NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) -- HRT officials told the public on Monday, that after a yearlong study of the city's west side, they're not building a light rail route.
There were two proposals studied: one that ran down Hampton Boulevard and the other down Granby Street. It would go all the way down to Naval Station Norfolk, while also connecting to Old Dominion University and Ward's Corner.
"Based on cost considerations, lack of ridership, and challenges such as flooding and resiliency, and construction, we've decided that a 'No Build' recommendation is best for the west side of the city," said Jamie Jackson, the Director of Transit Development.
The list of challenges found from the study proved to a be a big task, from building new bridges that could accommodate the light rail, to figuring out flood mitigation plans.
Jackson said they'll now shift their focus to the east side, where they've looked at before.
"Actually, we did a study in 2015 that actually addressed some of these issues on the east side, so the next phase, we're doing an environmental review process," she said.
Residents who showed up to Monday night's public meeting said they've been looking forward to a west side extension because it would give the community more options to get around without a car.
However, the study was done for this exact reason: figure out if it's worth building.
"As I looked at what they found, I don't think it would've been a good option, so I was pretty convinced with what they said," said Darcy Sink, who lives in Norfolk.
HRT is hosting another public meeting on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. It'll be held at the Lambert's Point Community Center near ODU.
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