The document provides an overview and update of proposed changes to public transportation in Norfolk with the start of light rail. Key points include: light rail is on schedule to begin operations in May 2011; supplemental bus routes will be adjusted to connect to light rail stations; a new downtown transfer station and future multi-modal station are planned; and the existing NET bus route in downtown Norfolk may be modified or replaced to improve connectivity and reduce duplication with light rail. Fare structures and hours of operation for light rail and bus services are also outlined.

1. Transit Services In Norfolk
November 29, 2010

2. Introduction and Purpose
 Norfolk is entering a new era in the provision of public transportation
with the start of light rail. The intent of this presentation is to provide
an overview and update on those proposed changes, and;
 To provide to you some additional detail as it relates to
transportation in the downtown
 We will touch upon:
 An update on light rail
 Supplemental bus initiatives related to light rail
 Downtown transfer station and future multi-modal station
 NET Service of the future

3. Light Rail
 On target to begin revenue operations in May, 2011
 Civil work is complete with punch list items to be finished
 Stations are underway and should be complete in 2-
months, certainly prior to May
 Electrical Systems are being installed to include
upgrades to safety systems; work is on schedule and will
be complete in March, 2011
 Safety enhancements – additional signage, pole
consolidation, rumble strips along tracks and others are
all planned and being implemented to be complete by
May, 2011
 And we remain within the projected budget

4. Light Rail
 MacArthur Square
 Extensive planning has been undertaken as a site and connectivity to
downtown and the future Slover Library & MacArthur Memorial
 Phase 1 work will be complete by May, 2011
 Future phases include a kiosk and obelisk
 Flat Iron Park
 Phase 1 is designed and recently affirmed in a community focus group; it
now goes to design review
 It will be implemented by May, 2011
 Testing and Public Communications
 In the coming months HRT who has lead will be implementing testing
that is more visible to the eye and will implement its public
communications efforts

5. Supplemental Bus System
 Light rail in any City is a part of a larger public transit
system combining rail with the bus system; in Norfolk we
additionally will tie in Para-transit, bicycles, and the ferry;
with future ties to passenger and high speed rail
 Of HRT’s 70 bus routes 25 are operating within Norfolk
with 11 being solely in Norfolk and 14 operating both in
Norfolk and in neighboring cities; 21 of the routes will be
tied to a light rail station
 Routes hours will be adjusted so they relate better to light rail
operation hours

6. Supplemental Bus System
 Connected Stations
 EVMC Routes – 2, 16,23,44, New NET
 Monticello Routes – 1, 3, 11, 20, New NET
 Civic Plaza Routes – 6, 8, 45, 960, 961
 NSU Routes – 9. 13. 18
 Ballentine/Broad Creek Route - 18
 Military Highway Route - 15, 23, 967
 Newtown Road Routes – 20, 25, 27, 28
 Other Stations not connected
 Ingleside
 MacArthur Square
 York Street/Freemason
 Harbor Park (when multi-modal is built it will connect then)

7. Transfer Station
 The system is intended so that one pass allows you to
transfer that day without additional costs
 We intend to move the temporary Cedar Grove station to
Woods Street and then in future iterations a portion of
the bus connections will move to a future multi-modal
station
 Transfer stations are important as this is where many
persons will come into Norfolk from the region and/or
change routes from within the system

8. System Overview
 Tide Service hours will be as follows:
 Monday – Thursday 6 am to 10 pm
 Friday & Saturday 6 am to midnight
 Sunday 6 am to 9 pm
 Supplemental bus service hours will be the same as the Tide
 Weekday
 Peak – 6:30 to 9 and 4 to 6:30 7.5 minutes
 Late evening – 9 pm to 10 pm 30 minutes
 All other times 15 minutes
 Saturday
 9 am to 9 pm 15 minutes
 All other times 30 minutes
 Sunday & Holiday
 7 am to 9 am 30 minutes
 9 am to 9 pm 15 minutes

9. Bus Route Frequencies
Day of Week High Volume Medium Volume Low Volume
Weekday
6 – 9 am, 3 -6 pm
until 7 pm
after 7 pm
15 minutes
30 minutes
60 minutes
N/A
30 minutes
60 minutes
N/A
60 minutes
60 minutes
Saturday
until 7 pm
after 7 pm
30 minutes
60 minutes
30 minutes
60 minutes
60 minutes
60 minutes
Sunday – all day 60 minutes 60 minutes 60 minutes
High volume is on 3 routes; medium volume is 10 routes and low volume is for
5 routes

10. Evaluation Process
 HRT has committed to a every 6 month evaluation
effort once Tide begins operation for 1 initial year
 Criteria will include but is not limited to:
 Ridership
 Passengers per mile, trip and revenue hours
 Boarding by station
 Cost per passenger
 On time performance
 Accidents/incidents
 Complaints
 Cleanliness of stations and vehicles

