What time should the last bus trips from TCC be? (new poll)

New Poll up (finally). What time do you think the last trips from TCC should be at night? Please understand that I do not include Route 26 (since there's no demand) or Route 12 (since Chesapeake won't play along).

In my Service Booster plan I'm working on, it's 10:45 PM. If there was one more trip added to the 20, I'd have an 11:45 PM last departure for the 33.

My Service Booster plan includes daily service on Routes 25, 29, 33, and 36.

It's Official: The VBTA Doesn't Give a Rat's ***

I knew it for a while, but now it's in the open for everyone to see. The VBTA doesn't give a rat's *** about anyone without a car (be it they choose not to (my case) or they're unable to).

See for yourself (it's in the Comments section) - it's right from the so-called transportation chairman of the VBTA, Reid Greenmun

UPDATE: Thanks Peter Stinson for covering this as well. See Tidewater Musings blog entry.

The Sheetshaker Express: Farewell

I got to ride the Sheetshaker Express in reverse (afternoon to the Oceanfront) on one its last weeks of operation. So long, nice knowing you.

10-11 impacts Route 33

A nasty 10-11 (accident w/ injuries) impacted service today on Route 33 causing both buses to be 30-45 minutes behind schedule. Court House service was suspended due to Princess Anne Rd being blocked off by police - all traffic was detoured to Holland.

City of Norfolk Apology: Cedar Grove

(click image for larger version)

A while back, I blogged about there being an apology from the City of Norfolk concerning the relocation of bus service from Charlotte Street to Cedar Grove. Here is that letter.

Kirn/MacArthur Tide Station

Guess I haven't noticed my own poll. A slim majority says build some kind of public plaza.

Ride the bus Downtown, Get Cool Stuff! (of course there's a catch)

To celebrate The Tide, Festevents and HRT have teamed up to award Bike, Bus and Boat Bucks to attendees who come by bike & boat. For more information, visit the Festevents website.

The only strange thing is that I don't see any mention about riding the bus Downtown. I guess I'll see what happens if I show up with my bike and a Transfer (yes, meaning I would have to pay cash fare). Where's the "bus bucks" part of it?

Overall, not a bad idea. Too bad buses only run at night in Norfolk, in Portsmouth on Route 45 only, and in Virginia Beach along Route 20 only.

VB Wave Drivers, Honor my 30-Day Pass

(click for larger version)

According to data I've received from Hampton Roads Transit, VB Wave shuttles honor all regular bus passes, including the Seniors & Persons with Disabilities passes. This is ditto for the Ferry.

Any time a driver refuses to honor my pass, I will instruct them to contact (Trolley/18th St) Dispatch. I will have the Fare Study Structure - Validity Table ready to be presented (assuming my laptop is with me).

Any time a driver flips out, I will immediately contact the Dispatcher and inform them of the situation. I don't want to do this, but if I have to.

Go Figure

I'm not surprised that several posters are attacking HRT and Virginia Beach over the new Gillig Lowfloor Hybrids that are replacing the antique trolleys. The only bus riders who are complaining are the riders who, like myself, are stranded after 7 PM and on Sundays (and we're wanting evening / Sunday service).

I think it's time to clean The House of No before the damage gets worse. Yes folks, (even you VBTA) it does cost money to do things.

As far as transit in Virginia Beach into the evening and Sundays, we're working on that. HRT President & CEO Michael Townes charged Henry Ryto and myself to lobby for mass transit dollars for Virginia Beach.

In the long range, I support these projects:
TRANSIT:

• Expanded bus AND light rail service
• A better organized fare structure for HRT (in the works according to HRT)
  
• Transit to ORF (there's a plan in the works for the next General Assembly session)
• Commuter Rail to Richmond (bi directional, see Trinity Railway Express, which is all day bi-directional commuter rail between Dallas and Ft. Worth, for ideas)
  

ROADS:

• Tolling (I used to drive from Ocean View Station to Busch Gardens and I would've been more than happy to pay a toll to cross - this is also the reason I gladly paid $0.75 to use the Jordan since there wasn't much of a line even at rush hour)
• Expanded HRBT (4 lanes per direction at minimum in the long run from U.S. 460/Wards Corner to U.S. 258)
• The "4th" crossing, if there's demand for it
• U.S. 460 between Suffolk & Petersburg
• I-64 3 lanes from Newport News to Richmond
  

VB Wave Grand Opening

Well, they're here!!! Trolleys are (almost) History!!!!Mayor Meyera Oberndorf & VB City Councilman cut the ribbon

Route 30 Atlantic Ave

Podium

The new VB Wave logo, a surfer

About The Green Carpet

Since these are environmentally friendly buses, this is made-from-recycled carpet that is highly recyclable. Yes, green for environmentaly friendly.

