It's Official

I just got back from the Harbor Park Tide Station. It's now official, The Tide is now officially under construction with a scheduled opening of 2010 and I can't wait :)

The Tide Groundbreaking

Need transportation to Harbor Park? Route 17 (The NET) will run to Harbor Park from 10 AM to 4 PM. Basically, "Saturday Game Day" route.

Email I received:

Hi Michael,

Just wanted to let you know that the Route #17 (The NET) will be running to Harbor Park on Saturday for the Groundbreaking event from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. We will run the Saturday route as we always do, but will deviate to Harbor Park for this event.

Thanks!

Marie Arnt

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From: Michael Ragsdale
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 12:23 PM
To: Marie Arnt
Subject: Transportation to the Groundbreaking

Is the #17 (NET Bus) going to run its Saturday (Game Day) route to provide bus service to/from Harbor Park on Saturday, December 8^th for the Tide Groundbreaking? I would like to be able to attend but walking from St. Paul’s Blvd is too far. Also, when the event ends at 3, I will be having to break my neck trying to catch the #6 or #13 leaving Charlotte at 3:15 or 3:20 respectively. This is why I hope the NET bus will run to Harbor Park. It normally only goes to Harbor Park on weekends when there’s a Tides game going on.

Michael Ragsdale

Route 15

This message is to the Street Supervisor who gave Route 15 (the 2:15 PM bus at the Naval Exchange on December 1st) Greenbrier Mall permission to dead-head to Military Circle:


You do realize that on Saturdays that Route 15 runs every TWO HOURS. You left passengers at Wards Corner and Evelyn Butts & J as well as all intermediate stops having to wait for 90 MINUTES. You have NO AUTHORITY to have these people be that late to work. I understand that the previous driver reported a 10-34, but that is no excuse to dead-head when the bus is every 2 hours, but what really needed to be done was to 10-33 even though the bus was 10-30 by 30 minutes

While I'm thinking about it, the new MAX better have bike racks.

Yes, I am VERY 10-13 right now.

You're Invited

The Tide Groundbreaking Ceremony is Saturday, December 8th 1-3 PM at Harbor Park and HRT is inviting everyone. For more information, see the HRT Rider Alert.

4702

Miss D, I will be seeing you Friday if I can get up early enough

Black Friday

I'm going to be on a BRIGHT and EARLY bus. Either thew 5:45 or 6:45 bus. My only complaint is that it's a SATURDAY schedule. Now how are people on Routes 25 & 85 supposed to get to the sales?

A List of Gripes

Virginia Beach Dispatch/Virginia Beach Base
===============================

• 2502 (Jerry): WHY THE HELL DID HRT ASK HIM TO COME IN ON HIS VACATION!?
  
• 2581 (Mona): She is on time at TCC, yet no one will wait (Especially 2982)
  
• 2941 (Moyera): On the Inbound 26 trip (Heading to Lillian Vernon), she doesn't serve Lynnhaven Mall
  
• 2982 (George): He'll always leave before he is scheduled and gets furious when he is held up for any reason
  

Norfolk Dispatch/Norfolk Base
======================

• As always, Why is there no service to the Airport? *
• Why is Baker (Rt. 33 due @ TCC @ 9:45 AM) always given his bus late?
  

System Wide
=========

• Why can't I get around on evenings/Sundays? *

* These questions are to be answered by the respective City Councils. "I need a car" is NOT a valid answer.

Virginia Beach Dispatch

So, "Trolley Base" is now Virginia Beach Dispatch...interesting information. With the mindset of people now a days, for HR anyways, I'm surprised to hear that changes are coming to HRT. Some of them make sense (like having drivers learn all routes), some don't (like no more transfers).


==============================
2982, give this 25 as much time as possible

The Grand Illumination

Going to Downtown? BE SURE TO CATCH AN EARLY BUS. Trying to leave Downtown? Catch your bus at the Radisson. NO TRIPS TO CHARLOTTE OR THE DOWNTOWN LOOP.

This is from 18th Street (HRT Southside Dispatcher). I just got off the phone with Customer Service (and they consulted with the Dispatcher).

