Transportation

Public Transportation

Air

Mary Baldwin will arrange for students to be met at Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport. If you are arriving at another airport you will need to arrange your own transportation to the MBC campus.

Airport Shuttle Bus

Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport also offers transportation to and from the MBC campus.

• A minimum 24-hours advance reservation is requested.
• Prices: $25 one-way or $40 round-trip.
• To make a reservation:
  • send an email to shdshuttle@flyshd.com,
  • go to www.flyshd.com/ground-transportation/shuttle_reservation.html,
  • or call (540)234-8304.

Rail

www.amtrak.com
1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245)
[Location: 12 Middlebrook Ave., Staunton]

Amtrak’s Cardinal train runs from New York through Washington DC, Charlottesville and Staunton, then on to Chicago, three days a week. The Staunton Amtrak station is only three blocks from the MBC campus; there is also an Amtrak station in Charlottesville with more frequent trains.

Local and Regional Public Bus and Trolley Services

Virginia Regional Transit and CATS (Coordinated Area Transportation Services)
www.vatransit.org
Phone: 1-800-305-0077

There is limited public transportation in the City of Staunton and Augusta County. For more information on local fixed route bus services, free trolley services, demand response and relevant community contact information, see the brochure titled, VRT/CATS Mountain System Service Book, contact them at the phone number above, or see their website.

• The Route 250 Connector (CATS): This bus serves Staunton, Waynesboro and the Augusta Medical Center on a daily schedule.
• The Shenandoah Express offers bus service to and from Charlottesville three days a week from Waynesboro. Riders may take the CATS Connector to Waynesboro, then transfer to
  the Shenandoah Express to get to Charlottesville, and back.
• BRCC North and South Shuttles (CATS): There are two shuttle bus services linked to
  Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC). One takes you around Staunton, and another
  takes you to and around Harrisonburg. Riders may transfer at BRCC to another shuttle
  going to Harrisonburg, where they can board Harrisonburg Transit.
• Staunton offers free Trolley Services on three different routes.

The brochure mentioned above, VRT/CATS Mountain System Service Book, which you are given at Orientation, has all the details for these services and others in Augusta, Page, Rockingham, and Warren County communities. These brochures are available at the Spencer Center if needed.

** IMPORTANT NOTE: During snowy or icy weather, the trolleys follow the same delay or cancellation schedule as the city school buses. This is announced on the radio, on TV news programs, or listed online at www.staunton.k12.va.us under Emergency Information.

Private Transportation

Private Taxi Service

Car Rental Company:

Rides from Others on the Driving Roster

A list of MBC students, staff, and community members willing to transport international students for a nominal fee is available in the Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement. You can also ask friends, RA’s, faculty, staff, and Local Hosts for assistance with local transportation.

Driving in the United States

International Driver’s License

If you will be in the U.S. only a short time, and you have a driver’s license issued by your home country, you are able to drive legally in Virginia.

• The driver’s license issued in your home country should be accompanied by an international
  driver’s license, which provides a translation of your home country’s license.
• In order to be acceptable for use in Virginia, your license must be issued by your home
  government and not by a private agent.
• You may find it difficult to rent a car or purchase automobile insurance with only an
  international license.

If you plan to be in the United States for more than a short period of time, and if you live off campus, you may find it helpful to obtain a U.S. driver’s license and/or purchase a car.

Obtaining a Virginia Driver’s License

[Location: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV); 17 First Street, Staunton, VA 24401]
For hours of operation and directions, go to http://www.dmv.state.va.us/exec/csc/csc.asp?id=12

In Virginia, prior to obtaining a driver’s license, a person is issued a learner’s permit.

• This permit allows you to drive a car accompanied by a certified Virginia driver over the age of 18.
• You will have to pass a written test to get the permit.
• In addition, you will need to show two proofs of identity, one proof of legal presence in the United States, one proof of Virginia residency, and your Social Security card if you have one. The following documents will satisfy these requirements:
  1. Your unexpired passport with a visa and valid I-94;
  2. Certified copy of your Mary Baldwin transcript, verifying your current enrollment in classes and preferably with your Staunton address (physical, not box #) noted on the transcript;
  3. Your original I-20 or DS-2019;
  4. Your Social Security card, if you have one.

These requirements are subject to change. You are encouraged to review the most recent information at the government website prior to applying for your license. For a complete list of acceptable documents, see: http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/pdf/dmv141.pdf.

In order to obtain your driver’s license:

• If you are age 19 or older, you must provide proof of successful completion of a state-approved driver education program, or you must have held a learner’s permit at least 30 days before taking a road skills test.
• If you are under age 19, you must provide proof of successful completion of a state-approved driver education program, and you must hold a learner’s permit for at least nine months before taking the road skills test and applying for a license. You may take the road skills test no more than three times in any three-month period.