NORFOLK, Va. — The Hampton Roads Transit has started evaluating services for the city's east side, including service to Naval Station Norfolk.
The project, Naval Station Norfolk Transit Corridor Project, will identify where high-quality transit can best support the Military Highway Retail Corridor and improve community mobility in the corridor leading to the naval base.
Hampton Roads Transit's goal is to lay the foundation for an innovative transit plan that will qualify for future federal funding.
“Naval Station Norfolk is the largest employer in Hampton Roads and the largest naval complex in the world with more than 60,000 military personnel, civilians and contractors,” said Jamie Jackson, HRT’s project manager. “The project will help advance the city’s mobility and growth strategies, support regional economic development, the revitalization of Military Highway Corridor, provide mobility options for commuters, and support readiness for Navy civilian and military personnel.”
The study will identify intermediate destinations like Military Circle Mall, the Norfolk International Airport, and connecting those areas to downtown Norfolk via The Tide light rail.
Public input will be a big part of the project. HRT and the project team will be conducting extensive community outreach to ensure the public is informed and to gather valuable feedback.
Plans are being put into place to have multiple in-person meetings with the general public and area businesses will be held along the project corridor. Initially, a scientific, public opinion survey will also be conducted among residents and members of business and community organizations.
Through a competitive proposal process, HRT retained a team led by two veteran transit planning consulting firms: Michael Baker International and STV Group, Inc. Both are national engineering, design, and architecture consulting service firms that specialize in mass transit and complex infrastructure projects. The joint venture will be known as Michael Baker-STV Transit JV.
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