Every Williamsburg Area Transit Authority stop in James City County will be improved, and the county expects each one to get a shelter, Paul D. Holt III, the county’s director of community development, told the Board of Supervisors at its Oct. 13 meeting. The first step is a $336,000 construction contract the board approved as part of its consent agenda. Many stops sit along main thoroughfares with speed limits of 45 to 55 mph, and even with concrete pads, passengers are left exposed on roadway shoulders, Holt wrote in a memo to the board.
The contract covers construction at the first 15 stops. County funding allows improvements including ADA-compliant concrete pads, benches, trash cans, new signage and sidewalk connections. The stops, in locations including Richmond Road, Merrimac Trail, Longhill Road, Centerville Road, Pocahontas Trail, Queens Path and Eagle Way, have been designed and permitted. Holt wrote that Henderson Inc. has done satisfactory work for the county and was found to be a responsive and responsible bidder. The county is paying for the work from its approved Capital Improvement Program budget.
Vice-Chair Ruth Larson said she was thrilled to see continued progress and asked how stops were chosen, citing concern for a Jamestown Road stop where workers finishing long shifts need a place to sit and for Centerville Road stops where riders stand in ankle-high grass. Holt said the first phase prioritized stops with the highest ridership and grouped stops by location to make construction easier. Whether a stop sits fully in the public right of way or needs an easement also affects the timeline, he said. The next set of stops is in design and includes more on Jamestown Road, Centerville Road and Richmond Road.
Shelters are supported by a separate grant. The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization awarded the county $1.2 million in Virginia Department of Transportation Carbon Reduction Program funds, split evenly across fiscal years 2027, 2028 and 2029, to help buy shelters for about 141 stops. Holt wrote that shelters protect riders from poor weather and roadway hazards. Combined with the county-funded improvements, they will give riders space away from the road and give drivers a visible cue that passengers are there. The board also accepted and appropriated the first $400,000 for fiscal year 2027 as part of the consent agenda.
Watch the discussion concerning bus stops improvements starting at the 45th minute.
Capital Trail extension along Eagle Way gets $450,000 design grant
The Virginia Capital Trail/Trail757 extension along Eagle Way will get $450,000 to help pay for design after the James City County Board of Supervisors accepted a grant on its consent agenda. The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization awarded the money from the Virginia Department of Transportation Carbon Reduction Program. The resolution appropriates the funds into the Capital Projects Fund and authorizes the County Administrator to sign agreements.
In another memo dated Oct. 13 memo, Holt wrote that the shared-use path would connect the Capital Trail near Jamestown High School to on-street bike lanes on Monticello Avenue, giving people walking, biking and using mobility devices a continuous, safe and separate facility. The segment would be part of Trail757, a regional plan that recommends extending the Virginia Capital Trail into Williamsburg and the broader Hampton Roads region. Construction funding has not been identified, and staff will use the design plans for future funding applications.
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