The City of Asheville invites the community to participate in a community-wide survey to inform the ART Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA)—a strategic assessment that seeks to improve Asheville’s public transit services and align them with current and future community needs and available resources.
The survey is open to all Asheville residents, workers, and visitors, regardless of how often they use transit. It takes less than 10 minutes to complete and is an important part of shaping the draft network designs and helping us understand what matters most to our community. Community members can take the survey here.
Why This Matters
As Asheville continues to grow, a strong and accessible transit system is more important than ever. The COA will:
- Identify strategies to improve service reliability and frequency
- Address barriers to transit access for underserved populations
- Support future growth, development, and climate resilience
- Incorporate lessons learned from Tropical Storm Helene
- Ensure ART resources match the needs of today—and tomorrow
Opportunities for Community Involvement
The City of Asheville is committed to a transparent, inclusive planning process. Throughout the upcoming public engagement period, community members will have several ways to get involved, including:
- The survey noted above
- City staff and consultant team members will be tabling at various events throughout October, stop by and see us!
- Project updates via social media, newsletters, and partner organizations
Engagement opportunities earlier this year included rider and non-rider surveys and tabling at community events. A summary of these previous efforts can be viewed here.
What’s Next?
- Once the survey closes, the project team will review all survey responses, along with input gathered at public meetings and through stakeholder conversations.
- Using what we learn, we will develop a draft recommended network that reflects community priorities and balances ridership and coverage goals.
- This draft recommendation will be shared with the public in the next phase of the project, when you’ll have another opportunity to provide input before a final plan is developed.
To learn more about the project, access the survey, and stay up to date on upcoming engagement opportunities, visit the ART COA project webpage.