Routes at Lee Hall, Virginia. In 2021, the system had a ridership of 1,323,900, or about 4,200 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2021.

WATA also operates replica (rubber-tired) Trolley service (Route 14) between the College of William and Mary, High Street in Williamsburg, Virginia and New Town Williamsburg.

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Transit bus

Transit bus

A transit bus is a type of bus used on shorter-distance public transport bus services. Several configurations are used, including low-floor buses, high-floor buses, double-decker buses, articulated buses and midibuses.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, and other characteristics illegal, and later sexual orientation and gender identity. In addition, unlike the Civil Rights Act, the ADA also requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities, and imposes accessibility requirements on public accommodations.

Paratransit

Paratransit

Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport (UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. Paratransit services may vary considerably on the degree of flexibility they provide their customers. At their simplest they may consist of a taxi or small bus that will run along a more or less defined route and then stop to pick up or discharge passengers on request. At the other end of the spectrum—fully demand responsive transport—the most flexible paratransit systems offer on-demand call-up door-to-door service from any origin to any destination in a service area. In addition to public transit agencies, paratransit services may be operated by community groups or not-for-profit organizations, and for-profit private companies or operators.

James City County, Virginia

James City County, Virginia

James City County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 78,254. Although politically separate from the county, the county seat is the adjacent independent city of Williamsburg.

Historic Triangle

Historic Triangle

The Historic Triangle includes three historic colonial communities located on the Virginia Peninsula of the United States and is bounded by the York River on the north and the James River on the south. The points that form the triangle are Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown. They feature many restored attractions and are linked by the Colonial Parkway in James City and York counties, and the City of Williamsburg.

Surry County, Virginia

Surry County, Virginia

Surry County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,561.

Virginia Peninsula

Virginia Peninsula

The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay. It is sometimes known as the Lower Peninsula to distinguish it from two other peninsulas to the north, the Middle Peninsula and the Northern Neck.

Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic Ocean, and the surrounding metropolitan region located in the southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina portions of the Tidewater Region.

Virginia

Virginia

Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. Its geography and climate are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay. The state's capital is Richmond. Its most-populous city is Virginia Beach, and Fairfax County is the state's most-populous political subdivision. Virginia's population in 2022 was over 8.68 million, with 35% living within in the Greater Washington metropolitan area.

Newport News, Virginia

Newport News, Virginia

Newport News is an independent city in Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the United States.

Hampton Roads Transit

Hampton Roads Transit

Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), incorporated on October 1, 1999, began through the voluntary merger of PENTRAN on the Virginia Peninsula and TRT in South Hampton Roads and currently serves over 22 million annual passengers within its 369-square-mile (960 km2) service area around Hampton Roads. The purpose of the HRT is to provide reliable and efficient transportation service and facilities to the Hampton Roads community. In 2021, the system had a ridership of 6,437,600, or about 24,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2022.

Lee Hall, Virginia

Lee Hall, Virginia

Lee Hall is an unincorporated town located in the extreme western portion of the independent city of Newport News in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States.

History and service area

Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) is the successor to James City County Transit (JCCT), and "Williamsburg Area Transport" (WAT). JCCT began in 1977 as a James City County Social Services transportation system using flexible routes to serve those needing it most. The successful service grew into a public bus system serving multiple jurisdictions and the organization became Williamsburg Area Transport which was also governmentally operated by James City County in the community for many years. In the early 21st century, by changing from being known as James City County Transit to the newer name of "Williamsburg Area Transport", the scope and area of the current regional services were more accurately described as part of a new organizational structure authorized by the Virginia General Assembly. In 2008, "Williamsburg Area Transport" grew into the first Virginia "transit authority" branded as "Williamsburg Area Transit Authority".

Bus stop sign from the Williamsburg Area Transport era.
Bus stop sign from the Williamsburg Area Transport era.

WATA services are operated within the City of Williamsburg, James City County, the Bruton District of York County and Surry County serving citizens and visitors to all four localities. Historic sites and extensive tourism form the basis for an unusual operating environment in comparison to similar sized localities elsewhere in Virginia and the United States.

