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90-639: Hampton Roads is located in southeastern Virginia . The Hampton Roads metropolitan area has a population of 1.6 million. Its service area consists of the cities of Norfolk , Virginia Beach , Chesapeake , Portsmouth , Hampton , Newport News , Williamsburg ( Colonial Williamsburg ) and the town of Smithfield . The entire service area population is 1.3 million. HRT also serves the area's major college campuses of Christopher Newport University , Hampton University , Norfolk State University , Old Dominion University , Virginia Peninsula Community College , and Tidewater Community College . Effective January 1, 2012,

180-454: A 600,000-square-foot (56,000 m ) main building and two smaller buildings, measuring 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m ) and 27,000 sq ft (2,500 m ). Gillig plans to retain at the Hayward site a 500,000 sq ft (46,000 m ) warehouse for the sale of parts, but plans to sell the remainder of the Hayward factory, which closed on May 19, 2017. At the time of the move,

270-803: A collection of cities, counties, and towns on the Virginia Peninsula and in South Hampton Roads . Some of the outlying areas further from the harbor may or may not be included as part of "Hampton Roads", depending upon the organization or usage. For example, as defined for federal economic purposes, the Hampton Roads metropolitan statistical area ( MSA ) includes three counties in northeastern North Carolina and two counties in Virginia's Middle Peninsula . The Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk, VA–NC, MSA has an estimated 2023 population of 1,787,169, making it

360-621: A manufacturer of transit buses, from the 1930s to the 1990s, Gillig was a manufacturer of school buses . Alongside the now-defunct Crown Coach , the company was one of the largest manufacturers of school buses on the West Coast of the United States. Gillig had been located in Hayward, California , for more than 80 years before moving to Livermore in 2017. The company was founded in San Francisco, by

450-410: A part of the program, but more routes will be added once HRT hires more drivers. The Tide, Norfolk's Light Rail System, runs from Eastern Virginia Medical School through downtown Norfolk to Newtown Road (near Sentara Leigh Memorial Hospital). The Groundbreaking Ceremony was held on December 8, 2007. Primary construction began in early 2008, the first of nine train sets arrived on October 6, 2009, and

540-599: A peculiarity in the drawing of the Virginia-North Carolina border, Knott's Island in that county is connected to Virginia by land, but is only accessible to other parts of North Carolina by water via a ferry system. Each of the following current cities, counties and towns is included by at least one of the three organizations that define Hampton Roads: The Hampton Roads area consists of nine independent cities (which are not part of any county). Chesapeake , Norfolk , Portsmouth , Suffolk , and Virginia Beach cover

630-512: A pilot bus in 2011, and placed an order for 63 more in 2012. Gillig and Cummins announced a partnership to develop a battery-electric bus using Cummins technology on October 9, 2017. On May 16, 2019, the two companies unveiled a new all-electric bus. The bus uses the Gillig Low Floor platform and is equipped with a traction motor with a peak power and torque of 350 kW (470 hp; 480 PS) and 3,500 N⋅m (2,600 lb⋅ft); it

720-711: A population of about 1.8 million, is the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States , after the Washington metropolitan area ; Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach, FL, MSA ; Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Marietta, GA, MSA , Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater, FL, MSA ; Orlando–Kissimmee, FL, MSA ; and Charlotte–Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC–SC, MSA . The first colonists arrived in 1607 when English Captain Christopher Newport landed at Cape Henry , today's City of Virginia Beach, an event now called

810-539: A steady source of revenue to ensure its survival. Although the company had produced buses sporadically since 1914, in 1932, Gillig designed its first school bus body, a configuration it would produce for most of the next 60 years. In 1935, the company designed its first ambulance body; it also became the West Coast distributor of Superior Coach Company , a manufacturer of school buses and professional cars. In 1937, Gillig introduced its first flat-front (transit-style) school bus. By 1938, demand for school buses had surpassed

900-422: A wave going from the back, then becomes smooth through the front and have frameless windows. All Hybrids and the two 2006 Optima Opus' are in the blue background. All MAX buses have a silver background with sky blue & solid blue wave colors. Select buses which had the two-line wave logo have been repainted with the newer back wave design and the exterior window rows are painted black around the windows to resemble

990-598: Is a free service serving the Naval Station Norfolk complex within two circulator routes. The gold route serves the Naval Exchange bus stop and the inner portion of the base and it runs seven days a week with 30 minute frequencies. The Blue route circles the outer portion of the base, including the piers. It runs Monday-Friday with 15 minute frequencies but no weekend service. In 2008, the long-standing central bus transfer area at Monticello Avenue and Charlotte Street

