Virginia Overland Transportation
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Virginia Overland Transportation was an organization in Virginia in the United States which operated several urban-suburban bus lines for about 30 years in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. (Under Virginia law, an urban-suburban bus line is a bus service the majority of whose passengers use the buses for traveling a distance no more than forty miles, measured one way, on the same day, between their residences and their places of employment, stores, or schools).
The parent company, formed in 1973, acquired all or control portions of a number of older public service companies, some with roots back to interurban streetcar operations as early as 1915, and bus transportation organizations and operations dating from 1928.
An innovative and versatile provider of privatization services, Virginia Overland Transportation contracted school bus transportation, commuter transportation, paratransit services, university inter-campus transportation, and shuttle bus services for federal, state, and local government agencies as well as non-profit organizations, businesses and companies. The company also operated several bus dealerships, notably a franchise for Wayne Corporation which delivered over 2,000 new school and commercial buses between 1976 and 1990.
Virginia Overland Transportation was led and largely staffed by former government employees with public service expertise. Its wide range of services and bus equipment combined to attract bus enthusiasts as employees. At its peak in 1984, the company had over 200 employees. At one time or another, the company operated local services in Northern Virginia, the Richmond-Petersburg region, and in the Hampton Roads areas. Following a long labor union campaign in the Central Virginia region and NLRB hearings in 1986 and 1987, the employees voted to remain non-union. However, shortly later, large portions of its services were assumed by self-operations of many of its customers, including Petersburg Public Schools in 1989, and Hopewell Public Schools in 1996. Public employee unions of school bus employees are generally not recognized by local and state government in Virginia.
After over 30 years in business, in June, 2004, Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC), the local public transit agency in Richmond, Virginia assumed 80% of Virginia Overland's contract services using Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funded equipment, and the non-subsidized private bus company went out of business. A former Virginia Overland subsidiary operation under different non-public ownership in the Norfolk area continued operations as of 2005.
Listing of Virginia Overland predecessor organizations, dates formed
- Petersburg and Appomattox Railway (1915)
- Hopewell and City Point Railway (1915)
- Petersburg, Hopewell, and City Point Railway (1916)
- Richmond Ashland Railway (1918)
- Petersburg, Hopewell, and City Point Transportation Co. (1928)
- Petersburg-Hopewell Bus Lines (1939)
- Bon Air Transit Company (1946)
- Tri-City Coaches, Inc. (1958)
- Hopewell Bus Company (1965)
- VRH Corporation (1973)
- Virginia Overland Transportation Co. (1975)
- Virginia Overland Charter Service (1976)
- Virginia Overland Bus Sales (1976)
- Virginia Overland Tri-City Coaches, Inc. (1981)
- Dominion Coach Company (1983)
- Virginia Overland Bus Lines (1983)
- Laidlaw Transit VA (Norfolk) (1985) (Note: an eastern VA subsidiary of Laidlaw Transit only)
- Mechanicsville Bus Line (1988)
- Virginia Overland Transportation Services, Inc. (VOTS) (1990)
- Overland Bus Sales (1990)
- Virginia Public Service Transportation (1992)
See also
- Wayne Corporation
- Laidlaw
- urban-suburban bus line
- Transportation in Richmond, Virginia
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