James City County and York County are each one of the eight original shires of Virginia formed in 1634, and are two of the oldest counties in Virginia as well as the present United States. The City of Williamsburg, long-located along the border of the two counties, was founded in 1623 as Middle Plantation, initially a fortified community midway across the Virginia Peninsula on high ground. It was selected as the site of the new College of William and Mary, a long-desired effort of the colonists which was established by a Royal Charter issued in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II, joint sovereigns of England, Scotland and Ireland. Several years later, partially due a persuasive presentation to the House of Burgesses by the Reverend Dr. James Blair and a group of his students, the tiny community was selected to replace the harsh weather and other environmental conditions at Jamestown and became the capital of the Colony of Virginia in 1698, renamed the following year in honor of King William. Williamsburg became the first chartered city in Virginia in 1722 during colonial times, and became an independent city under a change in Virginia's state constitution in 1871. The first mental health facility in the United States was established at Williamsburg in 1770, and its successor, Eastern State Hospital, a state-owned facility, continues to operate nearby in modern times.

Beginning in 1926, the extensive restoration of a central part of Williamsburg to the era of the pre-American Revolutionary War era of the late 1780s was initially funded and led by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. Their efforts and generous contributions and those of their descendants and many others resulted in the creation and initial endowment of Colonial Williamsburg. Rather than simply an effort to preserve the antiquity, the combination of extensive restoration and thoughtful recreation of the entire colonial town facilitates envisioning the atmosphere and embracing the ideals of the 18th century patriots. As a tangible birthplace of democracy, Colonial Williamsburg and the surrounding area developed into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Another major historical point of the WATA service area includes Jamestown Settlement.

Additionally, the WATA service area encompasses several prominent museums and other attractions including two major theme parks, hospitality businesses which include dozens of hotels and restaurants, and several shopping outlet complexes. The area has grown popular for resort complexes and as a choice for relocating retirees from other areas. The area also has large U.S. military complexes at Camp Peary, the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station, and is adjacent to the U.S. Army base at Fort Eustis. Rounding out the community are as residential areas, schools, retail and industrial enterprises.

Specific unincorporated communities within the WATA service area generally include:

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James City County, Virginia

James City County, Virginia

James City County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 78,254. Although politically separate from the county, the county seat is the adjacent independent city of Williamsburg.

Shires of Virginia

Shires of Virginia

The eight Shires of Virginia were formed in 1634 in the Virginia Colony. These shires were based on a form of local government used in England at the time, and were redesignated as counties a few years later. As of 2007, five of the eight original shires were considered still extant in the Commonwealth of Virginia in essentially their same political form, although some boundaries and several names have changed in the almost 400 years since their creation.

County (United States)

County (United States)

In the United States, a county or county equivalent is an administrative or political subdivision of a state that consists of a geographic region with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes and boroughs, respectively. The specific governmental powers of counties vary widely between the states, with many providing some level of services to civil townships, municipalities, and unincorporated areas. Certain municipalities are in multiple counties; New York City is uniquely partitioned into five counties, referred to at the city government level as boroughs. Some municipalities have consolidated with their county government to form consolidated city-counties, or have been legally separated from counties altogether to form independent cities. Conversely, those counties in Connecticut, Rhode Island, eight of Massachusetts's 14 counties, and Alaska's Unorganized Borough have no government power, existing only as geographic distinctions.

Middle Plantation (Virginia)

Middle Plantation (Virginia)

Middle Plantation in the Virginia Colony was the unincorporated town established in 1632 that became Williamsburg in 1699. It was located on high ground about halfway across the Virginia Peninsula between the James River and York River. Middle Plantation represented the first major inland settlement for the colony. It was established by an Act of Assembly to provide a link between Jamestown and Chiskiack, a settlement located across the Peninsula on the York River.

England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea area of the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a 96-mile (154-kilometre) border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast and east, and the Irish Sea to the south. It also contains more than 790 islands, principally in the archipelagos of the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. Most of the population, including the capital Edinburgh, is concentrated in the Central Belt—the plain between the Scottish Highlands and the Southern Uplands—in the Scottish Lowlands.

Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest in the world.

House of Burgesses

House of Burgesses

The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been established in 1619, became a bicameral institution.

Jamestown, Virginia

Jamestown, Virginia

The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James River, about 2.5 mi (4 km) southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. It was established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 4, 1607 O.S., and was considered permanent after a brief abandonment in 1610. It followed several failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke, established in 1585 on Roanoke Island, later part of North Carolina. Jamestown served as the colonial capital from 1616 until 1699. Despite the dispatch of more settlers and supplies, including the 1608 arrival of eight Polish and German colonists and the first two European women, more than 80 percent of the colonists died in 1609–10, mostly from starvation and disease. In mid-1610, the survivors abandoned Jamestown, though they returned after meeting a resupply convoy in the James River.

Colony of Virginia

Colony of Virginia

The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey Gilbert in 1583 and the Roanoke Colony by Sir Walter Raleigh in the late 1580s.

Independent city

Independent city

An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity.

Eastern State Hospital (Virginia)

Eastern State Hospital (Virginia)

Eastern State Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Williamsburg, Virginia. Built in 1773, it was the first public facility in the present-day United States constructed solely for the care and treatment of the mentally ill. The original building had burned but was reconstructed in 1985.

Funding

The services of Williamsburg Area Transit Authority are partially funded through rider fares, a form of user fees. The system is also subsidized by the partner local governments of the City of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County, as well as purchases of services by the College of William and Mary, Surry County, City of Newport News, Virginia, and Colonial Williamsburg,[3] and other community organizations.

WATA also receives State and Federal financial assistance from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which is an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

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User fee

User fee

A user fee is a fee, tax, or impost payment paid to a facility owner or operator by a facility user as a necessary condition for using the facility.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is bordered by James City County on the west and south and York County on the east.

James City County, Virginia

James City County, Virginia

James City County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 78,254. Although politically separate from the county, the county seat is the adjacent independent city of Williamsburg.

York County, Virginia

York County, Virginia

York County is a county in the eastern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia, located in the Tidewater. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,045. The county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown.

Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia. Its 301-acre (122 ha) historic area includes several hundred restored or recreated buildings from the 18th century, when the city was the capital of the Colony of Virginia; 17th-century, 19th-century, and Colonial Revival structures; and more recent reconstructions. The historic area includes three main thoroughfares and their connecting side streets that attempt to suggest the atmosphere and the circumstances of 18th-century Americans. Costumed employees work and dress as people did in the era, sometimes using colonial grammar and diction.

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT) is an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States.

Federal Transit Administration

Federal Transit Administration

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT. Headed by an Administrator who is appointed by the President of the United States, the FTA functions through Washington, D.C headquarters office and ten regional offices which assist transit agencies in all states, the District of Columbia, and the territories. Until 1991, it was known as the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA).

Route system

WATA operates what is often called a "hub and spoke" bus routing system. At designated intervals, the transit buses all meet at a coordinated time at a central location or Hub (in this instance the Williamsburg Transportation Center and Walmart), and then serve various outlying areas in many directions.

The "Hub and Spoke" Route System does not include:

  • demand responsive paratransit service provided with smaller buses
  • Rubber-tired trolley replica buses operated on the short shuttle loops
  • William and Mary's Route 8 that serves the college campus
  • Surry (Route 13) bus service provides pre-scheduled route deviations within 3/4 of a mile from a bus stop.

Williamsburg Transportation Center

Six routes meet at the Williamsburg Transportation Center at the start of the hour. Located at a restored Chesapeake and Ohio Railway station owned by the City of Williamsburg in downtown Williamsburg, the Transportation Center not only serves WATA's regular routes, but also service:

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Williamsburg Transportation Center

Williamsburg Transportation Center

Williamsburg Transportation Center is an intermodal transit station in Williamsburg, Virginia. Operated by the Williamsburg Area Transit Authority, it also serves Amtrak's Northeast Regional train as well as Greyhound Lines and Hampton Roads Transit intercity buses. The transportation center was formerly a Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) passenger station.

