CONNECT Services Adopt Stop Points to Improve Commuter Experience

October 27, 2021 Janet and Robin News

Starting on Monday, November 1st, 2021, a small schedule change will go into effect. All drop-off stops will be converted from “time points” to “stop points.” Instead of strict departure times, these stops will now be published with an estimated time, denoted with a “~” symbol. Starting November 1st, drivers will not wait at these drop-off stops before moving to the next stop.

This change is being made to benefit the majority of our passengers who use CONNECT services as a commuter transportation option from the rural areas to urban Albemarle and Charlottesville. By making these changes, commuters will have to wait less when getting dropped off at work in the morning and at home in the evening. Pickup times will not be affected. Drivers will still wait until the advertised departure time before leaving pickup stops.

For passengers interested in “reverse commuting” by boarding the bus at a drop-off stop, you will now need to use the Transloc app to determine the location of the bus and estimated arrival time to your stop. The times published in the route schedule are estimates, not guarantees!

For more information on how these changes will affect schedules, please visit our CONNECT page.

2021 Jaunt City Art Bus Revealed

October 20, 2021 Janet and Robin Community, News, Partners

The Tom Tom Festival, Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT), and Jaunt revealed this year’s first winning artist for the 7th annual City Art Bus competition. Each year, a mural wrap is installed on buses from both agencies, which travel on local roadways for the next year.

The Jaunt bus design, unveiled on Wednesday, October 20th at 10:00AM at the Center at Belvedere (540 Belvedere Boulevard, Charlottesville), features Lindsay Heider Diamond’s design, “Things to Teach Our Children,” a colorful illustration of children from international backgrounds, with values such as Love, Purpose, Honesty, and Understanding inscribed.

“We’re excited to be partnering again with the Tom Tom Festival on this public art initiative and we’re so proud to have Ms. Diamond’s design on one of our buses,” said Jody Saunders, Director of Public Relations at Jaunt. “The values that Ms. Diamond wove into her design truly complement the intent behind Jaunt’s service: compassionate, attentive, and inclusive transportation for everyone.”

Lindsay Heider Diamond has worked as a professional illustrator, graphic designer, and creative director on both coasts. Diamond created this design as a poster, initially to create an awareness of these values in our world and raise funds for the International Neighbors organization in Charlottesville, VA.

“My hope is that people who see the bus take a word or two away each time they view it passing and contemplate how they live by those values in their own life and encourage those values in others around them,” said Lindsay Heider Diamond. “May the bus design be a reminder that we are all able to continue to learn and grow and that we have the opportunity to start practicing and teaching these values every moment we are alive. We are never too young or too old.”

The two moving murals operate on bus lines throughout Charlottesville and Albemarle County. and will be seen by an estimated 200,000+ riders and residents.

Pictures of this year’s bus and more information on the City Art Bus competition can be found at http://www.tomtomfoundation.org/city-art-bus.

Statement Regarding Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s Review of Jaunt’s Financial, Operational, and Management Practices

October 11, 2021 Janet and Robin News, Policy

Jaunt is firmly committed to operating from a place of honesty, openness, and transparency. To that end, Jaunt has received the results of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s (DRPT) review of our financial, operational, and management practices. A full version of DRPT’s letter can be found here, on our website.

The conclusion of this review is disturbing but not surprising. For the last ten months, the Board and current leadership have been working to undo the damage exacted on the organization by the former CEO’s financial mismanagement. Corrective actions include:

Requested a thorough investigation by our auditors into Jaunt’s FY20 finances
Requested the resignation of former CEO, Brad Sheffield
Put in place a system of checks and balances, changes in management structure, and other guardrails intended to ensure that this can never happen again
Appointed an ethics officer, conducted ethics training at all levels of the organization, and formalized a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct
Fully cooperated with DRPT’S review
Selected Ted Rieck to fill the CEO position, effective December 6

It is critical to understand that Jaunt is still fully operational. The steps identified by DPRT allow Jaunt to continue to serve the community while simultaneously taking appropriate steps to bring Jaunt back into compliance with state and federal funding requirements.

Jaunt is grateful to DRPT for the extensive time and energy that went into this review, and for the steps identified to bring us into compliance and reestablish our standing as a responsible and trusted steward of public funds. Jaunt views its relationship with DRPT as critical to its success in fulfilling its mission of meeting critical public transportation needs for the residents of Central Virginia.

Jaunt, Inc. Announces Hiring of CEO

October 6, 2021 Janet and Robin News

Ted Rieck to start December 6, 2021

Jaunt’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the hiring of its new Chief Executive Officer. Ted Rieck will join Jaunt, effective December 6, 2021. Karen Davis, who has been acting Chief Executive Officer, as well as Chief Operating Officer, since December 6, 2020, will continue as Chief Operating Officer.

