HRT Signs Federal Funding Contract for The Tide

October 1st, 2007

On October 1, 2007, Administrator James S. Simpson of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Hampton Roads Transit sealed an agreement at MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk that committed the FTA to provide 55% or $128 million through a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) for The Tide, Norfolk’s light rail system. Administrator Simpson was joined by HRT President/CEO Michael S. Townes for the signing, and Congressional Representatives, and state and local officials were also on hand at the ceremony held along The Tide’s future route.

"This is truly a monumental occasion for HRT and the City of Norfolk,” said Michael Townes. “Our collective efforts have finally culminated in the receipt of federal funds to support the first light rail system in Virginia. The Tide will set the bar for the future of transit in Hampton Roads, and I am very excited to be a part of it."

The FFGA provides funding for the 7.4 mile starter line that will begin carrying passengers in early 2010. Construction on the $232 million line is scheduled to begin in mid-to-late November 2007. The Tide will run from Eastern Virginia Medical Center through Downtown Norfolk and along an existing freight rail corridor that runs parallel to Interstate 264 and ends at the Virginia Beach City line at Newtown Road. With 11 stations, The Tide is projected to carry between 6,000 and 12,000 passengers per day.

Information about The Tide can be found at the new website RideTheTide.com, which launches today.

To learn more about the FFGA, Click Here