Company pushing Appomattox-Lynchburg bus route

There may not be a regional mass transportation network outside the city of Lynchburg, but a small company in Appomattox County wants that to change this summer.

A former school bus driver who lives in Evergreen plans to start offering four daily bus trips between various points in Appomattox County to other stops in Lynchburg. The rides will be on two refurbished 24-seat buses that the company already has purchased, said John Davids, who runs Commonwealth Transportation Resources LLC.

Learn more

- A public meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Appomattox County Recreation Center.
- A monthly pass for 26 round trips costs $260. A weekly pass for five round trips costs $55. One round trip is $12.
- Call (434) 664-8867

“It will be a very comfortable ride,” he said.

Davids said he has contemplated forming some type of transportation service between Appomattox County and Lynchburg since he moved to the county in 2003.

“I noticed at that time there was a need for it and when the price of gas got to $2.65, I started researching it and putting it together,” he said. “With each passing week, the need is greater and greater.”

The company is still in the process of finalizing its application to the Department of Motor Vehicles, but Davids anticipates getting the state’s stamp of approval in a few weeks, with an expected start day of Aug. 3.

While no riders have officially committed to purchase passes, Davids said he has received more than 200 phone calls from people seeking information. He has invested about $75,000 to start the company and purchase the two buses.

Tuesday, there will be a public informational meeting at the Appomattox County Community Center at 7 p.m.

Plans call for four round trips Monday through Friday and additional trips on Saturday. The planned route is from Pamplin to downtown Lynchburg, by way of Evergreen, Appomattox, Sleepy Hollow, Spout Spring and Concord.

The service would stop at Central Virginia Training Center, Lynchburg General Hospital, the GLTC bus terminal at The Plaza, Court Street and Main Street, Davids said. Ideally, the route would cover all three shifts at Lynchburg General Hospital and CVTC, Davids said. Depending on the number of rides purchased at one time, a round-trip will cost between $10 and $12. Davids’ wife, Traci, also will drive some of the routes, he said.

Coordination with the Greater Lynchburg Transit Company hasn’t been finalized, but director Mike Carroll said he and Davidshave talked several times. “I think it makes sense and we’re certainly willing to work with them and try our best to coordinate with them,” he said.

Any final decision on use of the GLTC bus terminal would have to involve The Plaza’s property owners, Carroll said.

If the plan becomes profitable, Davids plans to add an additional bus every six months and possibly expand to other neighboring localities.

“This is unique in that the distance to the surrounding counties from the city of Lynchburg makes it cost-prohibitive for most companies,” Davids said.

“But if you break it down into small target areas, you can do it where you can afford it.”