Campaign Update: ACT on Climate!

It’s been a little over 3 months since we launched the “ACT on Climate!” campaign, and thanks to your support the campaign’s kick-off letter has been endorsed by nearly 25 organizations and received 355 signatures from community residents in both Charlottesville and Albemarle.

During this small period of time, our efforts have already yielded positive results, particularly after the letter was delivered to Charlottesville City Council, City Manager, and Deputy City Managers. Among these positive results, we would like to highlight:

Better Bus Stops

• CAT started the “Bus Shelter Project”, which seeks community input to select an improved bus-shelter design for the transit system in the Greater Charlottesville Area.

Cleaner Fleet

• During a special Council Work Session on “Climate Updates”, the City announced that it will now include a “climate addendum” on CAT’s “Transit Alternative Fuels Transition Study”, which will inform whether CAT should maintain a fleet fully fueled by diesel, or complement it either with compressed natural gas or battery-electric buses.

Community Input on Climate (+ Transit) Planning

• The City’s Climate Action Planning “Survey #1” (aimed at informing strategies and actions for reducing climate pollution) is now live and includes questions such as:

  • Would you consider using public transportation? 

    • If yes, what are your primary barriers to doing so? (multiple options)

  • What do you see as the top two actions that can reduce most carbon emissions from transportation in Charlottesville? Among the options are:

    • Design a community so that people don't have to drive as much

    • Buses should come more often.

  • In your opinion, what are the four most important actions to reduce municipal emissions? Among the options is:

    • Change CAT's fleet to electric.

Better Conditions for Bus Drivers

• The City recently approved a 6% mid-year pay increase for CAT operators; 12 drivers now make $20 or more an hour. 

What’s Next?

Even with such positive results, there still is much that we need to do and we should not lose the current momentum of our advocacy. For that reason, we would like to ask you to please:

• Answer the City’s Climate Action Planning “Survey #1” (which is receiving new responses until May 20th).

  • While we encourage everyone to take the surveys, if you have difficulty completing the survey before May 20th or would like to give feedback to the City in another way, please reach out to C3 at policy@theclimatecollaborative.org. We can help you make your voice heard!

• Reach out to us at equity@theclimatecollaborative.org if you are interested in hosting/coordinating an ACT on Climate! workshop or tabling event with C3.

• Read our series of ‘Transit Conversations” blogs:

  • “Increasing Transit Ridership is Necessary but Not Sufficient” 

  • “Microtransit: Up to Speed in a ‘Smart’ and ‘On-Demand’ Era”. 

  • “What's Fueling Transit?”

• Join our newest campaign Make Your Own Impact, an initiative for all individuals provides members with access to FREE downloadable guidebooks of tangible actions, events, advocacy opportunities, and more. 

  • First meet up event will be at Kardinal Hall on May 25th at 5 pm. Come out and meet other people who are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint, have appetizers on us, and have fun!

Join us in taking a moment to celebrate our initial achievements and let’s continue our advocacy for cleaner future!

In community,

Caetano