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P. Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Richmond to the Ohio River by 1873, where the railroad town of Huntington, West Virginia, was named for him.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is bordered by James City County on the west and south and York County on the east.

Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak, is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. Amtrak is a portmanteau of the words America and trak, the latter itself a sensational spelling of track.

Greyhound Lines

Greyhound Lines

Greyhound Lines, Inc. (Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America. Services include Greyhound Mexico, charter bus services, and Amtrak Thruway services. Greyhound operates 1,700 coach buses produced mainly by Motor Coach Industries and Prevost serving 230 stations and 1,700 destinations. The company's first route began in Hibbing, Minnesota in 1914 and the company adopted the Greyhound name in 1929. The company is owned by Flix North America, Inc., an affiliate of Flixbus, and is based in Downtown Dallas.

Hampton Roads Transit

Hampton Roads Transit

Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), incorporated on October 1, 1999, began through the voluntary merger of PENTRAN on the Virginia Peninsula and TRT in South Hampton Roads and currently serves over 22 million annual passengers within its 369-square-mile (960 km2) service area around Hampton Roads. The purpose of the HRT is to provide reliable and efficient transportation service and facilities to the Hampton Roads community. In 2021, the system had a ridership of 6,437,600, or about 24,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2022.

WATA route lines

The WATA system serves eleven bus lines, most are color-coded. All route information is current as of October 2017.

A WATA Bus and Trolley sign, with information to locate the next bus.
A WATA Bus and Trolley sign, with information to locate the next bus.
  • Route 1: Lee Hall: U.S. Route 60 between Williamsburg Transportation Center and Lee Hall (including Busch Gardens). Also serves Riverside Doctor's Hospital, Grove Community, Windy Hill, James River Commerce Park, Green Mount Industrial Park, and Lee Hall in Newport News, where a connection with Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) service is available.
  • Route 2: Richmond: U.S. Route 60 between Williamsburg Transportation Center and the Walmart store in Lightfoot. Serves as a connector for passengers transferring from or to either Purple Lines.
  • Route 8: W & M: Serves the College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, and the School of Education
  • Route 4: Longhill: New Town to Walmart. Also serves Old Towne Medical Center and James City County Human Services Building.
  • Route 9: Toano: Storehouse Commerce Park in Toano to Walmart. Also serves Williamsburg Pottery Factory, Croaker public library, Burnt Ordinary Apartments, and Norge.
  • Route 3: Merrimac: Williamsburg Transportation Center to State Route 143 (Merrimack Trail) @ Tam-O-Shanter Blvd (serves Colonial Williamsburg Visitors Center), Capitol Landing Road, Marquis shopping center on State Route 199, and James-York Plaza Shopping Center.
  • Route 7: Mooretown: Williamsburg Transportation Center to the Lowe's/Walmart shopping center on East Mooretown Road. This line also serves Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center and Great Wolf Lodge.
  • Route 5: Monticello: Williamsburg Transportation Center to Steeplechase Apartments, New Town, Williamsburg-James City County Courthouse complex, Monticello Marketplace shopping center (Target/Martin's grocery store).
  • Route 6: Jamestown: Williamsburg Crossing Shopping Center, Colony Square Shopping Center, Jamestown Settlement, John Tyler Hwy, Jamestown Road between Route 199 and Merchants Square, Williamsburg Transportation Center.
  • Route 13: Surry: Surry deviated-route bus service
  • Route 11: Lackey: Created in July 2017 to service Lackey Clinic, Riverside Hospital, Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail (VPRJ), Naval Weapons Station, and JCC Government Complex. Connects with Route 1 at Riverside Hospital stop.

To help mitigate rush hour traffic and new delays due to heightened security measures on the Jamestown Ferry crossing the James River, in October 2007, WATA began Deviated route transit bus service from 5 stops in Surry County across the James River to limited stops at several major points in James City County and Williamsburg, terminating at the Williamsburg Transportation Center where connections are available with other WATA, HRT, and intercity services. As part of major route and schedule changes, in October 2016 Route 13 would terminate at Jamestown Settlement, where riders could catch Route 6: Jamestown to the Williamsburg Transportation Center.

