Virginia Transit Association

In the News

What's New in Transit

Awards

Governor Kaine receives Virginia Transit Association’s Exemplary Public Service Award Click here for press release (100k PDF)

Dana Kauffman receives 2007 Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Local Official Click here for press release (256k PDF)

Hampton Roads Transit President Selected for National Transit Post: October 8, 2007
Michael S. Townes, President/ CEO of Hampton Roads Transit, was installed as Chairman of APTA.
http://www.gohrt.com/aboutus/pressroom/10082007.html

Hampton Roads Transit Wins Award from National Transportation Association: October 9, 2007
HRT won first place in the “Internet Homepage” category of the 28th Annual Adwheel Awards. You can visit the award-winning website by going to www.goHRT.com.
http://www.gohrt.com/aboutus/pressroom/10092007.html

NTI Presents 13th Annual Transit Training Awards: October 9, 2007
The National Transit Institute awarded C-VAN the 2007 Model Program Award. C-VAN is a division of GRTC transit system in Richmond, which provides transportation assistance to the welfare-to-work program.

New/Extended Systems

Kaine Lauded for Expanding Public Transit - Officials Announce Plans for "Portsmouth Loop" - July 7th, 2007
Governor Tim Kaine, along with other dignitaries from Virginia attended an event in Portsmouth on July 6, 2007 to help announce plans for the "Portsmouth Loop," a new shuttle service in Downtown Portsmouth, scheduled to begin service in January 2008.

HRT and the City of Norfolk Break Ground on The Tide
On December 9, 2007 Hampton Roads Transit and the City of Norfolk made history in the state of Virginia. The ground breaking ceremony celebrated the beginning of construction on the new light rail system, which is the first of its kind in the state of Virginia. HRT officials were joined by Governor Tim Kaine, Congressional representatives, local officials, and many more.
http://www.gohrt.com/aboutus/pressroom/12112007.html

HRT Unveils New Regional Express Service
Hampton Roads Transit plans to launch its new regional express bus service in the spring on 2008. It now has a name and logo and both were selected by the public. The name is the Max or Metro Area Express and the new logo will appear on the side of each bus. The new service will have 29 40-foot buses. The service was designed for commuters who travel long distances or are going between major areas of activity. The routes have not been finalized but are expected to reach each city of Hampton Roads including Downtown Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The MAX will have Park-and-Ride facilities and stop at major transfer points to further connect transportation service. The hours of operation are expected to be 5 am to 9 pm Monday – Friday.
http://www.gohrt.com/aboutus/pressroom/11302007.html

Williamsburg, VA System Adds Service to Surry County
Williamsburg Area Transport began service from Surry County back in October. In order to encourage the public to familiarize themselves with the weekday service, WAT is offering free fares on the line through December 31st. The new service will ease travel by decreasing traffic on state highways between localities, reduce space needs on the Scotland Ferry, conserve fossil fuels, and protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gases.

Ride the Tide
The Tide is Norfolk’s (soon-to-be) Light Rail Transit System. Construction on the 7.4 mile long line will begin in November. The line will run from the Eastern Virginia Medical Center through downtown to Newtown Road. There will be 11 stations with three park and ride locations. It is expected to be fully operational by 2010. HRT anticipates 7,130 to 11,400 riders a day.
http://www.ridethetide.com/

Peninsula Rapid Transit Project
The Peninsula Rapid Transit Project (PRTP) is a proposal to provide rapid transit service to the Peninsula region of Hampton Roads and connect major activity centers and points of interest. Major activity centers served by the proposed corridor, either directly or by direct feeder bus service, include Ft. Eustis, Patrick Henry Mall, Oyster Point, Hampton Coliseum and Convention Center, Newport News Shipyard, and downtown Newport News.
http://www.gohrt.com/prt/index.asp

Hampton Roads Transit Proposes Universal Shuttle- Virginia Beach Approves Plan: July 17, 2007
Virginia Beach approved a plan to replace its existing fleet of trolleys at the Oceanfront with a fleet of hybrid diesel-electric buses. The new buses are 29 feet long and wheelchair accessible.
http://www.gohrt.com/aboutus/pressroom/07172007.html

New Service Center

Transit Center Opens in Downtown Charlottesville: March 26, 2007
The new Downtown Transit Station is located at 615 East Water Street across the Pedestrian Mall from City Hall. The hours are 8 am to 8 pm Monday through Saturday.
http://www.charlottesville.org/?page=635&recordid=415&returnURL=%2FIndex.aspx

New Main Bus Facility in Richmond
GRTC transit system acquired land to build a new facility in February, 2006. They plan to finish construction in 2010. The new location is only 5 miles from downtown Richmond and is located at 301 E. Belt Boulevard.
http://ridegrtc.com/documents/New%20Property%20Overview.pdf

New/Extended Service Routes

New Charlottesville Transit Service Begins August 25th
CTS will now have Sunday bus service. Also, CTS has improved service on some of its Routes. Go to http://www.charlottesville.org/Index.aspx?page=662 to check out the new schedules and extended routes!
http://www.charlottesville.org/index.aspx?recordid=533&page=635

New Services for Danville
The Reserve-A-Ride service hours for locations along Highway 58 East have been extended. They are now: 6 am to 8am and 3 pm to 5 pm Monday thru Saturday.

As of April 2nd, passengers can board the #2 Third Avenue bus at Janie’s Hope Apartments but must call 799-5144 in advance to request the driver to come to the apartment complex. When passengers are returning, they should inform the driver to serve this area.
http://www.danville-va.gov/departments.asp?menuid=2820&sub1menuid=2839&sub2menuid=2963&sub3menuid=3051

Williamsburg Area Transport Brings Bus Transportation to Surry: October 15, 2007
The service will allow Surry residents to commute to the Williamsburg area for employment, shopping, medical needs, and more.
http://www.jccegov.com/news/news_details-a.php?RECORD_KEY%28news_results%29=news_id&news_id(news_results)=506

Miscellaneous

Hampton Roads Transit Launches Google Transit: October 6, 2007
Riders can enter their origin and destination online and receive a detailed itinerary using public transportation. Google transit also provides the length of time it takes riders to walk to bus stops, the cost of the trip, and how much they saved using transit vs. driving.
http://www.gohrt.com/aboutus/pressroom/10052007.html

Charlottesville Transit System will be offering free rides to all customers for the entire month of October.
http://www.charlottesville.org/index.aspx?recordid=561&page=635