NORFOLK, Va. – Free fares for Juneteenth and a convergence of weekend festivals led to a sharp increase in ridership across Hampton Roads Transit (HRT).
On Juneteenth, one of four annual fare-free days, HRT carried 50,876 customers, an increase of 58 percent from the same day last year, across all modes of transit – bus, VB Wave trolley, Tide light rail, Elizabeth River Ferry, Paratransit and OnDemand Ridesharing.
Much of the growth was driven by events that included Juneteenth celebrations, Sail250 Virginia and the 50th anniversary of Harborfest in downtown Norfolk, along with the Portsmouth Seawall Festival. Bus ridership grew 9 percent on June 19, with Paratransit up 11 percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, festivalgoers took advantage of free fares on light rail and ferry.
Light rail traffic rose 336 percent and ferry service increased 945 percent on June 19 compared to a year earlier.
The light rail and ferry saw heavy traffic throughout the three-day festival weekend:
- June 19: 10,217 on the Elizabeth River Ferry and 8,547 on the Tide light rail.
- June 20: 14,778 on the ferry and 10,973 for light rail.
- June 21: 6,883 on the ferry and 4,268 on light rail.
An additional 1,629 customers sailed on the ferry on June 22, when that service was free on the last full day to visit tall ships and military vessels celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Total ferry ridership over four days – 33,507 – reached numbers not seen since OpSail in 2012.
“Once again public transportation demonstrated its value as a popular and efficient solution to move thousands of people safely into congested areas with limited parking,” said William E. Harrell, HRT’s President and CEO. “We thank our city partners and our employees, who planned for months to make transit an easy and convenient option for residents and visitors to enjoy one of the region’s most memorable events.”
About HRT
HRT’s mission is to connect Hampton Roads with transportation solutions that are reliable, safe, efficient and sustainable. For more information on transit services, visit gohrt.com.
Media Contact:
Thomas Becher, APR
Manager, Communications
Cell: (757) 354-0564
tbecher@hrtransit.org
June 25, 2026