Imagine pulling people out of their cars in Jacksonville, but this is exactly the kind of thing that light-rail or streetcar can do. The largest negative is that without the mobility plan moratorium sunsetting we won't see this benefit come to Jacksonville. SUNSET NOW!
QuoteRail News: Passenger Rail
Norfolk light-rail service is keeping cars off roads, survey says
About 44 percent of the people using Hampton Roads Transit's (HRT) The Tide would be driving their cars if the light-rail service did not exist, according to survey results recently presented to HRT's board.
The Tide, which began service just over a year ago, also is attracting a higher percentage of choice riders than local bus service, HRT officials said in a prepared statement.
The results underscore the ability of light-rail transit to attract riders who have several travel choices each day, they said.
"In just over a year, light rail has demonstrated its importance to the commuting public," said William Harrell, HRT's president and chief executive officer. "This critical investment in our transportation network will pay for years to come."
The survey results also drew a demographic picture of who uses The Tide: about 45 percent of survey respondents are under 30 years old, compared with 34 percent under that age who ride buses.
Among other key survey findings: Weekday riders use The Tide primarily to go to work or home; more than 30 percent board at Newtown Road and of those riders, 61 percent live in Virginia Beach, Va.; and nearly 60 percent of riders said The Tide's most needed improvement was to extend service into Virginia Beach.
SOURCE: Progressive Railroading, view ar: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Norfolk-lightrail-service-is-keeping-cars-off-roads-survey-says--32782
Norfolk has to have the most godawful traffic of any city I have ever been in except Tokyo. I'm surprised that only 44% have taken to the new light rail system.
Norfolk is on a peninsula and the bridges and tunnels make choke points. The bridges must go up for military and commercial traffic no matter the time of day and when it happens in rush hour it takes hours to unscramble. Total nightmare.