Hampton Roads Transit

Hampton Roads Transit
Founded 1999
Headquarters 3400 Victoria Blvd.
Hampton, VA
Locale Hampton Roads
Service area Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Smithfield
Service type bus service, light rail, ferry, carpool
Routes 71
Hubs Downtown Norfolk Transit Center (DNTC), Hampton Transportation Center (HTC), Newport News Transportation Center (NNTC)
Stations Rail: 11
Ferry: 3 (additional port at Harbor Park for baseball games)
Fleet Bus: 300+
Rail: 9
Ferry: 3
Daily ridership 49,100 (2015)[1]
Annual ridership 15,624,100 (2015)[1]
Fuel type Diesel, Diesel-electric
Chief executive William E. Harrell[2]
Website gohrt.com

Hampton Roads Transit "(HRT)", incorporated on October 1, 1999, began through the voluntary merger of PENTRAN (Peninsula Transportation District Commission) on the Virginia Peninsula and TRT (Tidewater Regional Transit a.k.a. Tidewater Transit District Commission) in South Hampton Roads and currently serves over 22 million annual passengers within its 369-square-mile (960 km2) service area around Hampton Roads. The purpose of the HRT is to provide reliable and efficient transportation service and facilities to the Hampton Roads community.

Hampton Roads is located in southeastern Virginia. The Hampton Roads metropolitan area has a population of 1.6 million.

Its service area consists of the cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg (Colonial Williamsburg) and the town of Smithfield. The entire service area population is 1.3 million. HRT also serves the area's major college campuses of Christopher Newport University, Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, Thomas Nelson Community College, and Tidewater Community College.

HRT logo used from 1999—2012

Effective January 1, 2012, the City of Suffolk, Virginia chose to withdraw from the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads and since, HRT no longer provides transit services within Suffolk. However, a couple HRT routes do connect with the Suffolk Transit service, which is provided by Virginia Regional Transit.[3]

Governance

Hampton Roads Transit is governed by the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads (TDCHR). The TDCHR was established in accordance with Chapter 45 of Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia, as amended, referred to as the Transportation District Act of 1964 and by ordinances adopted by the governing bodies of its components governments.

The Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads, HRT’s governing body, consists of 13 members, one elected official and one citizen representative from each city served by Hampton Roads Transit, and the chairman of the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), or a designee. The six Hampton Roads cities that participate rotate the chairmanship each year. The Honorable Richard W. “Rick” West (Chesapeake) is the current chairman.

There are five established committees that provide input to the governing body. These committees are listed below: Executive Committee, Audit/Budget Review Committee, Operations & Oversight, Planning and New Start Development, Paratransit Committee, and Commission Effectiveness (Ad-hoc).

Leadership

William E. Harrell is the current president and CEO of Hampton Roads Transit.[4] Harrell went to Hampton Roads Transit from Chesapeake, Virginia, where he was the city manager since June 2007. Harrell replaced interim CEO Phillip A. Shucet on April 2, 2012.[5]

Phillip A. Shucet was hired in February 2010 as an interim CEO to help complete construction of The Tide light rail while the company searches for a permanent replacement for long-time executive director Michael Townes. Townes was pressured by the Board of Directors and ultimately agreed to step down after the revelation of a $100 million cost overrun and a one-year delay on Norfolk’s light-rail starter line, which has been named "The Tide". Shortly previously, Townes had been criticized for his handling of an employee embezzlement scheme. While he had not been directly involved in the earlier problem, a majority of the board members cited poor management and communication on his part in calling for him to step down.[6]

Funding

Hampton Roads Transit has no dedicated revenue source. Funding for service is provided with federal, state and local funding provided by member jurisdictions and farebox revenues. Local funding is provided based on the Cost Allocation Agreement - each city establishes how much service will be provided within its borders based on how much it is willing to pay for those services after all federal, state, and farebox revenues are applied. This means that the numbers of routes, service frequency, and service coverage areas as operated by Hampton Roads Transit are determined in each city during the annual budgetary cycle.

Corporate timeline

NOTE: This section begins with the introduction of rubber-tired buses to the transit operations in Hampton and Newport News, following many years of public transit service performed earlier and during the transition by horse-drawn and electrically powered streetcars utlilizing rails imbedded in the streets and roads of the area.

