The MSM has previously reported on the proposed move of Hampton Roads Transit's (HRT) Cedar Grove Transfer Center to Wood Street. The Norfolk City Council is scheduled to vote on that and other light rail-related matters on December 7.
What you haven't read are details from the proposals. HRT's Transit Riders Advisory Committee (TRAC) was briefed Wednesday evening on them:
1. The Tide is scheduled to go into revenue service on May 1, 2011.
2. The Cedar Grove Transfer Center would be moved to Wood Street two weeks prior, on April 17.
3. The bus lineup would be on the north side of Wood. 13 shelters would be there, 3 more than at Cedar Grove. Traffic on Wood would be one way westbound, though emergency vehicles exiting the adjacent fire station could run against traffic. A fence would be erected on the south side of Wood Street. Posey Lane would no longer exit into Wood.
4. There would be toilets there for bus Operators, but none now are planned for passengers.
TRAC members immediately lobbied for them. HRT Staff retorted none were at the former transfer center on Charlotte Street. (Psst...we slipped into MacArthur Center from there.)
5. Routes 6, 8, and 45 would provide service from Wood Street into southern downtown. They'd leave south on St. Paul's, turn right on Waterside, right on Boush, then right on City Hall, heading out of downtown from there.
6. Route 23 would travel Princess Anne Road along the northern periphery of downtown, as it did in pre-Cedar Grove days.
7. The single new bus route will be Route 16, from ODU to Fort Norfolk via Colley Avenue.
8. The additional cost to the City of Norfolk in FY 2012 would be $5.9 million, $3.1 million for light rail and $2.8 million for additional bus service. (Also, additional Federal and state funds would be involved.)
It's not a zero sum game, as $1.2 million would be saved by eliminating the NET ($700k) and Route 310 ($500k).
9. Some buses leaving Wood Street would serve the Monticello Station, including Routes 1 and 3. They'd head west on Charlotte Street, then turn north up Monticello.
10. There's a proposal for a Ghent NET on the table. It would run evenings from 6-10 P.M., 6-Midnight Friday and Saturday. There are four evening (Thursday - Sunday) and nightly options being considered.
11. The Tide would begin service daily at 6 A.M. It would run until 10 P.M. Monday - Thursday, Midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 9 P.M. on Sunday.
8 comments:
That sounds reasonable until Harbor Park comes online
What about other bus links (such as Military Hwy and Newtown Rd)?
Is Va Beach going to (finally) give us real service hours on the 25 and 27 at least?
Question on Tide "closing time".
Is the 10 pm, midnight, and 9 pm times when it shuts down or when the last train leaves either end (I'm hoping for the latter)
My dream: buses at Newtown timed to meet the last train coming from Downtown
Also, what are the plans for expected crowds (for example, a baseball game at Harbor Park or Hockey at the Scope)?
Amanda,
My thoughts exactly. The MSM reports raised at least as many questions in my mind as they answered. I'm satisfied with the plan if we can get the City of Norfolk to provide toilets, at least portos. (Putting them on the closed stub of Posey would probably help environmental concerns.)
That's why I blogged it even though approvals are still pending: I wanted my fellow bus riders to know we have nothing to worry about - except maybe a need to go 10-39.
Anon,
The bus schedules will be tweaked for the buses to meet the trains.
The 15 and 23 will serve the Military Highway station, while the 20, 25, and 27 will go to Newtown Road. The 20's Leigh deviation will become full time to meet the trains, while the 27 will go straight down Newtown to the station instead of to Military Circle. The 25 will get weeknight service, and the 27 nights and Sunday. (Virginia Beach Slowly Exits The Stone Age, 5/25/10)
Ceratinly the ability would be there to put on additional capacity for special events. (Baltimore does it for the Ravens and Orioles.)
What about weekends on the 25?
No weekend 25, at least at first.
9. I can see the 1, 2, 3, 11, and 20 doing that (where would the Charlotte St bus stop be? I'm assuming at the corner by Scope)
Am I correct on routes?
Anon 11:43,
The map in the PowerPoint was unclear from a distance; we were suppose to be e-mailed copies of it later. (Still haven't received mine.) However, it had 4-5 lines going that direction. (Each route was represented by a different color line.) The 1 and 3 came up because a specific question was asked about them.
If the 2 and 11 exited downtown like they did pre-Cedar Grove (i.e. via Onley), that would take them right past there.
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