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1080-729: Is available within 3/4 of a mile of regularly scheduled bus routes. Fare is $ 3.50. Certification and reservations are required. Reservation hours are from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Reservations must be made no later than 5:00 PM the day before you need transportation and you can reserve a ride up to 3 days in advance, at this time. Traffix is a grant-funded program provided by Hampton Roads Transit. It encourages citizens throughout Hampton Roads to use alternative forms of transportation that reduces use of single occupancy vehicles. Traffix oversees and promotes regional commuter initiatives, including carpooling and remote work , by reaching out to area employers. Some of its key clients include

1170-519: Is being taken for redevelopment, though there is concern as to whether the new facility will be able to accommodate the intercity service. A suggestion by Harrell to move it to Amtrak 's new Harbor station has at this point not been pursued. However, Greyhound buses do currently serve the Norfolk Amtrak station after the closure of their bus station. In October of 2022, HRT launched live route tracking on its website. The Virginia Beach Extension Study

1260-801: Is expected to have a range of approximately 150 mi (240 km), based on battery capacity (444 kW-hr) and consumption (2.3 kW-hr/mi). The first bus was scheduled to be delivered to Big Blue Bus (serving Santa Monica, California ) in May 2020, but it was inaugurated into service on August 19, 2019. Although Gillig has never built a complete electric trolleybus , the company has supplied body-chassis shells for others to later equip as trolleybuses. Between 2001 and 2002, Gillig supplied 100 Phantom body-chassis shells to King County Metro Transit . Gillig shipped these Phantom buses in fairly complete form, including interior fittings such as seats—lacking only propulsion equipment including trolleypoles . Meanwhile,

1350-521: Is larger. The metropolitan area and water area is in the Tidewater region , a low-lying plains region composed of southeastern portions of Virginia and northeastern portions of North Carolina . The water area known as Hampton Roads is a wide channel through which the waters of the James River , Nansemond River , and Elizabeth River pass (between Old Point Comfort to the north and Sewell's Point to

1440-644: Is located in Livermore, California (in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area). By volume, Gillig is the second-largest transit bus manufacturer in North America (behind New Flyer ). As of 2013, Gillig had an approximate 31 percent market share of the combined United States and Canadian heavy-duty transit bus manufacturing industry, based on the number of equivalent unit deliveries. While currently

1530-401: Is required, the crew and fare boxes can not make change. The ferry's High Street dock is three blocks from Downtown Portsmouth's bus transfer area at County St & Court St. Plans to introduce up to 4 new ferries have been announced by HRT. 2 of these announced ferries are currently in service, Elizabeth River Ferry IV and Elizabeth River Ferry V. The VB Wave runs through the main areas of

1620-519: Is the current president and CEO of Hampton Roads Transit. Harrell went to Hampton Roads Transit from Chesapeake, Virginia, where he was the city manager since June 2007. Harrell replaced interim CEO Phillip A. Shucet on April 2, 2012. Phillip A. Shucet was hired in February 2010 as an interim CEO to help complete construction of The Tide light rail while the company searches for a permanent replacement for long-time executive director Michael Townes . Townes

1710-648: Is the name of a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James , Nansemond , and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic Ocean . It also gave its name to the surrounding metropolitan region located in the southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina portions of the Tidewater Region . Comprising

1800-551: Is wheelchair accessible and allows boarding passengers to board with their bicycles. The general cost to board the ferry is $ 2.00 for adults, and $ 1.00 with eligibility ID for youth (age 17 and under), seniors (age 65 and older), and disabled patrons with eligible ID. Round-trip passes may be purchased for $ 4.00 for adults, with no round-trip option currently available for youth, senior, or disabled patrons. 1-day passes may be purchased as well for $ 4.50 for adults and $ 2.25 for youth, seniors, and disabled patrons with eligible ID. Exact fare

1890-731: The Elizabeth City, NC, Micropolitan Statistical Area , comprising: and the Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina , Micropolitan Statistical Area, comprising: The estimated population in 2023 of the Combined Statistical Area was 1,866,723. It is the 35th largest in the country. Among the metropolitan areas in Virginia, only the Northern Virginia portion of the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV, MSA

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1980-847: The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority . Gillig shipped four BRTPlus body-chassis shells to Kiepe to build prototype coaches, two of which function as battery electric buses while away from electrical wires and two of which use a diesel generator . Two of these prototypes were equipped with diesel-powered generators to power the traction motors off-wire (similar to a hybrid bus ) and two use batteries for off-wire operations. After successful testing, Dayton ordered 41 production battery-electric trolleys from Kiepe and Gillig, and they were delivered in 2019–2020. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Produced on