Year Activity Cities served
1944 The Virginia Transit Company begins operating rubber-wheeled bus service in Hampton Roads. Norfolk, VA
1945 The Citizens Rapid Transit Company begins operating rubber-wheeled bus service on the Virginia Peninsula, thus ending an era of streetcar service in Hampton Roads. Newport News, VA and Hampton, VA
January 1973 Tidewater Regional Transit (TRT) service begins, with the creation of the Tidewater Transportation District Commission (TTDC); and acquires the Virginia Transit Company, Norfolk Division TRT service begins in Norfolk and Virginia Beach
January 1974 Peninsula Transportation District Commission (PTDC) created
April 1975 PENTRAN service begins, as the PTDC acquires the Citizens Rapid Transit Company PENTRAN service begins in Newport News and Hampton
May 1975 The TTDC acquires the Community Motor Bus Company of Portsmouth TTDC expands, with TRT service to Portsmouth, VA
1977 James City County Transit begins service within Colonial Williamsburg and James City County, Virginia Williamsburg, VA not yet served by PENTRAN, nor TRT until 2004.
late-1970s/early-1980s Service expansion to Chesapeake, VA, including communities such as South Norfolk, Great Bridge, Western Branch, Deep Creek and to the newly opened Greenbrier Mall Chesapeake, VA
early-1990s Service expansion to Suffolk, VA, exclusively to Tidewater Community College and downtown Suffolk Suffolk, VA
1997 Crossroads service begins, linking the Virginia Peninsula cities with South Hampton Roads with local bus service for the first time in the region since special tunnel buses were discontinued many years earlier.
October 1, 1999 TRT merges with PENTRAN and forms Hampton Roads Transit (HRT). HRT begins with bus service already existing in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton, and Suffolk.
June 2008 The MAX (Metro Area Express) began service with eight routes linking all six Hampton Roads Cities. Norfolk (Norfolk Naval Base, Downtown Norfolk), Virginia Beach (Silverleaf, Oceanfront), Chesapeake (Greenbrier Mall, Chesapeake Square Mall), Portsmouth (Downtown, Victory Crossing, Newport News (Transit Center, Northrop Grumman), and Hampton (Transit Center).
August 2011 Virginia's first light rail line Tide Light Rail opens to the public. Passengers were offered free rides from the August 19th grand opening until August 28. More than 30,000 people rode the Tide the first day.[7] EVMC/Ft. Norfolk, York St./Freemason, Monticello Avenue, MacArthur Square, Harbor Park, Norfolk State University, Ballentine/Broad Creek, Ingleside, Military Highway, and Newtown Road.
January 2012 City of Suffolk withdrew contract with HRT to operate public transit in Suffolk.[8]

Bus fleet

The HRT fleet inventory as of August 1, 2011 consisted of 302 vehicles, including 255 diesel buses, 37 hybrid buses and 10 trolley-style buses. The majority of the fleet, a total of 280 buses, were manufactured by Gillig. The HRT fleet also includes 12 Optima buses and 10 Trolley-style buses manufactured by Chance. HRT acquired 11 Gillig hybrids in June 2011 to replace the Chance trolleys.

Hampton Roads Transit's Bus Fleet were originally decorated with all white buses with a two line blue & green wave from the system's former logo which is similar to math's approximate (≈) symbol. New buses since 2006 have a wave going from the back, then becomes smooth through the front and have frameless windows. All Hybrids and the two 2006 Optima Opus' are in the blue background. All MAX buses have a silver background with sky blue & solid blue wave colors. Select buses which had the two-line wave logo have been repainted with the newer back wave design and the exterior window rows are painted black around the windows to resemble the newer buses. Since 2012, several buses were repainted into the silver/blue wave style like the MAX brand with the agency's new stripe logo. This is the current fleet design

