RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Ride The Tide of Light Rail, Virginia Beach
Bradley Heard | Greater Greater Washington
Feb 21st, 2012
Just six months after opening, Virginia’s first light rail transit system, located in Norfolk, is already exceeding ridership expectations. Now it’s time for the Commonwealth’s largest city, Virginia Beach, to hop aboard and extend the light rail all the way to the Atlantic oceanfront.
Dubbed “The Tide,” South Hampton Roads’ light rail system made its debut in Norfolk on August 19, 2011. The initial $338 million segment, operated by the regional transit agency, Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), is 7.4 miles, has 11 stops and is currently located only within Norfolk’s city limits.
The system connects Norfolk State University, the downtown central business district, Harbor Park (a minor league baseball stadium) and the region’s premier medical center complex, including Eastern Virginia Medical School, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters.
Initial weekday ridership during the first year was projected to be only 2,900. However, the six-month data shows that those early projections have been blown away. About 4,642 people ride The Tide during an average weekday. An even higher number—4,850—use the system on Saturdays, with 2,099 usually riding on Sundays.
READ MORE: http://americancity.org/buzz/entry/3372/
Launched in August 2010, TheMetropreneur.com is a local online resource devoted to small business development and entrepreneurship. Its aim is to tell the stories of Central Ohio's business community, foster regional economic development and assist entrepreneurs with its resource-heavy focus.