Why I Ride
Hampton Roads Transit is rolling out its “Why I Ride” campaign. The campaign includes a series of videos featuring our passengers talking about why they ride public transportation.
The Marketing and Strategic Communications team fanned out across Hampton Roads talking with a broad range of customers: students riding the bus to school, workers hopping on the light rail to Downtown Norfolk, families enjoying a ferry ride from Portsmouth to Harbor Park, visitors to the Oceanfront taking advantage of the VB Wave, and workers relying on the bus to get back and forth to the shipyard.
While they all have different reasons for riding, the overarching message was the same: Hampton Roads Transit provides an essential service to the community.
We already know most of our customers use public transportation to get to and from work. However, as the Why I Ride campaign will show, the reasons people ride are as varied as the population we serve. And while someone may not directly rely on public transit, chances are they know someone who does.
This campaign wasn’t just an opportunity for us to talk to customers about why they ride, but to learn more about what having access to public transportation means to them. We heard repeatedly how public transit provides access to employment, school, and entertainment that otherwise wouldn’t be attainable.
One ferry rider told us that if service to Harbor Park wasn’t available on game night for him and his family, they probably wouldn’t go. Trolley passengers said the VB Wave made their visit to Virginia Beach easier and provided more access to businesses along the Oceanfront. A shipyard worker told us he rides the bus because it helps him save money and protect the environment. Riders continue to ask for increased frequency and new technology. Young customers are especially anxious to see additional 757 Express routes and the implementation of mobile fare collection. A growing and thriving transit system means a growing and thriving economy. Any investment in public transit as an investment in the future of Hampton Roads.