Cussed out on Route 32

The 3 PM 33 broke down so I started making my way to 19th & Pacific to catch a 20. I noticed a 32 preparing to make a left onto US-58/Laskin so I made a mad dash to catch it.

I inserted my 30-Day Pass into the farebox and when the box complained ("reject"), the driver asked to see it. "We don't take those passes."

"This is an HRT bus and an HRT pass. Is there a problem?" I asked politely

"We don't take those God-damn passes!"

Be lucky I didn't 10-5 Trolley Base on the spot. Next time this occurs, I WILL 10-5 Trolley Base IMMEDIATELY and I will REFUSE to deboard the bus.

Poll Closed

My MacArthur/Kirn Tide Station poll closed. By a slim majority, yes, let's make a little public plaza around it.

Southside Dispatcher

Yes, I have dispatcher phone numbers for 18th Street, Trolley Base, and Hampton.

18th Street: You specifically tell drivers NOT to give your phone number to passengers (Michelle, I remember you specifically giving a radio transmission). Maybe you should tell HRT to not give out your phone number as well. The Southside Dispatcher phone number is located directly on the HRT website, under Traffix.

Hampton Cheesewagon Service: What should happen

What Hampton needs to do to its Cheesewagons: Orlando Speedway Figure-8 Cheesewagon Derby

Fareset 4: Lack of Service

As pointed out by Avenging Archangel, yes, I do live in a section of Virginia Beach where, as I write, it's impossible for me to get around. Some pointers:

• $750,000 out of a $1.8 BILLION budget is all that's needed to get around evenings and Sundays
• As it stands now, service is roughly 6:45 AM to 5:45 PM (or 6:45 PM, depending on the route) over here by TCC
• TCC Night Students have no way home
• TCC, for the longest time, has requested evening bus service. I assume it falls on deaf ears
• 10:45 PM is a reasonable last trip for all routes out of TCC 7 nights a week
• Yes Chesapeake, this includes the 12 heading to 20th & Seaboard
• Reid: as you can see, it does NOT cost Billions to fund. HRT's entire yearly budget for the whole region is just under $50 million per year.

Improvements to Beach routes that should help:

• Relative to Cedar Grove, Route 20 should be every 15 minutes all day weekdays 4:45 AM to 7:45 PM, every 30 minutes 7:45 PM to 9:15 PM, and every hour until 12:15 AM (yes, one more trip at night). Weekends, service should be every 30 minutes 4:45 AM to 8:15 PM then every hour until 12:15 AM. HRT has a plan for 15 minute service under the 2030 plan.
• Route 12 should get its old 2001 schedule back, but + Sundays. It used to be the last one left 20th & Seaboard at 9:45 PM, got to TCC at 10:45 PM, and finished at 20th & Seaboard at 11:45 PM. Yes Chesapeake, you need to start caring.
  
• Route 36 should run from Pleasure House to TCC every 30 minutes 5:45 AM to 7:45 PM, then every hour with the last trip on either end at 10:45 PM. Sundays same timeframe, but every hour (seen in the 2030 plan)
  
• Route 29: similar schedule to Route 36
• Route 33: Run until 12:45 AM (last trip either end 11:45 PM)
• Route 26: Today, all this route does is put the 29 back on schedule
• Route 32: ACCEPT OUR 30-DAY PASSES, and run every 30 minutes in the afternoon
  

Hampton's Strange Priorities

Above: Men's Bathroom stall with missing privacy door at Hampton Transit Center
Below: Hampton Cheesewagon, with a new paint job, being pressed into Route 110 service

I just got an email from Michael Townes, President & CEO of Hampton Roads Transit, replying to an email I sent about the oh-so-wonderful men's restroom at the Hampton Transit Center. City of Hampton, the ball is in your court. What are your transit funding priorities? My impression is that your funding priorities are Grey Area Cheesewagons.

This Gillig Phantom Cheesewagon is more important than a privacy door in the Men's room? As you can see, HRT is so willing to hang on to ancient museum artifacts that they can give them new paint jobs. Apparently, it's more important than a simple, cheap privacy door on a Men's Room stall.

The Sheetshaker Express

So I'm told that the nickname for Route 24 is the Sheetshaker Express.

Morning: all Hotel workers to the Oceanfront
Afternoon: all Hotel workers Home

So long Sheetshaker. Less than a month to go before you're reborn as the 960 MAX.

