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Virginia Beach — Virginia Beach and Newport News are considering whether to offer a new public transportation method similar to ridesharing after the pandemic is under control.
This would be the first time any Hampton Roads local government tried using a ride-hailing app, comparable to Uber or Lyft, to transport passengers within 20 miles. But unlike the original ridesharing companies, riders would be directed to walk a few blocks to reach a pickup point to meet others heading to the same destination.
The bulk of the cost would be covered by a nearly $1.6 million state grant awarded this fall to Hampton Roads Transit. Virginia Beach and Newport News, the two cities selected to participate in the program, would be required to pitch in $238,000 each.
The experimental program, called microtransit, would run for six months, likely starting in the fall of 2021, and may continue if there’s enough demand and support from the city councils to fund it. If it performs well, the cities could consider getting rid of bus routes in the defined areas and use that funding to pay for microtransit, said Ray Amoruso, chief planning and development officer for Hampton Roads Transit.
It would likely cost about $2 per ride, although Virginia Beach is evaluating whether it can afford to make the service free, said Brian Solis, a special projects manager for the city.
As consumers expect faster travel options, city governments across the nation are experimenting with microtransit, a new form of public transportation that allows customers to schedule rides in advance through an app. While it isn’t door-to-door service, riders don’t have to deal with a fixed bus schedule and usually get to their destination faster than by bus, Amoruso said.
The service would be contracted out to a private company that already has the technology and the fleet, which could be a van or shuttle that seats 5 to 12 people.
Users in the western part of Virginia Beach and central Newport News would be able to request a ride on an app.
For the project to be considered a success, Hampton Roads Transit would expect at least 350 rides per day in Virginia Beach and 400 per day in Newport News. Riders would wait 15 minutes or less for a vehicle to pick them up within a fourth of a mile or less from their location.
Amoruso said many cities across the nation have successfully implemented mircotransit, but it has not been tested in Virginia. It will be up to Virginia Beach and Newport News to decide whether to participate. Neither city has agreed to try it yet.
Virginia Beach’s council has been briefed on the topic and told staff to begin gathering more information on the program, but Newport News has not had discussions about it yet.
“The city has been interested in developing microtransit connections to encourage transit ridership and to reduce traffic congestion,” Kim Lee, a spokesperson for Newport News, wrote in an email. “However, with the pandemic, the timing of any city participation is not clear as we would want such a pilot program to have every chance for success.”
The shuttles would only transport passengers within an 18-mile radius in Virginia Beach including in the neighborhoods of Aragona Village, Arrowhead, Pocahontas Village and Smith Lake Terrace.
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Solis said the hope is that people who need to travel farther can be connected to major transportation centers, like the Newtown Road light rail station, Military Circle or the bus station at Pembroke Mall. Popular destinations within Virginia Beach’s boundaries include: Town Center, Pembroke Mall, Sentara Leigh Hospital, Bayside Medical Plaza, Veteran Affairs and Virginia Wesleyan University.
In Newport News, the service would be offered in Hidenwood, Deep Creek, Lucas Creek, Menchville, Denbigh Shores and Port Warwick neighborhoods. Destinations in the zone include Christopher Newport University, Riverside Regional Medical Center, City Center, Jefferson Lab and Patrick Henry Mall.
Virginia Beach Council member Barbara Henley said many older residents live in the areas where the pilot would run in Virginia Beach. She said she could see many seniors using the service to get to doctor’s appointments.
“To seniors, transit is extremely important,” Henley said. “...If we truly had a transit system that was reliable and would work, how many people would we have using it? I think it would be a lot.”
Virginia Beach Vice Mayor Jim Wood urged the city find a way to make the six-month trial period free to riders to see if the service actually works.
“We can do this with not spending a whole lot more money to make this a free option,” Wood said.
Alissa Skelton, 757-995-9043, alissa.skelton@pilotonline.com.