2070-799: The Virginia Aquarium , Ocean Breeze Waterpark, Owl Creek Municipal Tennis Center, Holiday Trav-L-Park Campground, and KOA Campground. Route 35 provides service from Arctic & 19th to Shore Drive & Vista Circle. It serves the Oceanfront, First Landing State Park, North End beaches, Chesapeake Bay beaches and Bayfront restaurants. The route runs from May 21 to October 1 all season long. This route runs daily from 8am to midnight for every 30 minutes from Memorial Day to Labor Day and every weekend from 8am to midnight for every 30 minutes from September 8 to October 1. Former Route 32 Shoppers Express – (Daily, Memorial Day-Labor Day 10am-9pm, About every hour) Served

2160-508: The Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk, VA–NC, metropolitan area and an extended combined statistical area that includes the Elizabeth City, North Carolina, micropolitan statistical area and Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, micropolitan statistical area , Hampton Roads is known for its large military presence, ice-free harbor, shipyards, coal piers , and miles of waterfront property and beaches, all of which contribute to

2250-403: The transit bus segment. Following the end of the "New Look" near-monopoly of GMC and Flxible , in mid-1976, Gillig entered a partnership with West German manufacturer Neoplan to build a series of European-styled transit buses. The 30-foot "Gillig-Neoplan" buses featured propane -fueled engines as an option; the partnership with Neoplan lasted until 1979. As a more permanent follow-up to

2340-650: The "First Landing." However, his party moved on, in search of a more defensible area upriver, mindful of competitors such as the Spanish, who had built a failed settlement on the Virginia Peninsula known as the Ajacán Mission . After exploring the James River , they established the first successful English colony in the New World on Jamestown Island on May 14, 1607. But the low, marshy site proved unhealthy and most of

2430-519: The "Norfolk–Virginia Beach–Newport News MSA". In 1993, Isle of Wight, Mathews and Surry counties were added. Although Virginia Beach had passed Norfolk as the state's largest city by 1990, it was not made the first primary city of the MSA until 2010. As a result of the 2010 Census, Gates County, North Carolina was added to the MSA, while Surry County, Virginia was removed. The Virginia Beach–Chesapeake, VA–NC, Combined Statistical Area additionally includes

2520-505: The 1920s would render the "Gillig Top" largely obsolete by 1925. While other hardtop manufacturers went out of business, Gillig survived largely on its body production, which became its primary source of revenue. In the late 1920s, the company would briefly produce pleasure boats and produce a prototype of a heavy truck; the latter would never enter production. Following the start of the Great Depression, Gillig Brothers began to look for

2610-474: The 37th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. The Combined Statistical Area includes two additional counties in North Carolina, pushing the regional population to 1,866,723 residents, the 35th-largest CSA in the country. The area is home to hundreds of historical sites and attractions. The harbor was the key to Hampton Roads' growth, both on land and in water-related activities and events. While

2700-635: The American Civil War (1861–1865), the historic Battle of Hampton Roads between the first American ironclad warships , the USS ; Monitor and the CSS Virginia , took place off Sewell's Point in 1862. The battle was inconclusive, but Union forces later took control of Hampton Roads, Norfolk, and the lower James River, though they were thwarted from venturing further upstream by a strong Confederate battery at Drewry's Bluff . Also in 1862, Fort Monroe

2790-535: The C-Series Transit Coach accounted for over three-quarter of all Gillig sales within only five years. In 1967, Gillig would introduce the largest school bus ever produced: the tandem-axle DT16. Along with it corresponding Crown Coach competitor, the DT16 is the only 97-passenger school bus ever produced in the United States (during 1977, its capacity was reduced to 90). In 1978, Stanley Marx retired from Gillig, and

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2880-571: The Chance trolleys in the Summer of 2014. HRT has required to buy 7 Novabus which they are contracted to the Elizabeth River Crossings and to be using for Routes 44, 45 and 47. Hampton Roads Transit's Bus Fleet were originally decorated with all white buses with a two line blue & green wave from the system's former logo which is similar to math's approximate (≈) symbol. New buses since 2006 have

2970-538: The Chesapeake Bay. Hampton Roads is among the world's largest natural harbors. It is the northernmost major East Coast port of the United States which is ice-free year round. (This status is claimed with the notable exception of the extraordinarily cold winter of 1917, which was the entire U.S.'s coldest year on record.) Over time, the entire region has come to be known as "Hampton Roads", a label more specific than its other moniker, "Tidewater Virginia", which includes

