Wow, I stand corrected. A few years ago, due to construction projects in downtown Blacksburg, BT buses were often delayed, and some routes used detours, traveling along Alumni Mall Road, Stanger Street, and Prices Fork Road to get back to Main Street. To travel three miles via bus could take 30 to 50 minutes. I knew it had recently improved, and as Planner you'd think I know the details, but Operations handles the details of improving route efficiency and on-time performance. Plus, I'm an avid commuter-cyclist and rarely ride the bus myself! Now, according to Google Transit, one can make a 3.1 mile trip Monday morning from the bus stop at Main/Red Maple to the Blacksburg Square shopping center on South Main Street in 16-17 minutes! This is quite convenient, even for a "towney" who wants to take the bus during a busy time, assuming there is room on the bus (which can be a problem during busy times). Now traveling on the weekends (or during reduced/break service when the university is not in session) is more limited and takes more time: For example, bus services do not start until 9:45 am on Saturday, and would involve about a 1-mile walk to the nearest stop on Prices Fork Road near Progress Street for a 40-minute journey, including a transfer from the University City Blvd (UCB) bus to the Main Street South (MSS) bus. A fast walker could make this trip in 45-60 minutes, and a cyclist could do it in 15-20 minutes. Transit ain't perfect, but I think BT is still offering some great services.
16-17-minute bus trip View Larger Map
40-minute bus trip with 1 mile walk View Larger Map
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