Express bus service between downtown Norfolk and Virginia Beach Oceanfront now available
South Hampton Roads residents can catch a bus between downtown Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Oceanfront every 15 minutes during peak traffic hours, starting Monday.
This route will be traversed by 12 new low-emission buses that are joining Hampton Roads Transit’s 757 Express fleet in conjunction with the launch of the new express service. The new buses can hold as many as 44 passengers.
The expansion is the latest for the service, which began in fall 2022. HRT targeted 13 high-frequency routes for conversion into express routes, meaning commuters can catch a bus every 15 minutes from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every weekday.
In addition to the downtown Norfolk to Oceanfront route, Route 20, the other routes are: Route 112 (Downtown Newport News to Patrick Henry Mall), which launched in October 2022, Route 114 (Newmarket to Downtown Hampton), which launched in May 2023, and routes 1, 2, 3, 8, 15, 21, 36 and 47, which will become express routes as they hire more drivers, according to HRT.
757 Express was started to address a primary concern of HRT users: frequency of service.
“These new buses will allow Hampton Roads Transit to provide a higher quality experience to our riders,” said President and CEO of Hampton Roads Transit William Harrell in a news release. “We plan to add more buses in the future as we continue to expand the 757 Express program.”
The new low-emission buses were paid for using the $20 million allocated annually to fund the 757 Express program that was included in 2020 legislation.
Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com