3060-647: The City of Suffolk, Virginia chose to withdraw from the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads and since, HRT no longer provides transit services within Suffolk. However, a couple HRT routes do connect with the Suffolk Transit service, which is provided by Virginia Regional Transit.{{ Hampton Roads Transit is governed by the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads (TDCHR). The TDCHR

3150-564: The Commonwealth of Virginia. Additional funding for service is provided with federal, state and local funding provided by member jurisdictions and farebox revenues. Local funding is provided based on the Cost Allocation Agreement – each city establishes how much service will be provided within its borders based on how much it is willing to pay for those services after all federal, state, and farebox revenues are applied. This means that

3240-517: The Gillig brothers. The oldest surviving bus manufacturer in North America, Gillig was founded in 1890 as Jacob Gillig, trained in carriage building and upholstering, opened his own carriage shop in San Francisco . In 1896, his son Leo Gillig entered the business as a shop foreman, becoming a full partner in the business in 1900. The shop was destroyed as part of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake , but

3330-565: The Gillig-Neoplan, the Gillig Phantom entered production in 1980. The first dedicated transit bus produced by Gillig, the Phantom would be produced from 1980 to 2008. A State of California tax-free subsidy helped early sales. Later sales were buoyed by low bids on contracts, and by specializing in serving smaller transit agencies. This strategy proved successful, as the Phantom became one of

3420-541: The Gilligs rebuilt the shop on a separate property; Chester Gillig joined the business as a bookkeeper. In 1907, Jacob Gillig died at the age of 54. Following the earthquake, the company reopened as the Leo Gillig Automobile Works, which manufactured custom-built vehicle bodies. In 1914, two major achievements would happen to the company. After building a three-story factory, Leo and Chester Gillig re-organized

3510-613: The Hayward facility, Gillig introduced the H2000LF, its first low-floor bus . In 1997, it entered full-scale production as the Gillig Advantage . Originally designed as a rental-car shuttle bus, the Low Floor became popular as a second transit bus product line alongside the standard-floor Phantom. During the 2000s, Gillig would make a number of advances with its vehicles, exploring the uses of alternative fuels and hybrid technologies in both

3600-510: The James C. Echols and Elizabeth River Ferry II. The Ferry travels between North Landing and High Street in Portsmouth and downtown Norfolk at Waterside District and Harbor Park . Harbor Park is only serviced during Norfolk Tides baseball home games. The ferry operates every 30 minutes, with additional 15-minute service at peak times on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day . The Ferry

3690-466: The Low Floor and the Phantom. In 2005, the Low Floor became available in BRT and Trolley Replica body styles. After 28 years of production, the final Gillig Phantom was produced in 2008; by the mid-2000s, high-floor buses had largely fallen out of favor with transit customers. On August 1, 2008, Gillig became a Henry Crown company under CC Industries, Inc. CC Industries operated Gillig in the same location with

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3780-774: The Middle Peninsula. While Southampton is adjacent to Surry, Isle of Wight, and the City of Suffolk, the Census Bureau does not consider it part of the metro area. Five incorporated towns are in the metro area, including Claremont in Surry County, Dendron in Surry County, Smithfield in Isle of Wight County, Surry , Surry County's seat, and Windsor in Isle of Wight County. (Two other incorporated towns, Boykins and Courtland , are in Southampton County, and therefore, like

3870-614: The Phantom as a lower emissions option, but discontinued it in 1998. The only remaining LNG Phantoms currently operate shuttle service at Los Angeles International Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport . In 1996, Gillig introduced a diesel-electric hybrid powered Phantom, which they produced until 2006. The current models continue to be offered in a hybrid powered versions. In September 2011, Gillig introduced an alternative fuel BRT model with CNG propulsion—their first CNG-powered bus produced and first production natural gas buses since 1998. Long Beach Transit purchased

3960-551: The Revolution was won at Yorktown in 1781, and the first naval action of the War of 1812 took place in Hampton Roads, when a Royal Naval vessel was seized by the American privateer Dash . Later the entrance from Chesapeake Bay was equipped with new fortifications ( Fort Monroe and Fort Wool ), much of the building work being supervised by a young military engineer Robert E. Lee . During

4050-630: The Seattle transit agency removed the propulsion system ( GE traction motor, Randtronics chopper control, and electronic card cage) from its old fleet of 1979-built AM General trolley coaches which the Gillig vehicles were purchased to replace, and shipped them to Alstom for refurbishment. After Alstom refurbished the propulsion system, Metro installed the equipment into the new Gillig Phantom bodies, along with Kiepe pneumatically operated fiberglass trolley poles. Between 2014 and 2020, Kiepe partnered with Gillig to produce new dual-mode trolleybuses for