Number Year Model Image Length Engine model Transmission Fuel Garage Notes
1201–1229 1999 Gillig Low Floor 35 feet (10.67 m) Cummins ISC Voith D864.3 Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton
18th St. Norfolk		 Last buses under Pentran and TRT.
1230–1239 2000 Gillig Phantom 40 feet (12.19 m) Cummins ISC Voith D864.5 Diesel 18th St. Norfolk First buses purchased under HRT.
1240–1263 2001 Gillig Phantom 35 feet (10.67 m) Cummins ISC Voith D864.3 Diesel 18th St. Norfolk
1301–1304 2000 Gillig Low Floor 29 feet (8.84 m) Cummins ISC Voith D864.3 Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton
1400–1409 2001 Chance Opus 30 feet (9.14 m) Cummins ISB Allison B300R Diesel 18th St. Norfolk Several have been refurbished in 2013.
1500–1516 2002 Gillig Low Floor 35 feet (10.67 m) Cummins ISC Voith D864.3 Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton
18th St. Norfolk
1600–1614 2002 Gillig Low Floor 29 feet (8.84 m) Cummins ISC Voith D864.3 Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton
18th St. Norfolk
1700–1715 2003 Gillig Phantom 35 feet (10.67 m) Cummins ISC Voith D864.3 Diesel 18th St. Norfolk
1800–1810 2004 Gillig Phantom 40 feet (12.19 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.3E Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton
18th St. Norfolk		 First coach-style buses purchased by HRT.
1900–1909 2004 Gillig Low Floor 40 feet (12.19 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.3E Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton
18th St. Norfolk		 First 40-foot low floor buses. 1901 has lighted up stop sign at the rear.
2000–2020 2006 Gillig Low Floor 40 feet (12.19 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.3E Diesel 18th St. Norfolk First buses with frameless windows
1410, 1415-1416 2006 Optima Opus 30 feet (9.14 m) Cummins ISB Allison B300R Diesel 18th St. Norfolk 1415 & 1416 are the system's first blue background colors, originally test buses for shuttles, however they are used for any regular route in the system.
2021–2039 2007 Gillig Low Floor 40 feet (12.19 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.3E Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton
18th St. Norfolk
3000-3025 2007 Gillig Low Floor 40 feet (12.19 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.5 Clean Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton
18th St. Norfolk		 Coach styling
MAX buses
4000 - 4023 2008 Gillig BRT Hybrid 29 feet (8.84 m) Cummins ISB-02 Allison EP40 hybrid system Diesel-Electric Hybrid Virginia Beach Trolley Base
18th St. Norfolk		 First hybrids purchased by HRT, usually found in Virginia Beach.

Buses 4015-4023 are the BRT roofed hybrids used for Downtown Norfolk's NET shuttle.

2040–2046 2008 Gillig Low Floor 40 feet (12.19 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.5 Clean Diesel 18th St. Norfolk First buses with square sided windows on bus doors
3026-3035 2008 Gillig Low Floor 40 feet (12.19 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.5 Clean Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton
18th St. Norfolk		 Coach styling
MAX Express Buses, also equipped with cargo attachments above some seats.
4024-4025 2009 Gillig BRT Hybrid 29 feet (8.84 m) Cummins ISB-02 Allison EP40 hybrid system Diesel-Electric Hybrid Virginia Beach Trolley Base
2047–2052 2011 Gillig Low Floor 40 feet (12.19 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.5 Clean Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton
4026-4036 2011 Gillig BRT Hybrid 29 feet (8.84 m) Cummins ISB-02 Allison EP40 hybrid system Diesel-Electric Hybrid Virginia Beach Trolley Base Newest Hybrid shuttle buses on HRT's fleet
5000-5008 2012 Gillig Low Floor 35 feet (10.67 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.5 Clean Diesel 18th St. Norfolk First buses manufactured with the new logo.
5009-5013 2013 Gillig Low Floor 35 feet (10.67 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.5 Clean Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton Newest regular service buses on HRT's Peninsula fleet.
5101-5107 2014 Nova Bus LFS 40 feet (12.19 m) Cummins ISL Allison B400R Clean Diesel 18th St. Norfolk Newest regular service buses on HRT's Southside fleet. Designated specifically for Routes 44, 45, and 47 as part of an effort to improve service along the three routes. Such improvements are being carried out as part of HRT's agreement with Elizabeth River Tunnels.
101-114 2015 Hometown Trolley 35 feet (10.67 m) Cummins ISB6.7 Allison B300 Clean Diesel Virginia Beach Garage New trolleys being used for the Virginia Beach Oceanfront seasonal shuttles
5014-5018 2015 Gillig Low Floor 35 feet (10.67 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.6 Clean Diesel Hampton & Norfolk Garages 5014 & 5015 were delivered in mid 2015. 5016, 5017 & 5018 were delivered in late 2015 in a 32-bus order with the 29 2100-series buses. The latter three buses have a plexi-glass compartment to protect bus operators.
2101-2129 2015 Gillig Low Floor 35 feet (10.67 m) Cummins ISL Voith D864.6 Clean Diesel Hampton & Norfolk Garages 29 of 32 were delivered in late 2015 in part of a 32-bus order. All buses have a plexi-glass compartment to protect bus operators.

On July 18, 2011, it was announced that the Commonwealth of Virginia has signed an umbrella contract with New Flyer Industries for the provision of buses to any Virginia transit authority.[9] It remains to be seen whether or not the contract will include buses for HRT, but highly unlikely due to their contract for Gillig buses.

