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

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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

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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