4140-598: The Shops at Hilltop, and ended at Lynnhaven Mall . 757 Express, formerly MAX, is an intercity bus service operated by Hampton Roads Transit. The routes connect area Park and Ride lots to the Downtown Norfolk Transit Center and other major employment locations or activity centers in the area. The Service includes commuter routes, limited-stop routes and regular routes that includes 15-minute frequency during peak hours. There are currently three regular routes that are

4230-555: The Southside of Hampton Roads while Hampton , Newport News , Poquoson , and Williamsburg are on the Peninsula. Franklin borders Suffolk but the Census Bureau does not consider it part of the metro area. The metro area has one county in North Carolina, Currituck . The remaining counties, in Virginia, include Isle of Wight and Surry on the Southside, James City and York on the Virginia Peninsula, and Gloucester and Mathews on

4320-668: The Tide became fully operational on August 19, 2011. The Tide currently runs 15 minute frequencies serving its eleven stations between Fort Norfolk/EVMC Station & Newtown Road Station. Most stations are served with at least one HRT bus route. The Monticello station is a few blocks away from the Downtown Norfolk Transit Center and the Harbor Park stop is adjacent to the Amtrak Norfolk Station (NFK). Introduced in November 2022, Base Express

4410-435: The U.S. Navy, Northrop Grumman, Wal-mart, and Canon. To date, Traffix has removed nearly 800 vehicles off the road and has saved consumers over 600,000 gallons of gas and over $ 1.8 million in vehicle related expenses. HRT's paddle wheel ferry is a system of one 150-passenger and two 149-passenger paddle wheel ferry boats: Elizabeth River Ferry III, Elizabeth River Ferry IV and Elizabeth River Ferry V. Retired ferries include

4500-721: The Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Service runs from May through September. Route 30 Atlantic Ave (May 1-October 2 8am-2am, About every 15 minutes) which serves all the stops along the Atlantic Avenue boardwalk, This includes the Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum , the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier, plus the north beaches HRT transfer. Route 31 Museum Express – (Daily, Memorial Day-Labor Day 9:30 AM until 11:10 PM, About every 15 minutes) Serves

4590-722: The Virginia Company in 1619. The town at the center of Elizabeth Cittie became known as "Hampton", and a nearby waterway was designated Hampton Creek (also known as Hampton River). Other references to the Earl include the area to the north across the bay (in what is now the Eastern Shore ) which became known as Northampton , and an area south of the James River which became Southampton . As with Hampton, both of these names remain in use today. The term "Roads" (short for roadstead ) indicates

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4680-661: The capacity of the San Francisco facility, leading Gillig Brothers to move to Hayward, California, on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay. In 1940, as a response to the Crown Supercoach , the first Gillig Transit Coach was introduced, as both a coach and school bus. The first mid-engine school bus, the Transit Coach wore an all-steel body and was powered by a Hall-Scott gasoline engine. During World War II, Gillig halted school bus production, instead producing trailer buses to transport workers in defense factories. Following

4770-548: The chairman of the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), or a designee. The six Hampton Roads cities that participate rotate the chairmanship each year. The Honorable Richard W. "Rick" West (Chesapeake) is the current chairman. There are five established committees that provide input to the governing body. These committees are listed below: Executive Committee, Audit/Budget Review Committee, Operations & Oversight, Planning and New Start Development, Paratransit Committee, and Commission Effectiveness (Ad hoc). William E. Harrell

4860-450: The city of Chesapeake. In 1970, Chesapeake was added to the MSA, while Virginia Beach became a primary city. In 1973, Currituck County, North Carolina was added to the MSA. In 1983, the "Newport News–Hampton Metropolitan Statistical Area", comprising the cities of Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson and Williamsburg, and the counties of Gloucester, James City and York, was combined with the Norfolk–Virginia Beach–Portsmouth MSA and renamed

4950-457: The colonists died, before a new Governor, Lord De La Warr (Delaware) arrived with John Rolfe , who would establish the Virginia tobacco industry. The harbor and rivers of Hampton Roads were immediately recognized as prime locations for commerce, shipbuilding and military installations, with the fortifications at Old Point Comfort established as early as 1610, and Gosport Navy Yard (later Norfolk Naval Shipyard) in 1767. The decisive battle of

5040-537: The company as Gillig Brothers , its name for the next half-century. One of the first bodies built inside the new factory was one for a motor bus, though production would not shift entirely to buses for another two decades. During the 1910s, most cars in the United States were open touring cars ; at the time, fully enclosed sedan bodies were expensive. To offer improvement over the minimal weather protection, Gillig developed an add-on hardtop , patenting its own version in 1919. The increase of closed car production in