“The Board is pleased to welcome Ted Rieck to Jaunt. He is a highly experienced transit leader with the right blend of operations, planning, finance, and program development skills,” said Jaunt Board of Directors President Randy Parker. “Is it with immeasurable gratitude that we thank Karen Davis for her leadership over the last year. Under her direction, Jaunt has continued to provide exemplary service to this community, fulfilling the organization’s mission and vision. We are excited about what Ted and Karen will do together.”

Mr. Rieck brings over 30 years of transit leadership experience to the role, most recently as Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority. There, he is responsible for more than 250 direct and indirect employees, serves five communities, oversees a $23 million annual budget, and reports to a seven-member Board. Throughout his career, Mr. Rieck has demonstrated talent in business development, collaborating and consensus building with diverse stakeholder groups, transportation planning, and strategic financial management.

“I am very excited to be a part of this successful regional transit enterprise,” said Rieck. “With 45 years of growth and service evolution, Jaunt brings tremendous resources and experience to Central Virginia. I’m looking forward to working with all of Jaunt’s stakeholders to continue to address the tremendous need for affordable, accessible transportation in central Virginia.”

Mr. Rieck holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Hampshire, Durham, a Master of City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University, a Master of Business Administration from Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri, and has completed postgraduate work in corporate finance.

Area Agencies Highlight Transit Options for Discover Transit Month

October 6, 2021 Janet and Robin News, Partners

Local transportation providers, CAT, Jaunt, UTS and RideShare are working together to remind the community of the ways they can use transit during Discover Transit Month. Each week a new video will be released on how to ride our different transit options. Videos will highlight how to plan or schedule a ride, what it looks like to reach your destination using transit and the benefits our community sees from the service.

“Transit services are vital to many community members, local businesses and visitors. Our transit providers, Jaunt, UTS and CAT, are working hard to provide services now while planning for the future,” said Diantha McKeel, Regional Transit Partnership Chair and member of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. “October is Transit Month! Take advantage of the nice weather to change up your routine and try transit.”

Share photos of your transit trips with #busorbust

Reflecting on the Events of August 12, 2017

August 12, 2021 Janet and Robin Community, News

Today marks the fourth anniversary of the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville – the day that our community was thrust into a spotlight we never wanted to be in. Four years later we still see images of the events of August 12, 2017 used in national and world news as illustrations of hatred and racism. For Jaunt, that date, and the one-year anniversary in 2018, were opportunities to demonstrate our dedication and commitment to the community. Looking back, we realize our service pivoted in ways we could never have imagined.

As the intel about expected activities in 2017 became more available, Jaunt management connected with community emergency managers. We were linked to VEOCI, the virtual emergency operations center, attended training on the software, and carefully monitored the system throughout the days.

“We don’t just show up when it’s easy. Everyone stepped up and worked as a team – dispatch, drivers, and management – a testament to our promise to our mission and the community,” said Interim CEO, Karen Davis. “I’m so proud of the cooperative spirit that the Jaunt team exhibited on those incredibly difficult days.”

In the days before August 12, Jaunt reservations and scheduling teams contacted our clients who were scheduled to be in and around downtown Charlottesville to offer an opportunity to reschedule their trips to a safer date and time. In many cases, these phone calls were the first our clients heard of the impending rally.

Jaunt engaged with staff scheduled to drive that day to gauge their comfort level and assure them that if they would prefer not to drive, that would be understood and accommodated. We were extremely sensitive to the impact a rally of white supremacists would have on our staff’s emotional well-being and sense of safety. Only one driver opted not to work that day, reaffirming Jaunt’s commitment at all levels of the organization to those we serve.

On the day of the rally, we set up a command center in our conference room. We monitored local and national news outlets for real-time understanding of how events were unfolding so we could adjust routes as necessary, watching with horror as Charlottesville made the national news with headlines of violence and bigotry.

In contrast to those headlines, the Charlottesville community rose to the occasion. Rescue workers and volunteers tended to injuries. People from all over joined in peaceful opposition to the messages of the rally. And Jaunt drivers worked tirelessly to help shepherd people safely through our troubled city to and from critically necessary trips like employment and dialysis. In a few instances, we were able to come to the rescue of people who would have been otherwise stranded.

J’riah Guerrero, Director of Transit Logistics, is a Marine veteran. For him, a peacekeeper at heart, watching from the sidelines was difficult. “I wanted to be there. Not in a fighting capacity, but to protect. That’s what Marines do.” But he found relief knowing that he was still helping the community by providing transportation and helping people who wanted to get away from the demonstrations.

On the one-year anniversary in 2018, Jaunt showed up for the community again, providing transportation for emergency response crews stationed at JPJ, bringing them to various staging areas throughout town during the days and nights of August 12 – 13.

We look back on these efforts with a sense of somber pride. We were dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of our community then and remain so today. Inclusivity has always been at the heart of our service but it takes on new significance in the shadow of our shared experiences from August 12. Today we will hold space to remember what happened on the events of August 12, 2017, show gratitude for the ways in which we continue to support each another and our community, and consider what we can do moving forward to advance a culture of equity and inclusion.