11. Fare Structure
 HRT has hired a consultant to do a fare study and the
results are due in January to go to the HRT Commission
 Intent is to have one fare for all modes of transportation
 Current fares are as follows:
 One way fare (with transfer) $ 1.50
 Full day pass $ 3.50
 7 Day Pass $17.00
 30 Day Pass $50.00
 Max Bus – one way $ 3.00
 Numerous discounts for seniors, youth and handi-ride service
 Norfolk fares are some of the lowest in the United States for
Cities our size

12. Downtown Service
 The Tide will be on a fixed route thru downtown
 Harbor Park to Civic Plaza to MacArthur Square (E. Main Street
and Plume Street)
 Monticello to Charlotte to Bute to Duke to York
 York Street parallel to Brambleton to EVMC.
 Frequency of trains will be:
 7.5 minutes during weekday peak times
 15 minutes all but evenings and Sunday
 30 minutes late evenings and Sunday & Holiday

13. Downtown Service
 Ferry and passenger rail and high speed rail link at
Harbor Park
 Bicycles are being incorporated in planning
 Bus routes link at Wood Transfer Station
 New routes include a route connecting ODU to the
EVMC station
 Another new route would utilize the NET buses to create
a route from Wood Street down Church Street and 21st
Street and Colley and EVMC station

14. Downtown Service
 The NET was created to be a connector between
parking lots at a time when the lots were surface lots and
the downtown was not as densely developed
 It had a fixed route on Granby Street – 15 minute headways
 It connects to Harbor Park which is duplicative of the Tide and
competition for the Tide
 It also connects to Cedar Grove
 Cedar Grove will be only for cruise parking and special parking
requirement clients who provide their own shuttle service (currently 1
client)
 We propose to work with that client on alternatives
 We will also work with other clients at the opera house and Harbor
Park on their parking alternatives

15. Downtown Service
 Uses
 1,158 uses weekdays 6 am to 6 pm
 Approx. 100 uses per hour most of period except 72 – 90 from 1 pm till 3 pm
 87 uses weekdays after 6 pm
 128 uses on Saturdays and 68 uses on Sundays
 Survey
 80.6% of respondents are officer workers; 6.9% are residents; 9% listed
as others all other categories were 1.5% or less
 67.8% said they parked in City facilities with 50% indicating they were
Bank of America employees; 75.8% said the company pays for parking
 25% said NET needs improvement and 75% were satisfied
 60.2% said they use the NET with 24.*% saying once per week and
32.5% saying 2 to 4 times per week
 47.7% said they use to get to parking; 33.9% use for pleasure and
convenience

16. Church Street & Ghent Service
 The initial service is intended to be from 6 pm to 10 pm
except on Friday and Saturday when it would end at
midnight
 The proposed fare is to be the same as HRT charges for
its other buses, currently $1.50
 Evaluation will occur every 6 months in initial year and
adjustments will be made in hours and frequency

17. Proposed Ghent Net Route

18. Downtown Service
 The Tide will provide a fixed service on Monticello
 It is probably a given that all forms of transportation in
the future will require a user fee
 We are working out a system that would allow for limited
combined fee uses for parking and the Tide
 The NET currently is subsidized by parking and borne by
the parking customers; its continuation has implications
as to impact on future parking rates

19. Downtown Service
 No answer is perfect or can meet everyone’s needs or
perspective
 Attributes for the future include:
 Ample structured affordable parking within downtown
 A downtown that is condense and easily “walk able”
 Transportation connections that are rationale and accessible
 Transportation connections that tie downtown to the adjacent
neighborhoods of Church Street, St. Paul’s Quadrant, and
Ghent
 We have a map handout that depicts bus routes in and
around downtown to assist your full understanding of
services

20. Questions
 In anticipation I asked Cathy Coleman to help with any
questions so we might be responsive in our presented
materials, the following attempts to respond to those
questions

21. Connectivity
 Questions
 Can Granby Street remain a part of the route?
 How to connect to Dominion Tower and Sheraton?
 Frequency of service?
 Can we improve the reliability of the NET?
 Answers
 With fixed transit planned for Monticello we do not support
duplicative routes on Granby
 The civic center station would be the closest LRT stop and on
Waterside Drive there is a bus stop for routes 6, 8, 45, 960 and
961
 The Tide will have much lower headways and will be more
reliable than a vehicle moving thru traffic

22. Connectivity
 Questions
 What feeder buses link to EVMC station, Wood Street and
Church Street?
 Can we have a map of the routes, showing LRT, NET as
proposed and feeder bus routes
 Answers
 We have a hand out for all the planned HRT routes

23. Other
 Questions
 Is there a “free fare zone” planned for downtown?
 Is it proposed that the Net and LRT share the same hours? If so how
are connections made?
 How will outlying parking lots make the transition to the downtown area?
 Answers
 Transportation requires subsidy and user fees; we do not anticipate a
“free fare zone”
 We are working on a plan for combined fees for parking and the Tide
 All of the system is planned to operate with similar hours and
connectibility
 We have 3 outlying lots: Cedar Grove with 1 client; Harrison Opera
House and Harbor Park; we intend to work with each on an outcome that
works for each of us