Hampton Roads Transit Awards Consultant To Devise Master Plant For Proposed Norfolk Light Rail System

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Hampton Roads Transit (Hampton, Virginia) has awarded URS Corporation (San Francisco, Corporation) the planning and preliminary design contract for a proposed $198 million Norfolk Light Rail System in to be located in Hampton, Virginia (PEC ID 27001400, Plant ID 1060724).

Planning and preliminary designs are currently underway and awaiting FTA approval (federal, state and local approval) for the proposed Norfolk Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project extending 7.4 miles from the Eastern Virginia Medical Center through downtown Norfolk to Newtown Road. The proposed project would consist of eleven station stops and use a combination of existing railroad corridor and city streets. Approximately 10,000 people per day are expected to ride the Norfolk LRT system. Construction is slated to start in 2006 with completion and opening expected in 2008. Environmental impact studies have been completed for the proposed project and once approval has been granted, final designs can begin. Nine trains will be used when construction is completed.

Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), Virginia's regional public transportation system, provides one-fare routes and connections within and between the cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, and Suffolk. HRT's routes cover virtually all major shopping centers, schools and military bases and operate the special free NET electric bus service in downtown Norfolk. HRT currently has a fleet of over 350 buses, para-transit vehicles, trolleys and non-revenue vehicles.