HomeMy WebLinkAboutHampton Roads Transit System Optimization PlanSystem Optimization Plan
Virginia Beach City Council Work
Session
September 2,2025
SOP Purpose
SOP Purpose and Need
Statement
The System Optimization
Plan explores how HRT can
put its limited resources to
their best use by reducing
low-ridership local bus
service and reinvesting
those savings in routes with
high ridership demand.
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Why is the SOP Needed?
4
August 2025
The SOP Will:
o Increase ridership by putting
service where it is must needed
o Improve reliability by better
matching schedules to bus
operator and vehicle availability
o Reduce costs for jurisdictions by
making the system more cost
effective
HRT is in the bottom quartile of mid and
large transit agencies by passengers
carried per revenue hour
1,200 trips were missed in June 2025 due
to operator unavailability.
SOP-impacted local routes cost $6.43
more per passenger trip to operate than
regional backbone service. Transferring
resources to the regional backbone with
lower city-borne operating costs.
Context for SOP
◼Bus operator shortages makes it difficult to return service to pre-pandemic levels and provide a
consistent and reliable travel option for customers.
HRT is short approximately 50 operators to return to pre-pandemic service levels on Southside routes. To
fully implement the RTS network, an additional 45 operators are needed.
Operators are required to work overtime to meet scheduled service.
◼HRT needs to match its service to its resources. The lack of operators means HRT cannot
reliably operate the network it has today. Right-sizing the network means HRT can be reliable
and not miss trips due to lack of bus operators.
In June 2025, HRT missed approximately 1,200 trips.
◼Microtransit gives HRT new options for serving lower demand markets. HRT can use
microtransit to fill gaps in the network where the demand just doesn’t exist for fixed-route
service.
Microtransit is a new mode that can complement fixed-route services.
◼To fully implement the remaining high frequency service on the RTS routes requires freeing
up bus operators. Without freeing up operators, it could take another decade to fully
implement 15-minute service.
RTS routes are, on average, have a higher ridership productivity than HRT’s local routes.
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August 2025
Service Planning Guiding Principles
◼Optimize service on low-performing local routes
◼Streamline or consolidate routes to remove duplication in the
network
◼Realign moderate and high-performing routes to maintain fixed-
route coverage
◼Adjust level of service and service type based on land use and
employment density and demand
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August 2025
Operating Cost per Passenger (FY23 & FY24)
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Local Average, $19.63
Regional Backbone Average, $11.86
$-
$5
$10
$15
$20
$25
$30
$35
$40
Local Routes (maintained)Local Routes (optimized)Regional Backbone Routes Local Average Regional Backbone AverageLocal Routes (eliminated)
Regional Backbone and all Local Routes Virginia Beach routes
August 2025
Passengers per Hour (FY23 & FY24)
8
Local Average, 6.84
Regional Backbone Average, 10.74
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Local Routes (maintained)Local Routes (optimized)Regional Backbone Routes Local Average Regional Backbone Average
Regional Backbone and all Local Routes
Local Routes (eliminated)
Virginia Beach routes
August 2025
Passengers per Mile (FY23 & FY24)
9
Local Average, 0.53
Regional Backbone Average, 0.90
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
Local Routes (maintained)Local Routes (optimized)Regional Backbone Routes Local Average Regional Backbone Average
Regional Backbone and all Local Routes
Local Routes (eliminated)
Virginia Beach routes
August 2025
Purpose and Need Recap
◼HRT must match its scheduled service to its existing resources.
In June 2025 we missed approximately 1,200 trips largely due to operator
unavailability. This averages about 40 trips per day.
◼HRT is using its limited resources on low productivity routes.
SOP-impacted local routes cost $6.43 more per passenger trip to operate
than regional backbone service.
◼Right-sizing the network will enable HRT to sustainably operate a
reliable service long-term.
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August 2025
City-Level
Recommendations
Virginia Beach
Local Route Recommendations Summary
◼Eight local routes operate in Virginia Beach:
Two routes proposed for elimination
⚫Route 22 (Newtown Rd Station / JEB Little Creek)
⚫Route 26 (TCC Virginia Beach / Lynnhaven Mall)
Four routes maintained with alignment and/or frequency changes
⚫Route 12 (South Norfolk / TCC Virginia Beach)
⚫Route 24 (Pembroke East / Summit Pointe / Robert Hall Blvd)
⚫Route 27 (Newtown Road Station / Pleasure House Rd)
⚫Route 29 (Pleasure House Road / Lynnhaven Pkwy)
Two routes maintained with no changes
⚫Route 25 (Military Circle / TCC / Sentara Princess Anne)
⚫Route 33 (Tidewater Community College / 68th St & Atlantic Ave)
◼Two microtransit zones, including the zone that currently operates.
◼Three VB Wave Trolley routes maintained with no changes (Routes 30, 31,
and 35).
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August 2025
Route 12 (Virginia Beach/Chesapeake/Norfolk)
South Norfolk / TCC Virginia Beach
◼Service Changes:
Extend to DNTC from
Liberty and Seaboard.
◼Justification:
Moderate performance
and unique geographic
coverage justify
maintaining service
mostly as-is.
Extending to DNTC will
cover segments of the
eliminated Route 6.
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August 2025
Route 22 (Virginia Beach)
Newtown Rd Station / JEB Little Creek
◼Results of Service Analysis:
Moderate performance
not high enough to justify
maintaining service in
addition to microtransit
pilot zone (funded
through a TRIP grant).