The MAX is Coming

There's now a page on the HRT site that is ready to accept details on The MAX! There's a map as well.

Best part? Today, HRT bought 15 new buses from Gillig. Half will go to The MAX (service expansion possibly?)

HRT System Map

It's here!! HRT has a work-in-progress System Map for both the Northside and Southside.

However, I consider both maps to be a work-in-progress (nearing completion). For example:
• Route 33 is a “Local”, not “Tour”
• There’s no Downtown Hampton insert map
• Route 25 is missing from the list of buses at TCC
• Route 121 (on the Newport News insert map) is shown heading towards the Monitor-Merrimack to Suffolk
• Route 61 is on the map (I assume it will be deleted when an update is posted)
• Service to Downtown Norfolk other than Routes 6, 8, 17, 45, 61, and 310 are shown (yes, I see the disclaimer)

There may be others; these are the ones I spotted on the first look.

NEW UCAC Chairman

Congratulations to Henry Ryto of Avenging Archangel who is our NEW HRT User Citizens Advisory Committee Chair.

Operator 9517

This message is to Southside Operator 9517:

Thanks for holding for me at the railroad tracks. I am the passenger who transferred off of the 36 on your 11:03 AM departure from Pembroke.

Signs of PENTRAN

This is the bus stop at HRT Headquarters, 3400 Victoria Blvd, Hampton.

Note the PENTRAN sign. The schedule is still pretty much accurate

PENTRAN logo up close

The Virginia Beach delegation to the User Citizen's Advisory Committee had a bus blow by us: Route 526. We were both standing in plain view of the bus.

Wonderful retaining wall. Both sides of the shelter feature a knocked over retaining wall.

Hampton Cheesewagon in New Paint Job

Would you believe this 500 with a new pain job is also a glorified Cheesewagon? It's also running as Route 110 (HTC/NET Center/TNCC)

HRT's Worst Embarrassment

These beauties are taken in the the men's bathroom at the Hampton Transit Center. Please, allow me to take you on a little tour. Like every blog entry, click on a picture for the larger version.

Note the missing partition between toilets

Handicap stall. Note missing privacy door

The other stall. Again, note missing privacy door.

Last, but not least, your hand washing station

HRT: Do SOMETHING. Even cheap basic stuff like privacy doors for the stalls. The sad truth is that the Newport News Transit Center is no better. They are both equally as bad.

Rustbucket on Route 12

This morning on Route 12 at TCC, 10:45 AM

Route 29 is $1.00

Saw this the other day on Route 29. I guess all trolleys are $1.00 now? Has to be a glitch.

We Go There Too (working title)

Considering it's a pain in the we-know-where to haul around schedules, I had an idea come to mind. I'm working on a book I'm calling (for now) We Go There Too. In it, I'm including all HRT routes and schedules for both sides of the water as well as need to know information.

Why? It's more of a curiosity thing and, even though I know all Southside bus schedules by heart, I think it's time HRT made a schedule book. For an example of what I'm working on, here's a PDF version of Sound Transit's Get Ready to Ride Transit Guide.

Political School

So I just had a major political lesson yesterday at the City Council Retreat.

• Apparently, Council Objective #1 is "Be friendly to bloggers" ;)
• VB Cares about a bus system. Since Council wants light rail so badly, here's the scoop: Before the Feds will even TALK about light rail, year-round bus service has to be increased by 20%. (at last: it sucks having to be home by dinner time; maybe I want to work a closing shift). Slowly but surely, it'll come.

My offer to ALL HRT Staff and VB City Council Members: Let's go for a bus ride. I'd like to take you on a tour of Fareset 4 (what HRT refers to internally as Virginia Beach; it's a Farebox thing). Important parts to head to (in no order):

• Route 12: The 4:45 PM bus leaving 20th & Seaboard (good luck between I-64 and Kemps River)
• Route 29: almost any trip (U.S. 58 and First Colonial anyone?)
• Routes 1/36: Heading outbound trying to get me home to TCC when I take the long way from Cedar Grove (this is when I'm lazy and don't want to transfer buses)
• Route 20: Pembroke & Hilltop
• Route 33: U.S. 60 between 17th St and 40th St (during Summer only)
• Routes 30/31/32: Take note that with my existing 30-Day Pass, I am unable to ride (solution: this is how it's done out west)
• Route 27: Usually late every trip on Saturday. Biggest problem? Making that left from U.S. 58 onto Newtown
  

City Council Will Ride

I have an offer from VB City Councilmember Bob Dyer (Centerville District) to go for a little bus ride as early as next week.

