Newport News briefed on Hampton Roads Transit plan that could cut hours, add microtransit and shift $4.1 million share

City finance staff and a consultant on Jan. 27 presented an alternative to Hampton Roads Transit’s proposed system optimization plan that would reduce duplicate routes, add longer cross‑peninsula service and expand targeted microtransit while shifting service hours to higher-demand corridors.

"We are now in year two of a three‑year study," said the consultant working for the two cities, describing a plan that keeps more frequent, 30‑minute service on many routes Monday through Saturday and adds targeted 15‑minute service in the Newport News shipbuilding area. The plan relies on microtransit zones to serve low‑density areas and to feed higher‑frequency routes.

The presentation flagged a regional funding shortfall of about $26,000,000 after pandemic-era funding ran out; city staff said Newport News’ proportional share of that gap would be roughly $4,100,000 in the current allocation, on top of about $8,700,000 the city already pays for existing service. Lisa Cipriano, the city’s budget director, said the system optimization work is intended to "make the best use of the funding that they have and of the drivers that they have," and that the proposed network could reduce or potentially eliminate part of Newport News’ share, but that outcome is not guaranteed.

The presentation also stressed operator constraints. According to the consultants and staff, HRT currently lacks roughly 100 operators to run the system in its reduced capacity and would need an additional 141 operators to support 15‑minute regional‑backbone service on the South Side. The consultant cautioned that driver hiring and retention — including overtime, burnout and CDL testing requirements — are the main cost drivers for service, noting that smaller vehicles alone do not substantially cut operating costs.

Council members asked whether microtransit would allow travel from any point in a zone to any other point. City staff noted a contract/collective‑bargaining constraint: microtransit providers in current arrangements may bring riders close to fixed‑route stops but are limited in taking riders directly to some transfer stations, a restriction that will require further negotiation and discussion.

Staff said the HRT original proposal would have reduced service by about 89,000 hours; the alternative developed with Jarrett Walker & Associates freed up approximately 25 operators and is projected to reduce local service hours by about 38 percent relative to today’s local patterns. Next steps outlined in the meeting: HRT will begin public outreach in March, run Title VI equity reviews, seek commission adoption in April, and implement the first service changes starting in October 2027.

The consultant offered to work with city staff and council members on route‑level details if council wants more granular information about frequencies or Sunday service on specific routes. The meeting included discussion of possible workforce training partners, and members suggested exploring non‑CDL drivers and other measures to address recruitment and retention. The council did not take formal action on the plan at the session; staff said public outreach and HRT action remain the upcoming procedural steps.