NORFOLK, Va. – Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) ridership in the most recent fiscal year surpassed 10 million for the first time since the pandemic.
Boardings across all HRT transit modes – bus and trolley, light rail, ferry, Paratransit and OnDemand Ridesharing – grew by 6 percent between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, reaching 10.01 million. That’s up from 9.46 million the previous fiscal year.
Bus ridership grew by 4.1 percent to 8.3 million. The Tide Light Rail saw 914,909 boardings – an increase of 9.5 percent – while the Elizabeth River Ferry welcomed 260,512 passengers, up 17.2 percent.
Paratransit recorded 450,341 customers, a 6.7 percent increase. OnDemand Ridesharing saw 82,679 riders in Newport News. Ridesharing was not included in the previous fiscal year’s reporting. Service in Chesapeake and Hampton are in the pilot-program phase and was not included in HRT’s required data reporting.
The end of the fiscal year in June included much heavier than usual ridership due to events that included Juneteenth, Sail250 Virginia, the 50th anniversary of Harborfest and the Portsmouth Seawall Festival. During three days of free transit, the light rail and ferry recorded a combined 57,295 customers in support of the events.
Ridership levels since 2023 can be found here.
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
September 9, 2026