Trolleys are back at the Oceanfront, even as Virginia Beach backs other ride-share options

Stacy Parker, The Virginian-Pilot
·4 min read

Summer has unofficially started in the resort area, and a familiar mode of transportation has returned for another season.

The blue trolleys with wood trim are back on the streets, but it’s not entirely clear what the future holds for the nostalgic vehicles.

Over the next several years, the city plans to invest nearly $50 million to overhaul Atlantic Avenue, the main thoroughfare of the resort strip. Space for wider sidewalks will be created by removing one of the existing trolley lanes. Trolley loading areas will be incorporated into the design.

But a recently completed study of how people get around the resort area — the Resort Area Mobility Plan — commissioned by the city, recommends exploring different approaches.

Trolley ridership numbers dropped off during the pandemic and continued to last fall — with roughly 132,000 riders last year during the 4 ½ months the trolleys are in operation. City officials and resort area stakeholders have questioned whether trolley service is still needed or if it could be reduced if other microtransit options, such as minibuses, are available.

But trolleys, which cost $2 per ride and can hold up to 38 people, serve important purpose by relieving traffic congestion. Visitors can leave cars in a garage or lot and take the trolley to restaurants or attractions, said Ray Amoruso, chief planning and development officer for Hampton Roads Transit, which operates the trolleys for the city.

And then there’s the feelings associated with trolleys. The vehicles are part of what Amoruso calls the “panache of the Oceanfront.”

“They lend a sense of ‘this is a resort,’” he said.

The city hired a consultant firm in 2020 to gather public feedback about the trolleys and other transportation issues. Survey results concluded that trolley service is an important part of the resort experience for many visitors. However, residents said they don’t view the trolley as a viable transportation option.

In 2022, Virginia Beach took the first step in testing other options by investing in a free ride-share service, Freebee, at the Oceanfront. It was exceeded the city’s expectations, providing 91,951 free rides over the past year to visitors and residents. The city recently renewed the contract for another year, while increasing the fleet. At a cost of $1.2 million, 10 Freebee vehicles will operate this summer and five in the offseason.

Red trolleys were first used in Virginia Beach in the 1980s. The city stopped using them for several years, replacing them with hybrid electric-and-diesel buses in 2008, but ridership fell. In 2015, the new fleet of blue trolleys arrived from Wisconsin.

This year, security cameras have been added to the trolleys. Fourteen trolleys provide service on four routes.

For a map of service, visit https://gohrt.com/modes/vb-wave-bayfront-shuttle/.

The VB Wave routes:

  • Route 30 (Atlantic Avenue from Rudee Loop to The Cavalier hotel on Pacific Avenue)

  • Route 31 (General Booth Boulevard from Rudee Loop to Virginia Aquarium and KOA Campgrounds)

  • Route 34 (Oceanfront shuttle that runs from Pacific Avenue to the Virginia Beach Convention Center and the Virginia Beach Sports Center along 19th and 22nd streets)

  • Route 35 (Bayfront shuttle that runs along Pacific Avenue starting at Rudee Loop to Shore Drive and then via Shore Drive to Pleasure House Road)

Route 30 had the most passengers last year with 90,112. Route 31 had 28,130, Route 34, which is the newest route, had 379, and Route 35 had 13,521. The frequency of the trolley service is about every 15 minutes, except for Route 35 along Shore Drive, which runs every hour.

Trolleys began operating May 14 and will continue through the Neptune Festival, typically the end of September. Virginia Beach is providing Hampton Roads Transit $1 million for the trolley service. Rides cost $2 per adult for one-way fare. An all day pass costs $4.50, or a three day pass is $8.

Discounts are available. Tickets can be purchased on HRT’s new mobile ticketing app, Journey. Cash also is accepted with exact change only.

HRT also operates several bus routes to the Oceanfront from other parts of the city and Norfolk. The HRT bus stop is now next to the convention center due to the Atlantic Park project construction.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com