757 Express Service Expands to Southside
Hampton Roads Transit is bringing the 757 Express to the Southside. Beginning Monday, November 13, 2023, commuters will have the convenience of being able to catch a bus every 15 minutes on Route 20 during the peak hours of 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. every weekday.
Route 20 is the busiest bus route in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The average daily ridership is about 2,000 customers. Prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the average daily ridership was between 3,000 and 3,500. There has been a steady increase in ridership over the last couple of years and we anticipate the return of 15-minute peak period frequency will help push us past pre-pandemic numbers.
Nineteen buses serve Route 20, which runs 24 miles along Virginia Beach Boulevard from Norfolk to Virginia Beach. If you were to ride from end-to-end it would take an hour and 45 minutes. It’s a vital resource for workers in the hospitality industry at the Oceanfront and those looking to reach the Business District in Downtown Norfolk. It also carries people to shopping hubs such as Town Center and Hilltop in Virginia Beach. Route 20 also provides access to Sentara Leigh Hospital and the surrounding medical facilities.
“We are excited about bringing 757 Express service to our Southside customers,” said William Harrell, President and CEO at Hampton Roads Transit. “We look forward to further expansion next year when we add Routes 1 and 15 to the 757 Express umbrella of services.”When all 13 routes of the 757 Express Program are implemented, it will result in nearly 200,000 additional revenue hours and more than 2.4 million additional revenue miles of service annually.
