Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) has proposed dropping MAX Route 960 to Route 962-level service September-April. You'll have two chances to sound off on this change.
1. There will be a Community Meeting on Tuesday, May 19 at 6 P.M. at HRT's Norfolk office on Monticello Avenue.
2. The TDCHR Public Hearing will be Thursday, May 28 at 1:30 P.M. in the same location.
In addition, comments for the Public Hearing may be e-mailed to HRT up to 5 P.M. on Friday, May 22.
IMO, the fundamental problem with the 960 is that the route's misdrawn. Virtually everyone who spoke up at the outset of MAX service said the 960 needed to go to Virginia Beach's Town Center. In addition, the first draft of the route had a stop at Virginia Beach's convention center. Add those stops and see if we can't get the 960's ridership to improve.
MAX service is being paid for by a three year CMAQ grant. As the initial grant had the 960 at more frequent service (3 times per hour peak, 2 times per hour off-peak), HRT should still have the money to fix this and get it right.
Given that the then-Strategic Planning Manager who screwed up the 960 is no longer at HRT, there's no need for the agency to run from the mistake. Admit it as the guy to blame is gone.
Slice some off a turd and what you have left is still a turd. Taking frequencies off the 960 doesn't fix the route; only correcting the original misdrawing does.
2 comments:
See, no one wants to ride. We love our cars!
Irrelveant. The problem is the misdrawn route.
However, since you've opened that door, I'll enter. Your auto-centric mentality is what's got Virginia into it's Transportation mess. Two huge obstacles:
1. Funding - new roads construction money in Virginia has virtually dried up. Trying to asphalt our way out isn't a serious option.
2. Environment - not only is Hampton Roads becoming an air quality non-attainment zone, but the Federal government is implementing emmissions caps. A bunch of additional cars isn't an option.
Transportation in the 21st Century is going to mean a much greater reliance on mass transit and rail.
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