Retired fleet

Number Year Model Image Length Engine model Transmission Fuel Garage Notes
901 - 933 1993 Orion 05.501 40 feet (12.19 m) Detroit Diesel 6V92TA Allison HT-748 Diesel 18th St. Norfolk
934 - 949 1995 Orion 05.501 40 feet (12.19 m) Detroit Diesel 6V92TA Allison B400R Diesel 18th St. Norfolk
  • As of August 2011, all have been retired.
501 - 534 1995 Gillig Phantom 40 feet (12.19 m) Detroit Diesel Series 50 Allison B400R Diesel Victoria Blvd Hampton
18th St. Norfolk
  • As of August 2011, all have been retired.

Light rail fleet

The Tide Light Rail began service on August 19, 2011 with nine of the trainsets entering to revenue service.

Number Year Model Image Length Width Traction Motors Garage Notes
401-409 2009 Siemens S70 Light Rail Vehicle Delivered on October 2009-used since August 2011 when The Tide Light Rail began service.

Other fleet

HRT has three ferries, with two operating in the peak periods. HRT owns a total of 33 paratransit vans. HER is also leasing an additional 54 paratransit vans from its contractor to meet service requirements.

Primary services

HRT operates 64[10] local fixed routes and eight express bus routes[11] in the region.

Route list

Southside Routes

Peninsula Routes

Peninsula Commuter Routes

MAX Express Routes

Other services

Paratransit

Hampton Roads Transit provides ADA Paratransit service, and is available within 3/4 of a mile of regularly scheduled bus routes. Fare is $3.00. Certification and reservations are required. Reservation hours are from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Reservations must be made no later than 5:00 PM the day before you need transportation and you can reserve a ride up to 3 days in advance, at this time.[12]

TRAFFIX

TRAFFIX is a grant-funded program provided by Hampton Roads Transit. It encourages citizens throughout Hampton Roads to use alternative forms of transportation that reduces use of single occupancy vehicles. TRAFFIX oversees and promotes regional commuter initiatives, including carpooling and telecommuting, by reaching out to area employers. Some of its key clients include the U.S. Navy, Northrop Grumman, Wal-mart, and Canon. To date, TRAFFIX has removed nearly 800 vehicles off the road and has saved consumers over 600,000 gallons of gas and over $1.8 million in vehicle related expenses.

Ferry service

One of three paddle wheel ferries docked at Waterside Festival Marketplace

HRT's paddle wheel ferry is a system of three 150-passenger paddle wheel ferry boats: The James C. Echols, Elizabeth River Ferry II, and Elizabeth Ferry III. The Ferry travels between North Landing and High Street in Portsmouth and downtown Norfolk at The Waterside and Harbor Park. Harbor Park is only serviced during Norfolk "Tides" baseball home games.

The ferry operates every 30 minutes, with 15-minute service at peak times on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The Ferry is wheelchair accessible and allows boarding passengers to board with their bicycles. The general cost to board the ferry is $1.75 for adults, and 75 cents with eligibility ID for youth (age 17 and under), seniors (age 65 and older), and disabled patrons. Up to 2 children (under 38 inches tall) per paying adult may ride for free. 1-day passes may be purchased as well for $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for youth, seniors, and disabled patrons with eligible ID. Exact fare is required, the crew and fare boxes can not make change.

The ferry's High Street dock is three blocks from Downtown Portsmouth's bus transfer area at County St & Court St.

Plans to introduce up to 4 new ferries have been announced by HRT.[13]

Virginia Beach Wave

The VB Wave runs through the main areas of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Service runs from May through September.

Route 30 Atlantic Ave (May 1-October 2 8am-2am, About every 15 minutes) which serves all the stops along the Atlantic Avenue boardwalk, This includes the Old Coast Guard Station Museum, the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier, plus the north beaches HRT transfer.

Route 31 Museum Express (Daily, Memorial Day-Labor Day 9:30 AM until 11:10 PM, About every 15 minutes) Serves the Virginia Aquarium, Ocean Breeze Waterpark, Owl Creek Municipal Tennis Center, Holiday Trav-L-Park Campground, and KOA Campground.[14]

Route 32 Shoppers Express (Daily, Memorial Day-Labor Day 10am-9pm, About every hour) Serves the Shops at Hilltop, and ends at Lynnhaven Mall.

