If the citizen action group Charlottesville Citizens for Better Rail Alternatives gets its way, University students from Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia will soon have another way of getting to Grounds.
The group currently is petitioning the Virginia Railway Express Board to expand service from Washington, D.C. to Charlottesville through Manassas, according to Meredith Richards, the head of the group.
"There are so many people that drive to D.C. for a variety of purposes, such as day trips or museums, and they have to travel on the roads," Richards said. "The roads are congested and unsafe, and many people would like to have another means of transportation."
The University has many students, alumni and professors who travel to and from Washington, D.C. on a regular basis, according to Richards.
"From the University, presently there are many students from Northern Virginia and travel to and from Charlottesville frequently for holidays and weekends," Richards said. "There are also thousands of U.Va. alumni from Northern Virginia who come to Charlottesville for sporting events and homecoming. Faculty members go to D.C. frequently as well. They all have to take cars because they do not have the option of traveling by rail."
Richards also suggested that current gas prices will drive people to find more fuel-efficient modes of transportation.
"It has to be cost competitive with driving, and trains are the most fuel-efficient of all modes of transport," she said.
There currently is an Amtrak train which runs between Charlottesville and Washington, but Richards said it is not a viable option.
"The problem with Amtrak is that it is chronically late," Richards said. "The train is unreliable, and it is hard to get a seat on the train. Amtrak reserves most of the seats between Washington and Charlottesville for long haul customers, so it's very hard to get a reservation on Amtrak for a short trip."
According to Richards, the VRE Board calculated the cost of the project to be $1.6 million. Richards noted, however, that the Board was basing its calculations on empty trains, so much of the cost would be offset by passenger revenue. She could not say, though, what the cost of a ticket to Washington, D.C. would be.
Current one-trip fares available on the VRE Web site were all below $10.
University spokesperson Carol Wood said that she thinks the VRE train is a good idea.
"I think that this could be great for University students, especially those living in Northern Virginia, to travel between home and here," she said.
But several students said they were wary about the cost of the new service.
"How much will it cost?" second-year College student Hilary Heincer asked.
First-year College student Angie Ferrero echoed Heincer's apprehension about the ticket price.
"If it was cheaper than the bus, then I would have to say I'd take it," Ferrero said "I thought that $48 for a train ticket was a bit ludicrous, so that even with gas prices it is cheaper to drive than taking the train. But if it was like $20 to $30, then I would definitely take it."
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