Time to show what some of Virginia Beach's REAL parking lots (Indian River Rd, Princess Anne @ Kempsville/Witchduck, U.S. 58 @ Independence, U.S. 58 @ First Colonial to name a few) look like and note how empty the buses are for some and standing room only for others.

ACS Funnies

(as always, click the image for full size)

Caught the 4:10 #36 out of Pembroke today. Check out the strange ACS/Navigator passenger display. It's supposed to alternate between "STOP REQUESTED", the date, and time.

In addition, it's SUPPOSED TO, but HRT is dragging its heels on this, announce cross streets, major landmarks, time points, and transfer points.

The MacArthur Tide Station

Today in the Pilot we have a proposal to really enhance the MacArthur Tide Station. All I can say is wow. This is simply a wonderful idea to tie the facility into the look of MacArthur Center and MacArthur Memorial.

Of course, the SUV drivers who will never use transit all wine about it. They complain about the cost of gas, yet they don't want to try out an idea that really saves money. I'm not surprised.

General Booth / Nimno Parkway

VB: is there a reason there's a missing part of sidewalk on Nimmo between General Booth and Newstead?

VB Wave Shuttle Service

Click the images for larger versions. This is the VB Wave Shuttle Brochure HRT will be putting out for the VB Wave Shuttle. Note that the 31 and 32 are now called "Shuttles" instead of "Express" which makes much more sense. This weekend, I will be getting further information on the new Fare Structure which will allow complete portability between all the different bus services.

For example, inserting a VB Wave pass into a regular bus fare box and you'll be prompted for $0.50. Inserting a regular 30-Day card into a MAX bus will prompt you for $1.50. Inserting that same card will soon work on the VB Wave.

Look for a rollout of the new Hybrids Wednesday May 21st at 2 PM at 31st Street. I will be there.



Some notes reading this map (could someone hopefully give me correct information please)

• Apparently, the 32 does NOT go into Lynnhaven Mall any more
  
• Apparently, the 32 does NOT go into the Hilltop Shopping Centers any more
• Apparently, the 31 does NOT go into Ocean Breeze any more
• Apparently, the 31 does NOT go into either VA Aquarium building parking lots any more

Run 2661

Trolley Base (Specifically Frank): why did you give 2661 permission to stand by at TCC knowing full well there could be passengers waiting for it on Rosemont. I understand she was 20 minutes late but you don't do that when buses are every hour.

While I'm no the subject, Linda: do not lollygag. You wanted the hours and now that they've been given to you, don't call Frank and ask someone to cover your last two hours.

Trolley 667

This hunk of junk has no air and may need a 10-14 (which, by the way, are all housed in Norfolk) to haul it back to the base

1403 Update

Yesterday on the 4:53 trip from TCC, bus 1403 made it to the Holiday Inn then a fuel line burst. Now I think this bus will finally be sidelined. I've blogged about this bus several times.

Route 33

Every day 6 days a week, the 9:45 AM trip from TCC is always late coming from the garage. HRT: explain yourself

I understand once or twice, but this is every day on this specific trip

I can't wait until Trolley Base takes over June 27tth

More fun with 1403

There is NO excuse for having this dangerous piece of scrapheap rolling. Problems:

• Back door can fly open at any time, even while traveling down Princess Anne Road at 50 mph, which will engage the emergency brake
• No radio
• NO A/C units in the Thermoking (to be honest: HRT usually starts installing A/C units in May on a rolling basis)
  

Sideline this bus immediately and PROPERLY fix it.

The Local Pass

$1.00 All Day Trolley Pass (valid on Routes 30, 31, and 32 only)

I just got off the phone with HRT and inquired about the Locals' $1.00 day pass for the WAVE. "An announcement will be made later this month," was the reply.

I say, continue to sell them. Even better, let us use our 30-Day passes on the WAVE.

Route 25 Holiday Inn <--> Oceanfront Express

The other day, as I was preparing to board the outbound 25 at the Holiday Inn to head to school, someone asked if the bus was a hotel shuttle to the Oceanfront. I replied, "Take this bus to TCC and transfer to the 33."
"No, I want to head to the Oceanfront."
"Take this bus to TCC and transfer to the 33," I repeated.
"Is this a hotel shuttle?"
"No it's not," I answered.
"How much is it?"
"$1.50 each way," I finished as the Outbound 25 pulled up.

1403 AGAIN

This isn't my first post about 1403. Same problems as before, it hasn't been fixed all. VB Base, sideline this bus - it is dangerous. It's biggest thing: the back door can fly open at any moment engaging the emergency brake even while traveling down PA Road at 50 mph


This bus needs to be taken out of service immediately.