The Virginian-Pilot
©
Now that light rail is running and offering a premium service, Hampton Roads Transit is turning its focus on improving the commuting experience for the 33,000 people who ride buses every day.
The first of 200 to 250 new shelters are now being installed along the busiest bus routes to shield customers from the weather and provide a place to sit while waiting for their ride.
It's the first bus shelter program the transit agency has undertaken. About 200 shelters of various designs purchased by the cities are already scattered across Hampton Roads, dating from the 1990s beforeTidewater Regional Transit and Pentran merged to become HRT.
In addition, the agency is replacing all 3,500 bus stop signs. The new signs, for the first time, will provide route and schedule information. The signs now just offer a route number.
"We're rebranding HRT and focusing on the customers and the user experience," said Sibyl Pappas, HRT chief facilities officer.
Both the shelter and bus stop signs are being paid for with federal grants - $2.3 million for the shelters and $1.9 million for the signs over the next two to three years.
The shelters are a smaller, simpler version of the new light-rail stations, with white columns, a green roof and square glass-side panels. The shelters include some combination of benches, trash cans and lighting.
"We're hoping for a unified HRT, so when you walk by a shelter you know it's an HRT shelter," Pappas said.
The first dozen are now being installed at the light-rail stations where there's connecting bus service - Newtown Road, Military Highway, Ballentine/Broad Creek, Norfolk State University, Civic Plaza, MacArthur Square and Eastern Virginia Medical Center/Fort Norfolk.
They're funded in the light-rail budget at $129,000.
The next 90 or so shelters will be in place by May. The remainder will be installed over the next two years as grant money comes in.
With 3,500 bus stops, HRT decided to put the shelters at stops primarily where there are 50 or more boardings a day.
Some of the new shelters will replace old shelters in the worst condition. The remaining existing shelters will be cleaned and rehabilitated, Pappas said.
Bus stop signs will be ready for installation in the spring, first on the Peninsula and along Norfolk's NET route in Ghent and downtown. The other South Hampton Roads signs will be installed in 2013.
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
What good are they?
All they are is a glorified bench seat. They really aren't 'shelters' at all. With how the wind blows the rain around, they won't shelter anyone from rain or wind. With all that glass, they aren't worth anything for shade either during the hot summers. In fact, they'll be more like hot houses. I can see the lawsuit now: person gets heat stroke from using HRT shelter. Might as well forget the covering and just have an open bench. The way they are designed, they are just another waste of taxpayers' money.
Cedar Grove
Umm, and what about Cedar Grove, that God forsaken tranfer complex? When are you going to do something about that public cesspool of public urine and feces and late night street thugs spewing vulgarities. When Mr. Paul Riddick, City Council representative and member of the HRT Board are you going to do something about that mess? We've heard all your excuses. When are you going to make something happen there? When? How do you expect the common man and tax payer to support public transportation in Norfolk when one has to experience that living hell call Cedar Grove?
As usual, they're doing it wrong.
Better signs are needed, as most of the old don't even have the correct route numbers. Providing route and schedule would make it easier for people to use transit. But putting this on new signs makes it harder and more expensive to improve/change service in the future.
Why not put stickers on the new signs with the correct route numbers and QR codes linking to the web site? Many people who rely on public transit or wish to try it carry a camera phone with an app capable of reading QR codes.
New shelters are needed, but it's hard to see why each one needs to cost nearly as much as a subcompact car. Shelters would be useful at the ferry docks, and change the ferry from a tourist curiosity to a commuter-usable part of the transit system.
The Acronym "HRT" and the logo.
Comes across as the word "HURT."
Poetically appropriate from a taxpayer's standpoint.
Because your roads are free
Right? So are those public schools I help support, though I don't, and won't have any kids.
The people so against public transit might make me change my opinion on red light and speed cameras.
wowzer
Looks like HRT is at it again. Almost $11,000.00 for THAT? Really?
Hmmm....
""We're hoping for a unified HRT, so when you walk by a shelter you know it's an HRT shelter," Pappas said. "
Wouldn't a sign that says...oh I don't know...." HRT Shelter " tip someone off to this?
Or is there a rogue group out there putting shelters up at bus stops?
Hopefully, there will be a way to
keep folks from taking up residence in the shelters. They surely need help and a place to stay but please not in the bus shelters.
To Ms. Pappas
Hint: Logo = BAD
Looks like something somebody scrawled on a note pad.
Rebranding
"We're rebranding HRT and focusing on the customers and the user experience," said Sibyl Pappas, HRT chief facilities officer.
Yea, well, how bout that logo. Could you rebrand that into something that makes sense Ms. Pappas? It's not a pretty thing, appropriate for these little neo-classical huts.