NORFOLK, Va. — Hampton Roads Transit announced its new express bus service Wednesday.
757 Express is a network of 13 high-frequency bus routes that offer 15-minute headway service reaching six cities that HRT serves.
The expanded network is supposed to provide timely connections to major activity centers with more frequent trips.
The service will be launched in phases starting with a select number of Peninsula routes then expand to the Southside. It'll start in 2022 with "work-trip" routes that HRT uses to carry people to the Newport News shipyards.
The plan will also include additional trips to better match worker shift times.
“The 757 Express will meet the needs of transit commuters across our region,” said William Harrell, President and CEO of HRT. “Customers can expect 757 Express service to start and end at the same time, enjoy service that connects all cities, and with a frequency of service that offers commuters a transit option unique to the region.”
The agency’s Metro Area Express, or MAX bus service, which offers regional connectivity via routes along local interstates, will be rebranded to match the 757 Express brand.
HRT will also implement other improvements throughout the transit network to improve the customer experience, including the eventual replacement of the tired Evelyn Butts and Robert Hall transfer centers and the installation of hundreds of new shelters.
The agency will also launch real-time bus data for smartphone users, which will allow customers to track where their bus is by using the stop number at their bus stop. This will be offered through the gohrt.com website.
HRT is also working on a recruiting plan to expand its staff and buy more buses. With additional equipment, HRT will need a place to maintain and store them during off-hours, so the agency also is working to develop a new bus operating division based in Virginia Beach that will operate out of a new facility to replace the Parks Avenue garage near the Oceanfront.
