Norfolk Light Rail Transit
The TIDE, Norfolk’s light rail
transit system, is a $288 million project currently under
construction. The TIDE is 7.4 miles long and runs west from the
Eastern Virginia Medical Center through downtown Norfolk and extends
east, running adjacent the I-264 corridor terminating at Newtown
Road. The project is a partnership with the City of Norfolk, the
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Hampton Roads Transit (HRT),
the region’s transit provider. The Tide will have eleven stations,
including four park and ride locations. The rail system will
provide access to several major Norfolk activity centers such as
Norfolk State University, Harbor Park, City Hall, MacArthur Center,
Tidewater Community College (Norfolk Campus) and Sentara Norfolk
General Hospital. The system will utilize a combination of both
city streets and the existing rail corridor purchased from Norfolk
Southern and will also be served by an enhanced feeder bus network.
The TIDE when operational is estimated to carry between 6,000 and
12,000 people per day by 2026.
Under the current project
budget, the City of Norfolk will pay $55 million, approximately 19
percent of the project’s total cost which is less than the 25
percent originally forecasted; Federal and State sources will
provide the remaining 81 percent of the project’s capital costs. The
City of Norfolk and HRT held a groundbreaking ceremony in early
December 2007 and construction formally commenced shortly
thereafter. The TIDE is on track to open to passenger service by the
latter half of 2010. The Norfolk TIDE is the first step toward a
regional light rail system envisioned to link multiple jurisdictions
and also high speed passenger rail service along the East Coast, and
beyond. Norfolk is the 36th American city to embark on
light rail and the nation’s smallest city to take this large
regional step forward.
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