WATA seeks bids to furnish new transfer station and maintenance facility
Expected to be completed later this year, these investments seek to raise service quality and attract more riders to transit system
The Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) is putting the finishing touches on two major facilities that are currently under construction, scheduled to open later this year. James City County has issued a request for proposals for a contractor to supply all labor, materials, and coordination to outfit both the North Transfer Center and a renovated Operations and Maintenance facility with furniture, fixtures, and equipment, delivering fully turnkey, move-in ready spaces at each site. Together representing roughly $27 million in capital investment, the projects mark a significant milestone for an agency that logged nearly 1.55 million rides in FY 2025 on an annual operating budget of $9.8 million. A pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for March 20.
North Transfer Center
Located at 6166 Old Mooretown Road, the approximately $11 million North Transfer Center will replace a makeshift transfer point in the Walmart parking lot off Rochambeau Drive, a location that has long lacked basic amenities for both riders and drivers. The new facility will feature indoor and outdoor passenger waiting areas, bus canopies, real-time arrival displays, public restrooms, a snack vendor area, and a rain garden. Staff will benefit from a ticketing and information office, private restrooms, dedicated break areas, and emergency vehicle staging space. Construction is scheduled for completion August 7, 2026, with furnishing and move-in to begin two weeks prior.
Executive Director Matthew Scalia has frequently spoken about what the facility means for the region. At the April 2025 groundbreaking for the North Transfer Center, he said the project is “truly a testament to what can be accomplished when state, federal, and local partners come together to invest in the future of public transportation,” adding that he looks forward to seeing “the positive impact that this facility is going to have on passengers and the broader community.” The locality cost share, split among James City County, the City of Williamsburg, and York County, amounts to roughly 4% of the total project cost, with federal and state grants covering the rest.
O&M Facility
The Operations and Maintenance Facility at 7239 Pocahontas Trail has roots going back to a 2010 study that recommended acquiring and retrofitting the site, which was never purpose-built for transit operations. WATA purchased the property in 2020, began design in FY 2022, and broke ground by the end of FY 2025. The approximately $15.7 million project, funded primarily through federal and state grants, will fully modernize the facility with new maintenance and wash bays equipped with fall protection, an improved dispatch area, expanded inventory storage, and a safer separation between personal vehicles and bus traffic. The redesigned site will also improve accessibility and security throughout.
The expanded administrative wing will add conference rooms, training spaces, and updated offices, with WATA currently seeking a contractor to deliver turnkey furnishings including modular desks and lateral filing systems. Staff amenities will see a significant upgrade as well, with dedicated indoor and outdoor break areas and a small gym with workout equipment. Looking further ahead, the renovation includes preliminary infrastructure to support both light and heavy-duty electric vehicle charging, reflecting WATA’s long-term environmental goals. The project is scheduled for completion December 17, 2026, with furnishings installation set to begin two weeks prior so the facility is fully move-in ready from day one.
Attracting “choice” riders
Having surpassed its pre-COVID ridership benchmarks in FY 2025, WATA believes it has largely maximized its reach among traditional “need riders” and is now pivoting toward attracting “choice riders”: commuters who own cars but could be persuaded to take the bus. The agency’s 10-year strategic plan, “Evolving WATA,” dedicates 70% of service resources toward high-ridership goals, with bus frequency as the primary lever. WATA plans to upgrade Route 12 to 15-minute service and bring five core routes to 30-minute all-day frequency, improvements projected to increase job accessibility for the average resident by 97% within a 45-minute commute window.
Funding the expansion relies on WATA’s cost-efficient operation, the lowest per-hour in both the Hampton Roads and Richmond regions. Its FY 2025 operating budget of $9,835,599 draws 41% from federal sources, 24% from state, and 15% from local contributions, with the remainder generated through fares and contract services with partners like William & Mary and Colonial Williamsburg. The agency is also pursuing state grant programs such as the Transit Ridership Incentive Program to offset the upfront costs of added frequency, and launched mobile ticketing in early 2025 through the Transit app, which includes a fare capping feature ensuring riders never pay more than the cost of a monthly pass.
Bus Art Contest
On a lighter note, WATA and CultureFix are wrapping up their 2026 Bus Art Contest, themed “Spirit of 1776” in honor of the 250th anniversary of American Independence. Three winners, one each from professional, amateur, and under-18 categories, will each receive $500 and have their designs produced as full bus wraps. The winners will be announced and the wrapped buses unveiled throughout April 2026.
The writer used AI tools and these sources:
James City County Request for Proposal 20260767 WATA Facility FFE
Video - James City County Board of Supervisors Business Meeting – January 27, 2026
Agenda Packet - James City County Board of Supervisors Business Meeting – January 27, 2026
2026 Bus Art Contest | Williamsburg Area Transit Authority, VA
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