Did you know that Hampton Roads is actually served by three separate transit agencies? That's right - HRT covers Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach; Suffolk Transit serves the City of Suffolk; and the Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) covers James City County, York County/Yorktown, and Williamsburg.

Join us for this conversation featuring Ben Goodill, the Director of Planning & Administration, and Iyanla XO, the Marketing & Administrative Specialist, to learn about all things WATA!

Want to contribute a name option for the new transportation center in North Williamsburg? Take the survey! Hurry - it's only open until June 16!

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The evolution of transit continues! In this episode, we chat with Severine Koen, the Northeast Team Lead of Via, the mobility partner of Hampton Roads Transit providing OnDemand Rideshare services.

OnDemand is currently a pilot program in Hampton Roads, available in select zones of Newport News and Virginia Beach.

Listen to Severine talk about what OnDemand Rideshare - aka Microtransit - is, how it works, and who's currently using it in Hampton Roads.

For more information, check out OnDemand.

Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are turning away from the driver's seat. In this episode of Going Places, we sit down with Scott Campbell, millennial and President of VIA Design, an architecture firm located steps away from Norfolk's MacArthur Square Tide light rail station, to talk about how young professionals feel about public transit.

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Each year, public transit agencies, staff and supporters visit Richmond, VA to speak with legislators about the importance of transit in our communities. Hosted annuallyby the Virginia Transit Association, this event is the perfect opportunity to talk all things transit on a legislative level.

Join host Amy Jordan for an on-site experience during Transit Advocacy Day! Hear from elected officials and transit organization representatives about the impact of public transit.

Our guests this episode:

• Sen. Aaron Rouse (D, District 22)
• Sen. Danny Diggs (R, District 24)
• Bob Crum, Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO)
• Danny Plaugher, Executive Director of the Virginia Transit Association (linked above)

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Developing transit takes time, patience and a lot of public input. Hear from HRT's Director of Transit Development (*not* transportation!) in this episode of Going Places.

Looking for information on all of HRT's current Transit Planning Studies and Projects? Check out the list and read up on all the current docs.

Interested in learning more about Connecting Chesapeake? Visit the study website to sign up for updates!

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Funding for transit requires more than fares and local contributions. Amy Jordan sits down with Noelle Pinkard, HRT's Organizational Advancement Officer, to discuss all the ways transit agencies develop relationships with elected officials to secure funding that fills the gaps needed in transit. Plus, hear a bit about the phenomenon called the 'Transit Death Spiral' - which most transit agencies are facing now that Covid-19 emergency funding is ending.

Learn more about Government Affairs with Hampton Roads Transit.

Have questions for Noelle or Amy? Leave a comment!

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If farebox revenue doesn't come close to covering the operational costs of public transportation, then why not just have free fare? In this episode, we tackle the free fare debate: what it is, who's debating it and the reasons many riders don't want to see fares become free (or even reduced).

Wondering about representation in transportation? Check out COMTO - the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials!

Not to get too wonky, but it takes money to run transit. And the cash collected from fare boxes or automated machines doesn’t nearly cover the costs.

In this episode, fittingly at the start of the fiscal year, we’ll break down how we’re funded, how every Hampton Roads city contributes, how grants and other funding work and where they come from, and how to get involved to support transit through your commissioner, city council etc.