MAX (Metro Area Express)

MAX bus on Interstate 664

The MAX is the first regional express service connecting all of Hampton Roads. The bus service uses dedicated Gillig buses equipped with coach-style seating to make a more comfortable ride. All MAX buses are equipped with Wi-Fi. The routes connect area Park and Ride lots to Downtown Norfolk and other major employment locations in the area. There are two other express routes (Routes 64 and 121) that are not branded as MAX routes, although Route 121 often uses MAX buses.

The Tide Light Rail

Main article: Tide Light Rail

The Tide, Norfolk's Light Rail System, runs from Eastern Virginia Medical School through downtown Norfolk to Newtown Road (near Sentara Leigh Memorial Hospital). The Groundbreaking Ceremony was held on December 8, 2007.[15] Primary construction began in early 2008, the first of nine train sets arrived on October 6, 2009,[16] and the Tide became fully operational on August 19, 2011.

Projects under development

Virginia Beach Extension Study

The Virginia Beach Extension Study was started in 2009 in an effort to bring a right-of-way rapid transit line to Virginia Beach using a former freight rail track, most likely to connect the current The Tide light rail from Newtown Road Station. The studied modes are Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail.[17]

Alternatives

The study originally considered three alternatives with a fourth added from the City Council of Virginia Beach. Distances are the amount of miles from the Newtown Road Station.

As of 2015, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement was published. However, since the City of Virginia Beach and the State of Virginia is paying for the Town Center alternative, there will be no Final Environmental Impact Statement, as that document is made when there is federal money involved. There has been opposition from the citizens of Virginia Beach about costs and using taxpayer money to construct and maintain the line, if built. The City of Virginia Beach plans to vote on building the line sometime between fall 2016 and early 2017. If it passes, the extension will open between late 2019 and early 2020.[18]

In 2012, the City of Norfolk began to study for possibilities for extending their current Tide light rail system to Naval Station Norfolk.[19] Currently the Draft Environmental Study is in development. There are currently six routes in study with two major corridors considered. Mode possibilities are light rail and streetcar. Potential build out of the expansion will commence in the 2020s.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2015" (pdf). American Public Transportation Association. March 2, 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-14 – via http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/ridershipreport.aspx.
  2. ↑ "William E. Harrell hired as HRT's new President/CEO | Gohrt.com". Gohrt.com. 2012-08-17. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
  3. ↑ "Suffolk Transit". Suffolkva.us. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  4. ↑ "William E. Harrell | Gohrt.com". Gohrt.com. 2012-08-17. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
  5. ↑ "William E. Harrell hired as HRT's new President/CEO | Gohrt.com". Gohrt.com. 2012-08-17. Retrieved 2016-07-31.
  6. ↑ "HRT head Michael Townes, under fire, agrees to retire | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com". HamptonRoads.com. 2010-01-12. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  7. ↑ "30,000 people rode the Tide opening day| Gohrt.com". Gohrt.com. 2012-08-17. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
  8. ↑ "Bus service changes in Suffolk| Gohrt.com". Gohrt.com. 2012-08-17. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
  9. ↑ New Flyer Announces Second Quarter 2011 Orders and Backlog
  10. ↑ . Retrieved November 17, 2009. Archived April 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ . Retrieved November 17, 2009. Archived February 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ Starting in December 2011, a new delivery system utilizing a mixed use of taxis, involving local taxi companies and dedicated Handi-Ride buses was implemented. This transformation was the result of Hampton Roads Transportation, Inc.'s Frank Azzalina approaching HRT CEO Philip Shucet, and proposing that significant savings in paratransit could be realized if a mixed-use strategy was administered. After a long period of fleet, and routing optimization analysis occurred, the program was eventually put in place. According to the Virginia Pilot - HRT estimates the changes will result in reducing costs by about $500,000 a year, or about $1.25 million for the remainder of its contract with MV Transportation, the company that operates Handi-Ride. The fleet of paratransit buses was trimmed from 87 to 33.
  13. ↑ "HRT board buys a new ferry – and options three more - Hampton Roads Transit". Gohrt.com. 2015-04-23. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  14. ↑ "VB Wave - Hampton Roads Transit". Gohrt.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  15. ↑ Archived April 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ "Twitter / 10 On Your Side: Norfolk just unveiled "The". Twitter.com. 2009-10-06. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  17. ↑ "Virginia Beach Transit Extension - Hampton Roads Transit". Gohrt.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  18. ↑ http://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/planning/transplanning/Virginia-Beach-Light-Rail-Extension/Pages/default.aspx
  19. ↑ "Naval Station Norfolk Transit Extension Study - Hampton Roads Transit". Gohrt.com. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
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