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Hampton Roads Transit study: Newport News riders largely bus-dependent, many commute to work
Summary
Hampton Roads Transit presented results of its 2023 Origin and Destination study to the Newport News City Council, showing local buses carry roughly three-quarters of riders, 64% of trips are commutes, and most riders walk to stops; high-frequency “backbone” routes saw large ridership gains after service increases.
Hampton Roads Transit presented its 2023 origin-and-destination survey results to the Newport News City Council on Jan. 14, showing that local buses carry the majority of transit riders in the six-city system and that most trips remain commutes between home and work.
The study, required by the Federal Transit Administration and used for Title VI and planning analyses, found that about 77% of system riders use local buses and 64% of trips are home-to-work or work-to-home, Hampton Roads Transit Chief Planning and Development Officer Ray Amoruso told council. He said 93% of riders walk to their nearest transit stop systemwide and in Newport News.
The study matters because it identifies where transit-dependent riders live and work and which services most affect their access to jobs and basic needs. "Bus is the workhorse of this agency," Amoruso said, noting that buses make up the bulk of week‑day ridership. He added that nearly two thirds of riders use transit four to seven times a week, a pattern he called a “repeat customer” base that depends on reliable, frequent service.
Amoruso highlighted stop infrastructure and access: the system has about 2,800 bus stops and 561 with passenger amenities, and sidewalk connectivity to stops is critical because most riders walk to board. He also reported household-income findings: about 40% of system riders reported household incomes under $25,000, and 43% of Newport News riders reported incomes below that threshold, a factor that links transit use to limited mobility choices.
The study measured the effect of new higher-frequency “backbone” routes. Amoruso said Route 112 on Jefferson Avenue, upgraded to 15-minute service in November 2022, saw a 67% ridership increase. Route 114 on Mercury Boulevard, with service changes in May 2023, rose about 34%, and Route 20 on Virginia Beach Boulevard posted a 38% increase after its November 2023 change. In response to a question from Councilman Law about those backbone routes, Amoruso said: “You give them frequency, more people will use it,” and added that operator availability is the main limit on expanding frequency.
Amoruso showed regional maps of origin-destination patterns, saying trip concentrations for Newport News cluster around Jefferson/Patrick Henry Mall, the Newport News Transit Center, Washington Avenue, Huntington Ingalls and the Newport News Shipyard. He noted significant cross‑water travel to downtown Norfolk and that employment trips are far more concentrated than nonwork trips such as shopping or medical visits.
Amoruso closed by offering route-specific data for council members and staff and invited officials to request detailed ArcGIS-based analyses for routes in their districts.
Council members did not take action on the study; the presentation was informational.
The study will inform local planning and route-level follow-ups by HRT and city staff, including requests from councilmembers for route-specific visualizations and ridership detail.
