Since Monday, Oct. 26, CAT Route 7 has run every 15 minutes from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays. It is the first of several planned service increases, and rides stay free.

Charlottesville Area Transit now runs a Route 7 bus every 15 minutes at weekday rush hours. The change started Monday, Oct. 26, and doubles the number of buses on the route at the busiest times of day.

Updated Oct. 29: the new timetable took effect Monday, Oct. 26. CAT’s Route 7 page lists no change to it, and the Route 9 changes remain postponed until further notice. CAT has not yet named the next service increase.

The city announced the change on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Outside the two rush-hour windows, buses will “continue to operate every 30 minutes,” the city said, and Saturday service stays at every 30 minutes.

The new Route 7 timetable

When How often
Monday to Friday, 6 to 9 a.m. Every 15 minutes
Monday to Friday, 3 to 6 p.m. Every 15 minutes
All other weekday hours Every 30 minutes
Saturday Every 30 minutes all day
Bar chart of CAT Route 7 buses an hour from Monday, Oct. 26: four an hour on weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m., two an hour at other weekday times and on Saturdays.
Four buses an hour at the weekday peaks, two at other times. Chart by Cville Journal
Share this chartFacebookWhatsAppX

According to CAT’s Route 7 page, the route serves:

  • the Downtown Transit Station
  • UVA Hospital
  • Barracks Road Shopping Center
  • Hydraulic Road
  • Stonefield
  • Mall Drive

Why now

The city said the change is “the first in a series of planned CAT service improvements.” Money from the Charlottesville City Council and the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors paid for more driver positions, which make the extra buses possible.

“Increasing frequency on Route 7 is an important first step as we work to provide more convenient and reliable transit service throughout our community,” Garland Williams, director of Charlottesville Area Transit, said in the release.

The city has not said which routes come next. A separate set of Route 9 changes, planned for Oct. 19, was postponed until further notice.

What it means for you

  • If you ride Route 7 to work or school, a missed bus at rush hour now means a wait of up to 15 minutes instead of 30.
  • Midday, evening and Saturday riders see no change.
  • It stays free. CAT fixed-route buses are fare-free, so you do not need a pass.
  • Check the new times before Monday. CAT posted a printable Route 7 schedule and a route map.

For other routes, live bus tracking and park-and-ride, see our guide to getting around Charlottesville.