NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
March 25, 2008
Day and Night Contact:
George Brisbin (757) 393-8836; ext. 4205
Portsmouth - On Monday, April 7th at 9:30 a.m., Portsmouth’s residents will be able to get in “The Loop”, the new downtown shuttle service ribbon cutting will take place at High Street Landing. The Loop is the culmination of city council and citizen desires to connect the downtown area with the waterfront and the Naval Medical Center. The Loop will consist of two, energy efficient circulator buses that will loop from the downtown tunnel parking area to downtown businesses and the Naval Medical Center on a continuous loop throughout the day. For the first two weeks the shuttle is free but beginning April 21, fares will be $.50 per ride.
The Loop circulator buses are a low emission hybrid diesel electric drive and are amongst the first in the state. The Loop route will serve the downtown core and connect to the free “Park and Ride” lot at the tunnel entrance; to regular service at the County Street transfer stop; hotels and other businesses along the riverfront and Effingham Street with the ultimate destination being the Naval Medical Center and return. Bus service will be available from 7 a.m. to midnight. Service cycles will run in 30 minute intervals from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 8 p.m. to midnight. The cycles will increase in frequency to 15 minute intervals from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. All service is timed to meet the ferry at the High Street Landing.
Funding for the new bus service comes from a 2006 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant. The value of the grant is $2,400,000, which includes equipment and three years of operational costs. The grant has allowed the City to move forward with the project. Several city departments have worked together with HRT on this project including the Department of Planning, Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and the Office of Management Services. A citizen advisory group was also intricately involved in the planning process and is excitedly awaiting the ribbon cutting ceremony. Portsmouth invites everyone to come and be apart of this exciting opportunity to connect and ride throughout downtown, just in time for tourist season. For information on this service, visit http://www.gohrt.com or call HRT at (757) 222-6000.
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