For reference, here are the two images:

• Route 72 Holland Rd
• Route 33 General Booth Blvd

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Yesterday I was skimming Virginia Beach’s new draft Comprehensive Plan. There were a couple bus photos in the Policy Document that caught my eye:

Page 18
 
There’s a photo of the bus on Hampton Roads Transit’s (HRT) Route 72…sitting at the Suffolk Bus Plaza. That’s right: the 72 runs from the Suffolk Bus Plaza to Paul D. Camp Community College and back. (What’s a Suffolk bus photo doing in our Comp Plan?!?)

Page 116

There’s a photo of Bus 2016 on Route 33 Outbound. Okay, they did get a Virginia Beach route this time.

What’s unusual is a low-floor Gillig on the 33. Not in the past 15 months, since the 33’s operations were transferred from Southside Base (in Norfolk) to Virginia Beach Base. Even before then, it would have been rare.

Here’s the kicker

I was already planning a blog post on those photos. I called Michael Ragsdale of HR Transit Ideas so he could join in the laughs. Instead, I learned the photos were from his Flickr account:

1. The license on the photos prohibits them from being used without proper credit.

2. The City probably also violated Flickr policy, too.

H/T to Henry Ryto

Thanks a lot, Virginia House of No!

Also, to the wingnuts out there, get over it. There’s NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH! We’re going to have to spend money and it has to come from somewhere. We’re going to have to suck it up and get revenue from somewhere: be it a tax increase or tolls for example.

I leave you with some recent pictures of buses below the fold:

Effective August 17, 2009

Dear HRT Passengers,

In response to passenger needs and trends, Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) has modified all Suffolk Routes. Modifications include bus stop relocations and route changes. Please see the associated service changes below. Due to service changes, drivers will no longer have extended layovers at the Suffolk Bus Plaza. New schedules will be available for all service changes. HRT staff will be at the Suffolk Bus Plaza to answer questions on the following days.

Mondays, August 10, 2009 | 7am – 11am / 2pm – 6pm

Thursday, August 13, 2009 | 7am – 11am / 2pm – 6pm

Friday, August 14, 2009 | 7am – 11am / 2pm – 6pm

Route 71 – Obici Hospital

• Route 71 inbound will service the Farm Fresh shopping center by traveling the access road between Taco Bell and the clothing drop off point. The bus stop is located next to the clothing drop off location. This will be the only pickup and drop off location for the Farm Fresh Shopping Center
• Route 71 outbound will no longer access the Big Lots shopping center. The bus stop is located near Chick-fil-A on Main Street.
• Route 71 will no longer service The City Municipal Center and stops along Market Street & Wellons Street between Washington Street & Main Street. Route 72 outbound will now service this area.

Route 72 – Holland Rd/ Paul D. Camp Community College

• Route 72 outbound will now service The City Municipal Center and stops along Wellons Street & Market Street between Washington Street & Main Street.
• Route 72 inbound will now service Farmer Joe grocery store on Carolina Road.
• Route 72 will no longer access the Suffolk West Plaza Center. Passengers needing access to the shopping center may use the bus stop located on W. Washington Street between Hardees Restaurant and Lipton factory.

Route 72 – Holland Rd/ Paul D. Camp Community College-Continued

• Route 72 Holland Plaza shopping center bus stop, will be located on the outer road in the parking lot next to the light pole, caddy corner to George’s Steak House.
• Route 72 will no longer service the Riverview and Lakeside Park residential area.

Route 73 – Kingsboro/Wilroy Road

• Route 73 outbound will no longer travel through the Fresh Pride Grocery Store parking lot. The bus will access shopping center on the outer rim of the parking lot just before exiting onto Constance Road.
• Route 73 will no longer enter the Food Lion Shopping Center on Portsmouth Boulevard. The bus stop will be located on Portsmouth Boulevard in front of the shopping center.
• Route 73 inbound will no longer service Wilson Pines Apartments. The bus stop will be located on E. Washington Street in front of the Nab Jones Assisted Living facility.

Route 74 – Lake Kennedy / South Suffolk

• Route 74 outbound will no longer enter the Nansemond Square Apartments. The bus stop will be located on Dill Road just past the entrance to the apartment complex at 110 Dill Road.
• Route 74 will no longer enter into the Bettie Davis Village Apartment complex. The bus stop will be located at the intersection of Dover Court and Carolina Road.
• Route 74 inbound will no longer service Georgia Ave as a turn around location. The Route 74 will turn left off of Hollywood Ave onto Arizona Ave travel through Cypress Park onto Oregon Avenue and exit back onto Hollywood Avenue.

If these changes affect your accessibility to a relocated bus stop, you may be eligible for our paratransit service, Handi-Ride. Handi-Ride is curb-to-curb transportation service available within 3/4 of a mile of regularly scheduled bus routes. Handi-Ride is for certified passengers only. For more information about Handi-Ride certification, please call (757) 222-6087.

For questions or concerns, please contact our customer service department at (757) 222-6100

Thank you for your patronage | Printable Version

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Hampton-VA/Hampton-Roads-Transit/91388301596?ref=mf

Effective: Sunday, August 2, 2009

Dear HRT Passengers,

Starting Sunday, August 2, 2009 Route 310 Shuttle departing Cedar Grove transfer center will now travel via Salter Street to Virginia Beach Boulevard to Monticello Avenue to Brambleton Avenue to Saint Paul’s Boulevard over regular route.

There will be no change to the route entering into Cedar Grove transfer center.

A new bus stop will be installed on Monticello Avenue between Olney Road and Starke Street to serve Human Services.

For more information, please call 222-6100.

Thank you for your patronage | Printable Version | Post Date: July 29, 200

This new bus stop means you no longer have to cross the street for:

• Human Services building
• Greyhound Station

For long-time riders, who remember when all buses went into Downtown Norfolk: you’re getting that old stop back by the Greyhound station!!

Yes they work.  I used this specific one to purchase a bunch of day passes a few weeks ago.

Now: these machines take Visa & MasterCard!

21 new machines (total) will be placed at Tide Light Rail stations in time for the 2010 opening.

My brother told me about this guy on the East Coast, goes by the name Reid Greenmun who makes John Niles look like nothing.

He public called for the abolishment of my brother’s area transit agency on three separate occasions and he keeps on ranting on how it’s a TOD conspiracy. I could go on, but I think everyone gets the idea.

Head to http://avengingarchangel.blogspot.com/ and search “Reid Greenmun”, “VBTA”, and “Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance”. Enjoy the bashing

Yes, she’s telling everyone to check Avenging Archangel.  She has family in the Hampton Roads area so she pays attention to us.

Tested on iPhone 3G with OS 3.0

Once it’s installed, Ideas for Hampton Roads Transit will run much better when viewed from the iPhone/iPod Touch!