======UPDATE======
This is the route of buses in the Downtown Area:

1. LEFT onto Brambleton Ave
2. RIGHT onto St. Paul's Blvd
3. DOES NOT SERVE STOP ON CHARLOTTE STREET
4. RIGHT onto City Hall Ave
5. RIGHT onto Monticello Ave
6. SERVE STOP @ MacArthur Center (by Dillards)
7. SERVE STOP @ Monticello & Charlotte (on Monticello Ave)
   
8. LAYOVER STOP @ Radisson Hotel (bus will wait until it's time to leave Downtown here)
   

These directions are good for Routes 1, 2, 3, and 20. I'm not sure about Routes 6, 9, 13, or 45. As always (for a Saturday evening), Waterside & Commercial WILL NOT BE SERVED.

Night Service on Granby St - NOT!

Looking at the newly printed as well as online schedule for Route 1 Granby St, it shows service to Pleasure House until 1:33 AM (but no return service after 6:45 PM). Go figure, it's a glitch.

Sunday Bus Service

Seems that for the longest time VA Beach, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake believes no one has to go out after 6 PM or at all on Sundays. I say enough is enough! It's time to run these buses on evenings and Sundays! Also, let's run them more often then every hour. Heck, the small community of Spanaway, Washington has a bus every 15 minutes Weekdays/every 30 minutes Weekends & Holidays!

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Now playing: Pure Prairie League - Amie
via FoxyTunes

Feeding The Tide, Revision 2 - Updated

HRT did see my information. Let's see how it gets incorporated when The Tide opens :)

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Now playing: Vigilante - Beneath the Surface
via FoxyTunes

Feeding The Tide, Revision 2

I've updated my Feeding The Tide map. This is what I think HRT routes should do when The Tide opens up. Routes are based off of the existing service. I sent a copy of this to HRT. Now to wait to see what they think.

· Route 15 CROSSTOWN

o Serves Military Hwy station

o NEW Two-way service on Poplar Hall Dr including the DMV

o On trips that today turn around at Military Circle, these trips will turn around at the Tide station

o Trips that continue to Robert Hall or Greenbrier use Corporate Blvd (formerly served by Route 23)

· Route 20 VA BEACH BLVD

o Extended to the Military Hwy Tide Station using a route similar to Route 15

o No longer serves Sentara Leigh (use Route 23)

o No longer serves Newtown Rd (use Route 27 or 28)

o Provides two-way service on Poplar Hall Dr including the DMV

o Cutback trips that today start or end at Military Circle now use the Tide Station

· Route 23 PRIN ANNE RD

o No longer serves JANAF (use Route 15) or Best Square (use Route 15 or 20)

o Serves Sentara Leigh Hospital

o Serves the Newtown Tide Station

· Route 24 OCEANFRONT EXPRESS (relabeled)

o Starts at the Newtown Tide Station

o During peak use, runs often (every 15 minutes?)

o Eliminated when The Tide is extended to the Oceanfront

· Route 25 NEWTOWN RD

o Starts at the Newtown Tide Station

o Provides service to TCC-VA BEACH along Princess Anne Rd using its existing route

o Runs on evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays as well

· Route 27 NORTHAMPTON BLVD

o Starts at the Newtown Tide Station

o Runs up Newtown Rd. Upon hitting Baker Rd, uses existing route to Shore Dr & Pleasure House

o Runs on evenings and Sundays as well

· Route 28 PEMBROKE TIDE SHUTTLE

o New, Temporary Route

o Provides shuttle service to Town Center and Pembroke East using Greenwich Rd, Cleveland St, Columbus St, and Constitution Dr

o Will be eliminated when The Tide is extended to Town Center and the Oceanfront

o Runs during the same hours as The Tide

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Now playing: analoq - Super Mario Bros. 3 aquacadence OC ReMix
via FoxyTunes

Bike on the Train

Now all I can hope that my bike can be taken on the train (like all other light rail routes I know of). Can't wait :)

It's Official

The Signing took place! The Tide is for real!

See VA Pilot article