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!

----------------
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 :)

----------------
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

----------------
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

Hampton Roads Transit Trip Planner

Need to get around the area and I'm not available?

Try the HRT Trip Planner Powered by Google. Need to speak to someone (good luck), dial 222-6100

Feeding The Tide

(click the map to enlarge)

This map is a rough draft of what I think feeder bus service should look like. I'm not looking at times yet, just what connects where. Existing routes are changed from their existing service

• 15 Crosstown: Changed to use Hoggard Rd and Corporate Blvd to meet The Tide at the Military Hwy station
• 20 Va Beach Blvd: Meets The Tide at Military Hwy Station. At night, also meets The Tide at Newtown Station.
  
• 23 Princess Anne Rd: No longer serves JANAF or Military Circle. Instead, continues down Kempsville Rd (Norfolk) to Sentara Leigh and the Newtown Tide Station
• 24 Laskin Rd (Ft. Story Express): Meets The Tide at Newtown Station. To continue to Va Beach Blvd, Ride The Tide to Military Hwy and catch the 20
• 25 Newtown Rd: No longer serves Military Circle. Instead, starts at Newtown Tide Station and continues down Princess Anne Rd (Va Beach) to TCC
• 27 Northampton: No longer serves Military Circle. Instead, starts at Newtown Tide Station and continues up Newtown to Baker. Resumes existing route to Shore Dr & Pleasure House
• 28 Pembroke Tide Shuttle: New route. Connects the Newtown Tide Station with Town Center and Pembroke. Would be discontinued when The Tide is extended to Town Center and the Oceanfront.
  

Note that the 61 is being left off of this map because it does not connect to either Tide station.

The Tide is In

And I will be on the ceremonial First Train ;)

Learn more at The Tide website