Surry County stops include Lebanon Apartments, Surry Apartments, Surry Government Center, Surry Community Center, and the VDOT Park and Ride lot near Scotland Wharf. A stop at the Surry branch of the Blackwater Regional Library was added in October 2016.

Route notes

  1. WATA implemented an intelligent transportation system (ITS), called BusTime for their customers and route management. This ITS (BusTime) system includes a phone and PC optimized web site to find out when the next bus will arrive at any stop, automated alert system based on actual bus location, texting service to determine actual next bus arrival times and text alerts.
  2. WATA updates their stops and routes on a quarterly basis updating their ITS (BusTime) system and Google Maps.
  3. Colonial Williamsburg – Many WATA lines serve the Colonial Williamsburg (CW) area. For service to the CW Visitors Center, riders should use WATA's Route 3: Merrimac route.
  4. Possible Route 1 confusion – It is notable that Colonial Williamsburg, which operates its own fleet of grey and white colored transit buses and minibuses, also has a "Grey Line" route. This is not to be confused with WATA's Route 1 route for US Route 60 East which ends at Lee Hall. The WATA buses on that route are normally painted beige, white and burgundy in color, and clearly marked for WATA with the words "Williamsburg Area Transit Authority/WATA".
  5. Yellow Line: WATA dropped this line in Spring 2012, due to overlap with service from Colonial Williamsburg. The line used to run from the Williamsburg Transportation Center to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. Passengers could catch the shuttle by riding Route 3 to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center.

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Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a 422-acre (1.71 km2) amusement park in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Located approximately 60 miles (100 km) northwest of Virginia Beach, the park was developed by Anheuser-Busch (A-B) and is owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. It opened on May 16, 1975, adjacent to Anheuser-Busch's brewery and near its other developments, including the Kingsmill Resort complex.

Grove, Virginia

Grove, Virginia

Grove is an unincorporated community in the southeastern portion of James City County in the Virginia Peninsula subregion of Virginia in the United States. It is located in the center of the Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia, communities linked by the Colonial Parkway. This area is one of the busiest tourist destinations in the world.

Industrial park

Industrial park

An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park, which has offices and light industry, rather than heavy industry. Industrial parks are notable for being relatively simple to build; they often feature speedily erected single-space steel sheds, occasionally in bright colours.

Lee Hall, Virginia

Lee Hall, Virginia

Lee Hall is an unincorporated town located in the extreme western portion of the independent city of Newport News in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States.

Hampton Roads Transit

Hampton Roads Transit

Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), incorporated on October 1, 1999, began through the voluntary merger of PENTRAN on the Virginia Peninsula and TRT in South Hampton Roads and currently serves over 22 million annual passengers within its 369-square-mile (960 km2) service area around Hampton Roads. The purpose of the HRT is to provide reliable and efficient transportation service and facilities to the Hampton Roads community. In 2021, the system had a ridership of 6,437,600, or about 24,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2022.

Walmart

Walmart

Walmart Inc. is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company was founded by brothers Sam and James "Bud" Walton in nearby Rogers, Arkansas in 1962 and incorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law on October 31, 1969. It also owns and operates Sam's Club retail warehouses.

Lightfoot, Virginia

Lightfoot, Virginia

Lightfoot is an unincorporated community which straddles the James City–York county border, west of Williamsburg, in the U.S. state of Virginia.

College of William & Mary School of Education

College of William & Mary School of Education

The College of William & Mary School of Education is a program offered at both undergraduate and graduate levels of study at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. It accounts for one-third of all master’s degrees and over one-half of all doctoral degrees at The College. Professional education programs are accredited by the Virginia Department of Education, and the School of Education itself is accredited by NCATE. The School of Education was ranked among the top 50 nationally in a survey of doctoral degree granting schools of education by U.S. News & World Report's Best Graduate Schools Guide 2007 edition. It also utilizes its own library, the School of Education Library.

