Title
Briefing on HRT Peninsula Corridor Study by Hampton Roads Transit and City Staff
Purpose
Background Statement:
The Peninsula Corridor Study is a long range transportation planning effort currently underway on the Lower Peninsula. The project study is a collaboration between the City of Hampton, the City of Newport News, Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), and two private consulting firms that began in March of 2016, and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2017. The context of this project focuses on studying the future needs for high capacity transit to serve the Lower Peninsula. Commonly referred to as “Fixed Guideway Transit,” this kind of transit can take the form of either Bus Rapid Transit, Light Rail, or Streetcar. However, at this time the project team has identified Bus Rapid Transit as the most appropriate transportation mode for Hampton and Newport News.
In the spring of 2016, the project team created a map of 15 potential fixed guideway transit corridors in Hampton and Newport News, known as “Tier 1.” They were created based on input from consulting firms, staff from participating localities, and the general public. After extensive evaluation, discussion, and additional public involvement, the number of proposed transit corridors was reduced to six, referred to as “Tier 2.”
Once the six Tier 2 alternatives were selected, the project team conducted a more in-depth analysis. They calculated preliminary capital and operating costs for each route, as well esitmates for weekly and annual ridership; this information was used to evaluate each alternative against the eligibility requirements for FTA's Capital Investment Grant (CIG) programs. Unfortunately, none of the six routes met the cost effectiveness thresholds needed to be elgibile for federal funding; as a result, the project team went through a redefinition process, that involved setting setting aside certain route sections for future study, extending routes into additional transit dependent populations to increase ridership, and other actions. Once this redefintion process was completed, three Tier 2 alternatives were selected for futher study. At this time, the consulting team is working to finish the Tier 2 evaluation, in addition to refining concept designs and cost estmations.
The purpose of this briefing is give Council an opportunity to be kept informed on the progress of this long range planning effort, and to have answers to any questions they may have. No action is required of Council for this item.