◼Service Changes:
Candidate for
elimination.
◼Justification:
Route 27 and Route 36
will provide coverage to
similar endpoints and
have higher frequencies.
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(Proposed)
August 2025
Route 24 (Virginia Beach/Chesapeake)
Pembroke East / Summit Pointe / Robert Hall Blvd
◼Service Changes:
North of Virginia Beach Blvd,
remove service from
Witchduck Rd and
Independence Blvd.
◼Justification:
Route 24 was implemented
right before the COVID-19
Pandemic and never had the
opportunity to establish itself
Despite low performance,
unique geographic coverage
requires maintaining service.
Microtransit could cover
eliminated segments.
Shorter runtime may help
improve low on-time
performance.
15
August 2025
Route 25 (Virginia Beach/Norfolk)
Military Circle / TCC / Sentara Princess Anne
◼Service Changes:
No changes
◼Justification:
Despite moderately low
performance, fixed-route
service still needed along
Princess Anne corridor
due to the presence of
key destinations and
sufficient density.
Route is vital in southern
Virginia Beach,
connecting to the Tide.
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August 2025
Route 26 (Virginia Beach)
TCC Virginia Beach / Lynnhaven Mall
◼Results of Service Analysis:
Very low ridership and
financial performance:
lowest passengers per
trip in the system.
◼Service Changes:
Candidate for
elimination.
◼Justification:
Route 29 will cover part
of eliminated route and
maintain service to TCC.
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(Proposed)
August 2025
Route 27 (Virginia Beach/Norfolk)
Newtown Road Station / Pleasure House Rd
◼Service Changes:
Terminate at Shore &
Pleasure House instead of
JEB Little Creek.
Restore peak frequency
to 30 minutes.
◼Justification:
30-minute peak
frequency justified by
moderately high
performance.
Route 36 now covers
Shore Drive to JEB Little
Creek
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August 2025
Route 29 (Virginia Beach)
Pleasure House Road / Lynnhaven Pkwy
◼Service Changes:
Extend from Lynnhaven
Mall to TCC to cover
Route 26.
◼Justification:
Despite moderately low
performance, unique
geographic coverage
requires maintaining
this service.
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August 2025
Route 33 (Virginia Beach)
Tidewater Community College / 68th St & Atlantic Ave
◼Service Changes:
No changes.
◼Justification:
Despite low
performance, unique
geographic coverage
requires maintaining
this service.
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August 2025
21
Virginia
Beach - TRIP
TRIP Grant
Zone
◼18 square miles
◼Existing TRIP Grant zone
boundary.
◼Supports access to transit if
Route 22 is eliminated and
Route 24, and Route 27 are
realigned.
Service area: Lake Smith,
Aragona Village,
Pembroke, Arrowhead,
Bayside
Destinations: Sentara
Leigh Hospital, Virginia
Wesleyan University,
Pleasure House
Virginia Beach
-Salem
◼16 square miles
◼Provides connections to
Regent University and
access to retail
destinations along
Indian River Road.
◼Supports access to
Route 12, Route 24,
Route 25, Route 26,
Route 27 and Route 29.
22
New Service
Service area: Glenwood,
Salem, Fairfield, Acredale
Destinations: Virginia
Beach Sportsplex, Sentara
Princess Anne Hospital,
Kempsville Rec Center,
Princess Anne Athletic
Complex
SOP Recommendations
and Outcomes
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SOP Recommendations Summary
◼Optimize 12 under-performing local routes across the six cities.
◼Local route service reductions will free up resources for
implementation of 15-minute peak period service and new
microtransit service.
Reduction of approximately 90,000 local service hours, 14 peak vehicles,
and 65 operators.
◼SOP/RTS implementation requires 242 peak vehicles and 461
operators (including extra board).
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August 2025
SOP Customer Impacts
◼Increase regional backbone service: Over 300,000 Hampton Roads
residents will be within walking distance of routes operating with
15-minute
◼Limited loss of service: Bus stops losing service under the SOP
account for 3% of all boardings and alightings in the HRT system.
◼Lower wait times for almost all customers: SOP will replace some
hourly service with microtransit with a target max wait time of 15-
minutes. SOP resources will be invested into 15-minute bus service
in the regional backbone network.
◼Improved Reliability: Matching service with operator availability will
reduce or eliminate missed trips due to operator unavailability.
August 2025
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Operational Impacts
◼Improve Operator Retention: Addresses operator burnout and
reduces the need for mandatory overtime.
◼Help Manage Operating Costs: Frees up local financial resources
that can be re-invested into new microtransit service to address
coverage service and low-density areas.
◼Speeds up RTS Implementation: Enables HRT to expeditiously
implement high-frequency service on the remaining 10 Regional
Backbone routes, funded through Regional Transit Fund.
August 2025
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Schedule and Next Steps
Project Schedule
◼June/July 2025: City Council briefings on draft SOP
recommendations
◼October 2025: Public open houses on draft SOP recommendations
◼October/November 2025: SOP Plan Refinements*
◼January 2026: City Council briefings on final SOP recommendations
◼February 2026: Commission briefing on draft SOP
◼April 2026: Commission adoption of the SOP
◼May/June 2026: Implementation planning
◼October 2026, May 2027, October 2027: SOP Implementation
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*Feedback and findings from the on-going Peninsula review of the draft SOP recommendations will be evaluated
during this phase of the study.
August 2025