5130-569: The company was predicting that around 850 workers would be employed at the Livermore complex. In February 2024, Gillig announced that its Gerco subsidiary had acquired select assets of bankrupt battery and commercial vehicle company Lightning eMotors in Loveland, Colorado and would open a powertrain engineering center with former Lightning talent. On April 24, 2024 Gillig announced that they would be making Hydro-electric buses, in collaboration with BAE Systems and Ballard Power Systems . In 1992, Gillig began producing an LNG fueled version of

5220-664: The county within which they are located, are not part of the federally defined metropolitan area). Other unincorporated towns and communities in the metropolitan area that are not within its cities include Gloucester Courthouse and Gloucester Point in Gloucester County, Isle of Wight Courthouse , Rushmere , Rescue , Carrollton , Benns Church , and Walters in Isle of Wight County, Yorktown , Grafton , Seaford , and Tabb in York County, Jamestown , Ford's Colony , Grove , Lightfoot , Toano , and Norge in James City County, Moyock , Knotts Island , and Currituck in Currituck County, North Carolina. The Hampton Roads MSA, with

5310-453: The current management team. In 2015, Gillig Corporation marked the 125th anniversary of its founding. In May 2017, the company moved its factory from Hayward, California , to Livermore , another East Bay region city, after more than 80 years in Hayward. The move was precipitated by a need for more space, with production having outgrown the Hayward facility. The new Livermore facility, which comprises newly constructed buildings, includes

5400-470: The definition of the MSA, Hampton Roads is most often the name used for the metropolitan area. "Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk, VA–NC, MSA" is a U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). In 2023, the population was estimated to be 1,787,169. Since a state constitutional change in 1871, all cities in Virginia are independent cities and they are not legally located in a county. The OMB considers these independent cities to be county-equivalents for

5490-416: The diversity and stability of the region's economy. The body of water known as Hampton Roads is one of the world's largest natural harbors (more accurately a roadstead or "roads"). It incorporates the mouths of the Elizabeth , Nansemond , and James rivers, together with several smaller rivers, and empties into the Chesapeake Bay near its mouth leading to the Atlantic Ocean. The land area includes

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5580-408: The end of the war, Gillig resumed production of the Transit Coach, introducing a rear-engine version in 1948. In 1950, the body of the Transit Coach was redesigned. In 1953, Chester Gillig retired, following the death of Leo Gillig. The management structure of the family-run company was changed, with Stanley Marx (previously in charge of sales), assuming control of Gillig. In 1957, a major acquisition

5670-437: The firm was sold to Herrick- Pacific Steel , a Hayward-based steel manufacturer. Following the sale, the company was reorganized as Gillig Corporation, its present-day name. During the acquisition and reorganization, Gillig began construction on a 117,000 square foot facility in Hayward, the largest bus manufacturing plant in the western United States. To diversify its product line, in the mid-1970s, Gillig began plans to enter

5760-428: The harbor and its tributaries were (and still are) important transportation conduits, at the same time they presented obstacles to land-based commerce and travel. Creating and maintaining adequate infrastructure has long been a major challenge. The Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel (HRBT) and the Monitor–Merrimac Memorial Bridge–Tunnel (MMMBT) are major harbor crossings of the Hampton Roads Beltway interstate, which links

5850-443: The harbor. When speaking of communities of Hampton Roads, virtually all sources include the seven major cities, two smaller ones, and three counties within those two subregions. In addition, the Middle Peninsula counties of Gloucester and Mathews, while not part of the geographical Hampton Roads area, are included in the metropolitan region's population, as is a small portion of northeastern North Carolina ( Currituck County ). Due to

5940-439: The independent cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth and South Norfolk and the counties of Norfolk and Princess Anne . In 1952, Virginia Beach separated from Princess Anne County. In 1963, Virginia Beach and Princess Anne County merged, retaining the name Virginia Beach. The city was added to the MSA that year, while South Norfolk lost its metropolitan status. Also in 1963, Norfolk County and the City of South Norfolk merged to create

6030-410: The large population centers of Hampton Roads. In 2009, the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority (HRTA) was abolished by the Virginia General Assembly less than two years after its creation. In 2014, the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission was established to oversee the Hampton Roads Transportation Fund. The term "Hampton Roads" is a centuries-old designation that originated when

6120-438: The line, if built. Citizens of Virginia Beach voted on building the line on November 8, 2016, however, the vote was a no-majority of 57% and as a result, work on light rail has ceased as of December 2016. Had it passed, the extension would have opened between late 2019 and early 2020. In 2012, the City of Norfolk began to study for possibilities for extending their current Tide light rail system to Naval Station Norfolk . The plan

