Va., Hampton Roads get mixed grades for transit

Two national reports released this week spotlight how the state and the region fare with transportation initiatives: Virginia ranks among the top states for its transportation performance measures, while Hampton Roads ranks toward the bottom of metropolitan areas for transit access to jobs.

The commonwealth is among 13 states recognized by the Pew Center on the States and the Rockefeller Foundation as a leader in developing goals, performance measures and data needed to help track its return on money invested in transportation. (Read the report.)

"The state provides timely, detailed information to its citizens about transportation outcomes; for example, it offers not only data about roadway congestion, but also explanations of what is causing it and what solutions are being pursued," the report says.

The study ranked states on these performance measures: safety, jobs and commerce, mobility, access, environmental stewardship and infrastructure preservation.

Another report, from the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, analyzed transit routes and schedules in the 100 largest metropolitan areas for how well they connect residents to jobs. Hampton Roads ranked 78th overall. (View the report.)

The study shows that 67 percent of working-age residents in Hampton Roads live near a transit stop, but that only 15 percent of jobs are reachable by transit within 90 minutes. By the latter measure, the region ranked 96th out of 100.

The report also shows that the median time transit riders spend waiting for a bus during rush hours is 16.6 minutes.

It singled out Hampton Roads and four other metro areas in stating they "could significantly improve overall system performance by providing better service to low-income communities."

The report collected transit data from Hampton Roads Transit and Williamsburg Area Transport.

"Job number 1 is getting Americans to their jobs," said Robert Puentes, a Brookings senior fellow and co-author of the report. "This is about how we become more productive, more competitive, more successful. Rising gas prices make that harder, so people need reliable alternatives. Our transportation strategies must improve the efficiency and flexibility of our labor markets and provide access to jobs. In many metros, we don't have that now."

Adie Tomer, senior research analyst and co-author, said the report highlights the necessity of better coordination of local development to meet the needs of workers and employers.

"Our existing transit network needs to be reconfigured to make it easier for people to get from home to work," he said.

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com