Connecting Chesapeake? Do it with light rail!

Hampton Roads Transit, a transit agency serving the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, is currently making progress on its Connecting Chesapeake study, the goal of which is to better integrate the city of Chesapeake into the regional transit network with an emphasis on a better connection to Norfolk. In this video (my first true video essay), I make a case for light rail between Chesapeake and Norfolk, two large cities (by Virginia standards) in one of the most populous regions of the state. This project could potentially bring about a massive expansion to the region's light rail network if this mode is chosen over buses.

Connecting Chesapeake study website: https://www.connectingchesapeake.com

Do you live/work/go to school in Hampton Roads? Take the Connecting Chesapeake survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...


A special thank you to my good friend ‪@Shortline819‬ for providing the excellent footage of that MARTA train!


Sources:

“Frequently Asked Questions.” GRTC, GRTC Transit System, 2024, ridegrtc.com/brt/frequently-asked-questions/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2024.

Hampton Roads Transit. “Peninsula Ferry Feasibility and Market Study.” 13 News Now, WVEC-TV, 13 Aug. 2024, interactive.13newsnow.com/pdfs/HRT-Ferry-Study_Newport-News-Presentation.pdf. Accessed 23 Aug. 2024.

---. “Tier 1 Alternative Routes Spring 2024.” Connecting Chesapeake, Hampton Roads Transit, 2024, static1.squarespace.com/static/648b322f52efcb418b6fe2c6/t/661ff569bd80c50fa20231fa/1713370479583/HRT+Connecting+Chesapeake+Tier+1+Alternatives.pdf. Accessed 8 Sept. 2024.

Hampton Roads Transit, and City of Chesapeake. “Connecting Chesapeake.” Connecting Chesapeake, Hampton Roads Transit, 2024, www.connectingchesapeake.com/. Accessed 6 Aug. 2024.

---. “Connecting Chesapeake a Study of High-Capacity Transit Chesapeake City Council Project Update.” Connecting Chesapeake, Hampton Roads Transit, 19 Mar. 2024, static1.squarespace.com/static/648b322f52efcb418b6fe2c6/t/66327da326de0f54f02ea1b4/1714584997336/HRT+Connecting+Chesapeake+City+Council+Update+20240319.pdf. Accessed 8 Sept. 2024.

---. “Study Advances: Project Update Summer 2024.” Connecting Chesapeake, 2024, static1.squarespace.com/static/648b322f52efcb418b6fe2c6/t/66b13b2976ef0c39bb11d26d/1722891053356/HRT+Connecting+Chesapeake+Tier+2+Update+Summer+2024v1.pdf. Accessed 3 Sept. 2024.

Heard, Bradley. “Ride the Tide of Light Rail, Virginia Beach.” Next City, 21 Feb. 2021, nextcity.org/urbanist-news/ride-the-tide-of-light-rail-virginia-beach. Accessed 2 Sept. 2024.

Maryland Transit Administration. Maryland Transit Administration Unveils First Purple Line Light Rail Vehicle. 11 July 2024, www.purplelinemd.com/media/xuhnl2s4/purple-line-lrv-reveal-press-release_final-with-image.pdf. Accessed 2 Sept. 2024.

---. “Purple Line Light Rail Vehicle,” Purple Line, 2024, purplelinemd.com/. Accessed 8 Sept. 2024.

“Pulse Stations & Boarding.” GRTC, GRTC Transit System, 2024, ridegrtc.com/brt/how-to-ride-grtc-pulse/pulse-stations-boarding/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2024.

Tupponce, Joan. “Beach Voters Are Not on Board with Light Rail.” Virginia Business, 30 Dec. 2016, www.virginiabusiness.com/article/beach-voters-are-not-on-board-with-light-rail/. Accessed 2 Sept. 2024.