This spring, the Afton Express and its partner, the University of Virginia (UVA), received two awards recognizing the route’s environmental impact and the strength of the regional partnership behind it.

On May 1, UVA honored the Afton Express at its annual Sustainability Leadership Awards luncheon. Paula Melester, Devon Thompson, and Danielle Gannon received the award on behalf of BRITE Transit and CSPDC alongside Kendall Howell and Patrick Clark of UVA Parking and Transportation.

The award recognizes the Afton Express and Wahoo Commute partnership, under which  UVA faculty, staff and students ride free, which supported 23,725 passenger trips in 2025. Those passenger trips eliminated an estimated 733,103 vehicle miles traveled and 260 metric tons of tailpipe emissions as compared to people driving alone, and the average rider saved approximately $5,500 in commuting costs including gas, vehicle wear and tear, and parking.

On May 20, the Virginia Transit Association (VTA) presented UVA’s Department of Parking and Transportation with its Outstanding Contribution by a Partner Award at the 2026 Annual Conference for its sustained role in advancing the Afton Express. The award, selected from nearly three dozen submissions by transit colleagues across the Commonwealth, cited UVA’s sustained financial investment, technical engagement during the recent service procurement process, and its Wahoo Commute incentive program, which rewards employees who choose transit and other alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles. In 2025, the Afton Express recorded nearly 24,000 total passenger boardings, with approximately 80 percent of riders affiliated with UVA, generating an estimated $872,751 in avoided commuting costs for UVA riders.

CSPDC and UVA will continue working together to grow ridership, strengthen service, and expand sustainable commuting options for travelers between Augusta County, Waynesboro, and Charlottesville.