HomeMy WebLinkAboutI. A. MICRO-TRANSIT PILOT PROGRAM UPDATE 7.9.2024Hampton Roads Transit
Microtransit Program Update
Virginia Beach City Council Briefing
Ray Amoruso, Chief Planning & Development Officer
July 9, 2024
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Original Microtransit Pilot Project
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•HRT was awarded a 6-month State Demonstration
Grant for $1,597,000
•There were two zones for the pilot project:
o Virginia Beach
o Newport News
•Pilot Project goals
o Does Microtransit improve mobility options for communities
in a cost-effective manner?
•Pilot Project ended in February 2023
Microtransit - How does it work?
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Microtransit Vehicles
New State TRIP Grant for
Microtransit
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Microtransit Service and State TRIP Grant
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The new TRIP grant has enough resources
to run service in the two original pilot
zones plus one additional zone at the
Oceanfront of VB.
The grant award was for a total of 18
months.
•3 months launch efforts
•- 12 months of service
•3 months of evaluation and final report.
Microtransit TRIP Grant
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•The HRT Board approved a new contract for a “turnkey” vendor on June 27,
2024.
•TRIP Grant Funding - 80% State requiring a 20% Local match.
o If we stay with only the two original zones each city would provide $350,000
in local matching dollars.
o If the City Council of Virginia Beach desires to add the second zone in
Virginia Beach at the Oceanfront, then the matching requirements change
to $233,000 from Newport News and $466,000 from Virginia Beach. (1/3
from Newport News and 2/3 from Virginia Beach.)
•The grant is for one year of operation.HRT will work with the State to apply
under the TRIP program for additional funding for future years.
Microtransit Pilot Project
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Zone A – Virginia Beach
•15 square miles
•Connections to seven
fixed routes and Norfolk
light rail
Microtransit Pilot Project
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Zone B – Newport News
•20 square miles
•Connections to five
fixed routes
Microtransit Pilot Project
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POTENTIAL Zone C –
Virginia Beach
•7 square miles
•Connections to five
fixed routes (3
seasonal and 2 year-
round)
•Some flexibility in
zone boundaries
Anticipated Start of revenue service
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•Implementation of service in
Newport News will start at the end of
August.
•The city of Virginia Beach has not yet
committed the “local match” funds
for either zone in Virginia Beach.
•City Manager will need to obtain
funding approval for the original
microtransit zone in the Bayside
community, and a decision from City
Council regarding the second
microtransit zone at the Oceanfront.
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Previous Six Month Pilot Statistics
Questions?
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Virginia Beach WAVE Trolley
Vehicles Update
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Overview of WAVE Trolleys
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•HRT runs open-air trolley buses along the Virginia
Beach Oceanfront for the city of Virginia Beach.
•HRT procured 14 rubber-tired “replica” trolley
vehicles from Hometown Trolley, the exclusive
producer of heavy-duty open-air trolleys in 2015.
•A fleet of 14 trolleys went into revenue service in
2016. These trolleys have a service life of up to
ten years.
•Vehicles were procured with a split of funding
between the State and the Virginia Beach TIP
funds (55%/45%).
Trolley Fleet Information
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Current State of HRT’s Trolley Vehicles
•Average Age of trolleys: 8 ½ years
•2 new trolleys are currently being built and
are due to arrive early fall, 2024.
•HRT “standard buses” are being used to
supplement the WAVE service.
Challenges
•Trolley buses are very near their useful life.
•Trolleys operate daily in high-temperature
environments with constant stop-and-go
traffic, compounded by exposure to
corrosive salt air, imposing considerable
strain on the vehicles.
Trolley Fleet Information (Con’t)
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Current State of HRT’s Trolley Vehicles
The “Pandemic Effect”
•Maintaining the trolleys has become
increasingly difficult.
o Various critical parts are
currently scarce.
o Many parts suppliers no longer
manufacture the requisite
components, complicating the
maintenance process.
Trolley Fleet Replacement
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Moving Forward/Replacing the Fleet
•Discussions have begun with HRT
and VB Staff.
•If an order was placed for new
Trolleys “today”, it would be two
seasons before the vehicles would
arrive.
•HRT and VB will need to agree upon
the funding model for procuring the
replacement vehicles.
•HRT CIP is currently in development
and decision of funding arrangement
needs to be made by mid-August.
Questions?
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