A rider disembarks the Tartan Transit city loop at the Fairlawn Walmart stop. A Facebook group in favor of a shared city and university transit system called "Support New Transit in Radford!" had 399 members, as of Tuesday.

Photos by MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Driver Willie McDaniel steers the Tartan Transit bus through downtown Radford. The city loop services Radford University's main campus and Dedmon Center, downtown Radford, the Fairlawn shopping district and stores on Tyler Avenue.

| Amy Matzke-Fawcett

amy.matzke-fawcett@roanoke.com, 381-1674

RADFORD -- City council's vote Monday could be the first step in a shared city and university transit system.

The city agreed to submit a grant application to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation for $1.7 million for public bus services.

If awarded, the grant would provide startup costs for a shared transit system for the city and Radford University, with service starting in January 2011.

The decision comes after nearly two years of work by the City of Radford Public Transit Committee and includes a transit survey conducted last year, also using DRPT funds.

If the grant is awarded, the university would contribute $202,539 in the first year, and the city would contribute $87,983, according to a transit study presented at the meeting.

The city is just beginning to work on next year's budget, so it's hard to tell where exactly that money would come from, said acting City Manager David Ridpath.

"It's a fairly small amount of money in our budget," Ridpath said.

Funds would most likely come from a variety of sources within the city's departments, including social services and other departments that would benefit from bus service, Ridpath said.

The grant application deadline is Monday. Grants would be awarded in May or June, and money would become available around Oct. 1, said Vicky Collins, chairwoman of the Radford Public Transit Committee.

Buses would be owned by the city but maintained, housed and driven by a contracted transportation company, Ridpath said. Since the buses would be owned by the city, an agreement for university use would then be signed.

Details of the university's side of the plans for the transit system were unavailable Tuesday, university spokesman Jeff Douglas said.

"I know that we are working with the City of Radford on a transportation study and grant applications designed to secure state and federal government support for an improved mass transportation system to serve the area." Douglas wrote in an e-mail.

"Right now, we really don't have any additional information to share beyond that."

The university runs a limited bus service for students called the Tartan Transit, with city and campus routes that has no Saturday hours and limited Sunday hours.

Radford University freshman nursing majors and roommates Torri Luebke and Sara Flickinger ride the city bus route at least once a week to shop in Fairlawn.

"It's nice, and it's convenient because you have to get to the store," Luebke said Monday while riding the bus.

But both said they would like to see a bus that could take them to Blacksburg or Christiansburg.

"It would be nice if it ran more on weekends, or went to Christiansburg or Virginia Tech," Flickinger said.

Sophomore Patricia Deale agrees students would like extended bus routes, or buses to Montgomery County's shopping areas.

"I think a lot of kids would like to see it run on Saturdays," Deale said. "The weekend would be more beneficial for shopping."

Deale, an elementary education major, rides the bus nearly every day from her off-campus apartment to the Dedmon Center on campus, where she works as a lifeguard.

"I don't have a car, so it works out," Deale said Monday while riding the bus from the Dedmon Center to campus.

It is unclear whether the Tartan Transit buses and drivers will be incorporated into a new transit system.

Letters of support were given to council from the Radford Student Government Association, Radford University Administration and the Transportation Technical Advisory Committee, an advisory committee of the New River Planning District Commission.

A Facebook group called "Support New Transit in Radford!" had 399 members, as of Tuesday.