6210-538: The longest-lasting transit models. In 1989, Gillig would introduce the Gillig Spirit ; similar to the Gillig-Neoplan, the Spirit was a shorter, medium-duty transit bus. After over 40 years in production, the Transit Coach ended production in 1982. After a temporary hiatus from school bus production, Gillig returned with a Phantom school bus in 1986. While initially successful, the Phantom school bus would be discontinued in 1993 following poor sales (no examples were sold in 1991 or 1992). In 1996, following an expansion of

6300-539: The newer buses. Since 2012, several buses were repainted into the silver/blue wave style like the MAX brand with the agency's new stripe logo. Newer buses for the 757 Express Service include a white background with sky-blue and navy-blue triangles connecting at the back. The original 3000 series buses have been re-wrapped to the current 757 Express livery. Buses 4015-4023 are the BRT roofed hybrids used for Downtown Norfolk's NET shuttle. (12.19 m) (12.19 m) (10.67 m) (12.19 m) (8.84 m) (12.19 m) On July 18, 2011, it

6390-472: The number of miles from the Newtown Road Station. As of 2015, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement was published. However, since the City of Virginia Beach and the State of Virginia is paying for the Town Center alternative, there will be no Final Environmental Impact Statement, as that document is made when there is federal money involved. There has been opposition from the citizens of Virginia Beach about costs and using taxpayer money to construct and maintain

6480-516: The numbers of routes, service frequency, and service coverage areas as operated by Hampton Roads Transit are determined in each city during the annual budgetary cycle. NOTE: This section begins with the introduction of rubber-tired buses to the transit operations in Hampton and Newport News, following many years of public transit service performed earlier and during the transition by horse-drawn and electrically powered streetcars utilizing rails embedded in

6570-437: The peak periods. HRT owns a total of 33 paratransit vans. HER is also leasing an additional 54 paratransit vans from its contractor to meet service requirements. HRT operates nearly 60 local fixed routes and eight express bus routes in the region. Southside Routes VB WAVE Routes Peninsula Routes Peninsula Commuter Service 757 Express Routes Hampton Roads Transit provides ADA Paratransit service, and

6660-562: The purpose of defining MSAs in Virginia. Each MSA is listed by its counties, then cities, in alphabetical order and not by size. The MSA consists of these locations in Virginia: Counties Cities The MSA also includes the following locations in North Carolina: The Hampton Roads metropolitan area was first defined in 1950 as the "Norfolk–Portsmouth Metropolitan Statistical Area". It comprised

6750-491: The region was a struggling English outpost nearly four hundred years ago. The word "Hampton" honors one of the founders of the Virginia Company of London and a great supporter of the colonization of Virginia, Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton . The early administrative center of the new colony was known as Elizabeth Cittie , named for Princess Elizabeth , the daughter of King James I, and formally designated by

6840-552: The safety of a port; as applied to a body of water, it is "a partly sheltered area of water near a shore in which vessels may ride at anchor". Examples of other roadsteads are Castle Roads , in another of the Virginia Company's settlements, Bermuda , and Lahaina Roads , in Hawaii. In 1755, the Virginia General Assembly recorded the name "Hampton Roads" as the channel linking the James, Elizabeth, and Nansemond rivers with

6930-523: The sinking of Hampton Roads at a rate between 15 and 23 centimeters (5.9 and 9.1 inches) per century. The region has extensive natural areas, including 26 miles (42 km) of Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay beaches, the Great Dismal Swamp , picturesque rivers, state parks, wildlife refuges, and botanical gardens. Inland from the bay, the region includes Lake Drummond , one of only two natural lakes in Virginia, and miles of waterfront property along

7020-514: The south) into the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Norfolk and Hampton Roads are among the worst-hit parts of the United States by the effects of global warming . As of 2016, the region is a few decades ahead in feeling the effects of sea-level rise compared to many American coastal areas. The geology and topography of the Hampton Roads region is influenced by the Chesapeake Bay impact crater , one of three factors contributing to

7110-664: The streets and roads of the area. In May 2024, HRT received 32 new, low-floor model buses from GILLIG, partial fulfillment of an order of 51. There were 21 of the 35-foot models and 11 of the 40-foot versions. The HRT fleet inventory as of January 2020, consisted of 294 vehicles, including 267 diesel buses, 37 hybrid buses and 10 trolley-style buses. The majority of the fleet, a total of 280 buses, were manufactured by Gillig and Novabus . The HRT fleet also includes 7 Novabus buses, 12 Optima buses and 10 Trolley-style buses manufactured by Chance. HRT acquired 11 Gillig hybrids in June 2011 to replace

