Public Transit

Overview

Public Transit is all forms of shared transportation that are available to the public. In Hampton Roads, this includes bus, light rail, ferry, and paratransit (for travelers with special needs).

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Public Transit Backbone

In order to improve the local public transit system, HRTPO staff is proposing focusing investment on a “public transit backbone”—providing higher frequency, service hours consistent across city limits, and shelters at warranted stops—on a limited set of primary routes running where public transit is most needed. In conjunction with HRT’s current “Transit Transformation Project”—a strategic planning process rethinking the public transit system for six Hampton Roads cities (Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Va. Beach, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake)—HRTPO staff presented its public transit backbone at a 10-26-18 meeting of the staff of those cities, the staff of HRT, and the staff of the strategic planning consultant.

CMAQ and RSTP

HRTPO is responsible for project selection and allocation of funds under two federal funding programs: the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) improvement program and the Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP). Since HRTPO began allocating these funds in 1992, 35.61% of CMAQ and 28.29% of RSTP funds have been allocated to transit. More about these programs can be learned here.

Traffix

Traffix is a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) service provided by HRT and funded by HRTPO with CMAQ and RSTP funds. The status and progress of Traffix is reviewed regularly by the TRAFFIX Subcommittee (TS).

TIDE Light Rail

HRTPO allocated $86m (through CMAQ and RSTP) to fund construction of the Tide Light Rail in Norfolk.

Transportation Improvement Program

Many regional transit projects are funded through the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), a four-year program for the implementation of surface transportation projects in Hampton Roads.

Source: FY 2015-2018 TIP