What is the Asheville Regional Transit Coalition (ARTC)?
ARTC formed in 2017 and is made up of long-time local transit advocates, planners, representatives of the Asheville Transit and Multimodal Committee and others. We believe transit service that operates in more areas, on time,​ for longer hours and at higher frequencies​ will greatly benefit local residents and businesses and lead to a healthier, more sustainable and more equitable community.

Our steering committee meets monthly, and ARTC endorsers are welcome to join these meetings. Please email avltransit4all@gmail.com for more information.

What is the problem we’re trying to solve?
Asheville area transit service lags behind the needs of our communities. Some areas of our community aren’t served by bus service, we have only hourly service on most routes (with 30-minutes service on five major routes) and about half our routes stop running at 7:30 P.M. When work shifts end, the buses need to be there so Asheville’s workers can get home.

Asheville has a cost of living similar to Washington D.C. and an available housing struggle on par with New York City. Increasing funding for transit is a way to buy back some equity for Asheville and make living here more affordable.

The problems with our transit system make it hard for those who depend on transit to meet basic needs like getting to work, doctor’s appointments, the grocery store, and dropping their kids off at school or childcare.

And for those who would prefer to use transit to reduce their costs or carbon footprint, owning and driving a car in Asheville is simply an easier, more attractive choice right now. (Don’t just take our word for it – check out what your commute would look like via public transportation here. ) We know we can do better and move Asheville’s public transit system into the 21st century.

What’s the deal with the Transit Master Plan?

The Transit Master Plan, sometimes referred to as the TMP, is the City of Asheville’s blueprint for how to increase transit service and infrastructure over the next ten years. The first Transit Master Plan was released in 2009, but wasn’t fully implemented due to a lack of funding. A new Transit Master Plan was approved in July 2018, and we’re doing everything we can to make sure Asheville city government funds it and provides public transit for Asheville residents that runs on time, all day and more often. 

See a breakdown of transit improvements outlined for the first year of the plan here.

View the full Transit Master Plan here.