Ridership numbers on HRT systems almost back to pre-pandemic levels

You can get free rides to Harbor Park for Norfolk Tides games two hours before and after the game. You can also get free rides on some holidays, like Juneteenth. However, are those free ride programs leading to more returning riders?

According to Hampton Roads Transit, the free rides for every game day program started in March of 2024.

Let’s take a look at some of these numbers: Ridership numbers show there were 37,043 passengers in April of 2023 and 78,362 in April of 2024. In May of 2023, ridership came in at 74,335, compared to 76,969 In May of 2024. So, it seems like ridership on the rail is increasing.

“It’s very weather determined right? Very driven by the event. Obviously, we see more on the weekend versus the weekdays but clearly, people are taking advantage of this,” said Thomas Becher with HRT.

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Becher says ridership on all their systems, not just light rail, is getting back to pre-pandemic levels. The uptick in ridership is quite impressive when you consider many more people are working from home now.

However, on top of the increase, Becher says the more people who take public transport, the better it is for the environment.

“One train can carry, standing room only... 230 folks. If you think about them coming to the park in a car, four per car, that’s taking 57 cars off the road.”

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Some riders News 3 spoke to say they would love the service to expand to other cities.

“I want it to go to Chesapeake, to Greenbrier,” said Frances Miller, a new rider.

But as for the free rides to Harbor Park, they continue to be a viable and cost-effective way of getting to the ballgame.

Those free rides could be leading to a higher attendance at Harbor Park, too. According to Baseball America, Tides attendance is up by 11% since last year.

For a full list of the ridership numbers for HRT, you can click here.

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