7200-596: The various rivers and waterways. The region's native flora is consistent with that of the Southeast Coastal Plain and the lower Southeast Maritime Forest. The land area that constitutes Hampton Roads varies depending upon perspective and purpose. Most of Hampton Roads' land is geographically divided into 2 smaller regions: the eastern portion of the Virginia Peninsula (the Peninsula) and South Hampton Roads (locally known as "the Southside"), which are separated by

7290-460: The whole coastal region of the state. The U.S. Postal Service changed the area's postmark from "Tidewater Virginia" to "Hampton Roads, Virginia" beginning in 1983. The U.S. Census Bureau defines the "Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk, VA–NC, MSA" as 18 county-level jurisdictions—six counties and nine independent cities in Virginia, and three counties in North Carolina. While the borders of what locals call "Hampton Roads" may not perfectly align with

7380-455: Was among the freedmen who attended the local school, which evolved into the present-day Hampton University . The Jamestown Exposition for the 300th anniversary of the 1607 founding of Jamestown was held at Sewell's Point in a rural section of Norfolk County in 1907. Gillig Gillig (formerly Gillig Brothers ) is an American designer and manufacturer of buses . The company headquarters, along with its manufacturing operations,

7470-468: Was announced that the Commonwealth of Virginia has signed an umbrella contract with New Flyer Industries for the provision of buses to any Virginia transit authority. It remains to be seen whether or not the contract will include buses for HRT, but highly unlikely due to their contract for Gillig buses. The Tide Light Rail began service on August 19, 2011, with nine of the trainsets entering to revenue service. HRT has three ferries, with two operating in

7560-602: Was divided into a westside portion which included Old Dominion University and an eastside portion connecting to the Newtown Road Station. The Westside study was concluded in 2018 with a no-build decision. The eastside study is in progress with a three-mile light rail extension to the former Military Circle Mall and also new Bus Rapid Transit line from Military Circle to Naval Station Norfolk. Hampton Roads 36°58′N 76°22′W  /  36.967°N 76.367°W  / 36.967; -76.367 Hampton Roads

7650-558: Was established in accordance with Chapter 45 of Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia, as amended, referred to as the Transportation District Act of 1964 and by ordinances adopted by the governing bodies of its components governments. The Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads, HRT's governing body, consists of 13 members, one elected official and one citizen representative from each city served by Hampton Roads Transit, and

7740-661: Was made as Gillig purchased the Pacific bus division of Washington-based truck manufacturer Kenworth . At the time, Gillig controlled a 70% market share of Northern California over Crown Coach (based in Los Angeles), along with a similar share of Washington State, Oregon, and Nevada. In 1959, the company introduced the first rear-engine school bus with a diesel engine: the Cummins C-Series Transit Coach. Although still offered with gasoline engines in various configurations,

7830-530: Was moved to the Cedar Grove lot on Monticello Avenue north of Virginia Beach Blvd., to accommodate the Wachovia development on Monticello Avenue. In 2016, it was moved again to a new Downtown Norfolk Transportation Center (DNTC) indoor terminal at 434 St. Paul's Blvd., closer to the main downtown district and the Tide's Monticello station. As of 2018, Greyhound is planned to move into the facility, as its old terminal

7920-583: Was pressured by the board of directors and ultimately agreed to step down after the revelation of a $ 100 million cost overrun and a one-year delay on Norfolk's light-rail starter line, which has been named "The Tide". Shortly previously, Townes had been criticized for his handling of an employee embezzlement scheme. While he had not been directly involved in the earlier problem, a majority of the board members cited poor management and communication on his part in calling for him to step down. Hampton Roads Transit has approximately $ 30,000,000 dedicated revenue source from

8010-464: Was started in 2009 in an effort to bring a right-of-way rapid transit line to Virginia Beach using a former freight rail track, most likely to connect the current The Tide light rail from Newtown Road Station. The studied modes are Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail. Alternatives The study originally considered three alternatives with a fourth added from the City Council of Virginia Beach. Distances are

8100-738: Was the launching place for Union General George McClellan 's massive advance up the Virginia Peninsula, which almost reached the Confederate capital Richmond , before the Seven Days Battles forced him back. In 1865, as the Confederacy was near collapse, President Abraham Lincoln met with three senior Confederates at Hampton Roads in an unsuccessful bid for a negotiated peace. Some former slaves had been camped near Fort Monroe, where they were declared to be Contraband of war , instead of being returned to their former owners. Booker T. Washington

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