A couple of week ago, I was all bent out of shape, about how crappy the bus service is here. I saw the stuff about the Metro Area Express (MAX) on the Hampton Roads Transit website, but there was only proposed routes, and fares, go figure a week or so before the first run of the service and no schedule. I think this is a step in the right direction for HRT, but I still have some issues.

The $3.00 fare is a little steep, considering that the “MAX” routes do not issue transfers, but they will accept transfers and fare cards until September 30th. I am guessing that they will not accept them after that, which will kick the fare to $4.50 each way, not bad considering gas prices I guess. I don’t understand the No Transfers policy, kind of backwards from most transit systems, usually you can always transfer from an express to a local, or upgrade for the difference. 

The schedules for the most part look pretty good, 5AM to 8PM, and 20 minute spacing during peak hours, and 30 minute non peak. The routes look to be useful to the residents of Hampton Roads…

So I stand corrected, you can get there from here, and in less then 2 hours, there’s still work to do, but it is looking better… Now if Virginia Beach would get on the fixed rail band wagon…

In light of the current prices for a gallon of gas (~$3.74 Today), and the fact that my daughter doesn’t have a car, and needs to get to Norfolk once a week for class, I was looking for information, for her to take the bus, from Lynnhaven Mall to MacArthur Center. I was thinking that it couldn’t be that bad, it is only about 15 mile, from major locations, so I figure the worst it can be is 45 minutes or so figuring in a few stops here and there.

I was shocked to see that it ends up being somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 hours. A twenty minute drive turns into a 2 hour ordeal. I could understand it maybe if I were leaving from Pungo, or Creeds. So I did a little more research, and the distance via roads is pretty close to a half marathon, and the AVERAGE finish time for a half marathon is right around 2 hours and 5 minutes, could you imagine the shape you would be in after running a full marathon everyday, I’d be willing to bet that after a while you would probably beat the bus(es), the trip involves 2+ buses, depending on how you route it.

So I looked around some more, and looked at express route 24, and travel time wise, it isn’t bad at all, 35 minutes from 5th and Pacific to downtown Norfolk, not bad, minor problem is that the first bus wouldn’t get you there until 9:05, and most bosses would understand you coming in a little late, but what I don’t think any boss would understand is the leaving at 3:25 part to catch the last express bus to the Oceanfront, of course there is the alternative of catching the 20 bus at 5:44 that won’t get you back to the Oceanfront until 7:32… The good news is that in the summer time you’ll only have to wait 15 minutes for one of the “Wave” buses.

So here’s where I have the biggest issue, a tourist visiting the oceanfront, only has to wait 15 minutes for a bus at a reduced fare $1.00 vice $1.50+ everywhere else, to take them anywhere else in the Oceanfront area, but the poor taxpayer that is footing the majority of the cost of running HRT 27% local and 16% State funding, has to wait 30 minutes to an hour for their bus.

By the way best case on HRT for my 7.5 mile 15 minute commute, is an hour and 43 minutes, including 20 minutes of walking, but I could probably walk the distance in about 2 hours, or ride a bike in about 30 minutes