Toano, Virginia

Toano, Virginia

Toano, formerly Burnt Ordinary, is an unincorporated community in James City County, Virginia, United States. It is in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District.

Norge, Virginia

Norge, Virginia

Norge is an unincorporated community in James City County, Virginia, United States.

Merrimack Trail

Merrimack Trail

Merrimack Trail is the local name for State Route 143 as it passes through portions of York County and James City County and the independent city of Williamsburg in the Virginia Peninsula subregion of Hampton Roads in Virginia.

Lowe's

Lowe's

Lowe's Companies, Inc., often shortened to Lowe's, is an American retail company specializing in home improvement. Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, the company operates a chain of retail stores in the United States and Canada. As of February 2021, Lowe's and its related businesses operates 2,197 home improvement and hardware stores in North America.

Fleet

All buses are equipped with two-way radio communications and on-board ITS system with an emergency alarm. All buses are equipped with surveillance video on the interior and exterior for safety.

Accessibility

All buses are fully ADA accessible. Also, Paratransit service is provided to eligible individuals not able to use the accessible fixed route bus system.

Operating hours

WATA bus services operates Monday – Saturday, with reduced service on Sundays. On most James City County holidays, WATA operates on a reduced schedule, with no service on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.

Williamsburg Trolley

In May 2008, Williamsburg Area Transit Authority announced that it had recently received a grant for three trolley-replica type buses that will serve the local shopping areas of New Town, High Street, Richmond Road, Jamestown Road, and Merchants Square in Colonial Williamsburg. The Williamsburg Trolley began service in August 2009. The event was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at New Town. The trolley runs every day except on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Each of the trolley cars feature ornamental wooden seating, a cheerful, two-toned red and blue exterior and bicycle racks. On warm days, the trolley has an open-air atmosphere. Trolley drivers also point out historic sites, restaurants, and must-visit attractions.

Expansion and hub change

In 2011, WATA expanded its services to include a storefront location in the Williamsburg Outlet Mall on Richmond Road. The center acts as a hub for public information and waiting areas for passengers, and will eventually include ticket and bus fare sales.[3] This storefront location was moved to the Williamsburg Transportation Center in January 2014 due to the closing of the Outlet Mall.[4]

This change also coincided with the western hub moving to the Lightfoot Walmart store. Routes serving the Outlet Mall were modified to reflect the hub change, as well as extend service further out in Toano.

In January 2015, WATA began a 3-year pilot route in the Jamestown area. The new Route 6:Jamestown route serves Jamestown Road, Jamestown Settlement, Greensprings Road, John Tyler Highway and travels on Rt. 199 back to Jamestown Rd. In October 2016, as a result of major route and schedule changes, Route 6 (Jamestown) added service to the Williamsburg Transportation Center via Jamestown Rd. Service was also discontinued along Greensprings Rd at that time.

Route and schedule overhaul

In June 2016 WATA proposed several changes to its routes and schedules to improve service. Several hearings were held to solicit public input on the changes.[5]

The proposed changes went into effect in October 2016. Among the schedule changes were the hours of 30-minute frequency service from 6:30am–9:30am and 3:30pm–6:30pm on weekdays. Routes 1 and 2 would also extend their hours to 11pm. Frequency service ended on Route 7: Mooretown route, reverting it to hourly service only.[6]

Source: "Williamsburg Area Transit Authority", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, July 14th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williamsburg_Area_Transit_Authority.

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References
  1. ^ a b "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2021" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 10, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  2. ^ "WATA Appoints New Executive Director After Nationwide Search". WYDaily.com. 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
  3. ^ a b Williamsburg – dailypress.com
  4. ^ Voll, Brittany (19 December 2013). "WATA to Move Hub to Wal-Mart, Change Service on Four Lines". WYDaily.com. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  5. ^ Petersen, Kirsten (29 May 2016). "Public input sought on proposed changes to bus service, fees | Williamsburg Yorktown Daily". Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  6. ^ "WATA announces changes to service routes". WYDaily.com. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
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