I used to work for the town. The whole justification for the bus route is ADA access and parking minimums. There used to be a surface lot where the expansion was. The town didn't want the courthouse to be built without including parking so they settled on the pennington garage being built. Ironically, the pennington garage is barely used during the working hours.
Thanks for the more official information, I couldn't find anything about it online. It looks like the sidewalk isn't completely accessible due to utility poles in the middle. Yeah, the garage had some cars in it but it was not completely full. I'm glad the service exists because plenty of people use it but it's still an enigma because there are plenty pf similar places out there that have no such shuttle.
I have a pretty good idea why this shuttle exists: court time is really, really expensive and hard to get. And it makes sense to spend money to remove every possible obstacle from people making it to court. Subsidizing a bus so that there is a smaller chance that someone will get delayed 15 minutes and a hearing has to be delayed for another 3 months actually makes sense. This is the same reason a lot of rural transit agencies have long routes to towns with hospitals---subsidizing a bus route for $100 an hour for three people makes a lot more sense than subsidizing an ambulance for $1000 an hour for one person.
@@sammymarrco47 Especially because, at least in criminal cases, a lot of defendants suddenly find that they have mobility issues when they have to appear in court. "My client needs crutches to walk and can't walk three blocks to the courthouse, so we will have to move the case forward to June..." and then repeat until the prosecutor dismisses charges!
Loudoun Transit is an utter enigma. A bus system in the richest county in the United States, whose busiest routes are strange affairs like the courthouse shuttle. Glad to see more Loudoun Transit (or just local bus) content and I wish I could have been there!
That's because the "rich snobs" of Loudoun don't have much interest in helping the transit dependent. Which is pretty common in so many "rich" areas around the US.
in regards to your comments around 7:15 about the narrow street: it's not the street that's too narrow, it's the Amazon truck that's too big for use in urban areas. The vast majority of the world's urban streets are much narrower than America's absurdly oversized traffic gutters, and their cities still manage to function better in many cases. Delivery companies just need to buy smaller vans that are easier to use in urban areas (or those little e-bike vans for really big cities).
Leesburg is good if you still want a (slight) taste of rural Virginia without leaving the DC metro area. You can be either at the Silver Line or out in the mountains in under 20 minutes, driving from downtown. Downtown is nice, but the surrounding neighborhoods just get increasingly suburban. Alexandria is certainly better at transit connections and density, but I think it just depends on what you're looking for!
I suppose that's true, however I did not see any elderly people using it, mostly (visibly) able bodied youngish people. It's great that it exists for them tho!
Welcome to Leesburg! Did not even know this shuttle existed, but I do know Loudoun County Transit does operate several routes solely in Leesburg (I'm pretty sure). I also did Amazon delivery for a while, but also grew to not enjoying it mostly because I was delivering in the dark too much 😂)
@sammymarrco47 I know I don't have a RUclips channel to plug, but I am a fellow transit enthusiast in VA and would love to collaborate on something (feel free to say no if you don't think it will work idc)
I used to work for the town. The whole justification for the bus route is ADA access and parking minimums. There used to be a surface lot where the expansion was. The town didn't want the courthouse to be built without including parking so they settled on the pennington garage being built. Ironically, the pennington garage is barely used during the working hours.
Thanks for the more official information, I couldn't find anything about it online. It looks like the sidewalk isn't completely accessible due to utility poles in the middle. Yeah, the garage had some cars in it but it was not completely full. I'm glad the service exists because plenty of people use it but it's still an enigma because there are plenty pf similar places out there that have no such shuttle.
I have a pretty good idea why this shuttle exists: court time is really, really expensive and hard to get. And it makes sense to spend money to remove every possible obstacle from people making it to court. Subsidizing a bus so that there is a smaller chance that someone will get delayed 15 minutes and a hearing has to be delayed for another 3 months actually makes sense.
This is the same reason a lot of rural transit agencies have long routes to towns with hospitals---subsidizing a bus route for $100 an hour for three people makes a lot more sense than subsidizing an ambulance for $1000 an hour for one person.
Makes sense!
That is a VERY smart point!
@@sammymarrco47 Especially because, at least in criminal cases, a lot of defendants suddenly find that they have mobility issues when they have to appear in court. "My client needs crutches to walk and can't walk three blocks to the courthouse, so we will have to move the case forward to June..." and then repeat until the prosecutor dismisses charges!
This was so fun to film with you! Thanks for letting me tag along! Excellent video, as always!
It was a blast filming with you too, gotta do something else before you jet off to [REDACTED]!
@@sammymarrco47 Oh I’ve definitely got a few ideas!
I feel like this exists because some local politician didn't want to walk 2 blocks...
thats a possibility! see pinned comment for something from someone who used to work for the city.
Loudoun Transit is an utter enigma. A bus system in the richest county in the United States, whose busiest routes are strange affairs like the courthouse shuttle. Glad to see more Loudoun Transit (or just local bus) content and I wish I could have been there!
we gotta do something with 29 at some point!
That's because the "rich snobs" of Loudoun don't have much interest in helping the transit dependent. Which is pretty common in so many "rich" areas around the US.
in regards to your comments around 7:15 about the narrow street: it's not the street that's too narrow, it's the Amazon truck that's too big for use in urban areas. The vast majority of the world's urban streets are much narrower than America's absurdly oversized traffic gutters, and their cities still manage to function better in many cases. Delivery companies just need to buy smaller vans that are easier to use in urban areas (or those little e-bike vans for really big cities).
agree 100
What an awesome crossover! I’ve never been to Leesburg but seems like a very pretty place. Though I don’t know about it being better than ALX lol
Thanks for the kind words, and yeah, Alexandria is def much better imo. Leesburg is cool too tho!
Leesburg is good if you still want a (slight) taste of rural Virginia without leaving the DC metro area. You can be either at the Silver Line or out in the mountains in under 20 minutes, driving from downtown. Downtown is nice, but the surrounding neighborhoods just get increasingly suburban. Alexandria is certainly better at transit connections and density, but I think it just depends on what you're looking for!
Having traffic lights turn off at night is pretty common in small towns. Theres not many in the DMV, but theres one in College Park
I'm not a small town boi, but I guess you would know being from that state that doesn't exist!
Worcester Cathedral in England was built in 1050, only 726 years before the USA even thought about becaming a country.
yeah Europe is ancient, literally!
It's a shuttle for people on jury duty, a pool of people which often skews elderly. People can be mobility challenged without needing a wheelchair.
I suppose that's true, however I did not see any elderly people using it, mostly (visibly) able bodied youngish people. It's great that it exists for them tho!
Welcome to Leesburg! Did not even know this shuttle existed, but I do know Loudoun County Transit does operate several routes solely in Leesburg (I'm pretty sure). I also did Amazon delivery for a while, but also grew to not enjoying it mostly because I was delivering in the dark too much 😂)
Yeah the delivery job isn't for me and I learned that pretty quickly!
@sammymarrco47 I know I don't have a RUclips channel to plug, but I am a fellow transit enthusiast in VA and would love to collaborate on something (feel free to say no if you don't think it will work idc)
The cutest bus route on Earth.
lil baby
Then the system has failed badly
huh?
@@sammymarrco47as in loudoun county’s bus system is pathetic
We are cooler then Alexandria
Agreed!
debatable
This is why nova is cringe
it serves a purpose, see pinned comment!
If it was actually named after Robert E Lee, there would be a movement to change it. Dude might be related, but it’s not him so it’s fine
indeed!