As state support drops, Beach pays more to keep existing routes

By Ricardo Lopez

The Virginian-Pilot

VIRGINIA BEACH

After Angie Skinner’s car broke down a few weeks ago, she had no choice but to ride the bus. The Beach native lives in the Hilltop neighborhood and attends culinary classes at Tidewater Community College in downtown Norfolk.

In these few weeks, Skinner, 40, has become somewhat of an expert on local bus routes . Her daily commute on Route 20, which runs from the Oceanfront to downtown Norfolk along Virginia Beach Boulevard, can take up to two hours.

“The bus service is good, but anything outside the 20 needs improvement,” she said.

However, that sort of expansion isn’t coming any time soon, even though Virginia Beach’s contribution to Hampton Roads Transit has increased for the upcoming fiscal year, bringing the total to $3.7 million – a change of $190,000 over the previous year. State support and fare box revenues have dropped, forcing the city to pay more money to keep existing routes and fund union contract pay raises.

Though ridership is up on some Virginia Beach routes, service expansion hinges on financial support from the city, said Tom Holden, spokesman for HRT. Route 20, for example, is one of the region’s three busiest routes, with monthly weekday ridership in April at 89,250, up 21 percent from a year earlier.

The HRT budget is funded by the state, federal and municipal governments, along with fare revenue, Holden said. “A drop in any of these categories causes HRT and most state agencies to draw back on their services.”

Skinner carefully plans her connections because she knows some routes stop running after 6 or 7 p.m.

On a recent ride around Virginia Beach, one man just missed his connection – the last of the night – leaving from Pacific Avenue and 19th Street after stepping off a late bus, leaving him stranded.

Gripes about late buses and infrequent service are common, and they echo the sentiments of many Virginia Beach riders: Routes need improvement.

“HRT is continually proposing improvements for services,” Holden said. “We think service could be more frequent. More service would equal more customers, but there isn’t the money right now.”

Stephen McClease, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1177 said negotiations for new driver pay raises have not taken place. The raises may not even occur because of the current economic climate, he said. A previously negotiated pay increase will take effect in October.

The transit union and HRT have a three-year contract expiring in June 2010. Negotiations will likely begin in the fall, McClease said.