Naval Station Norfolk Transit Corridor Project Update

The information in this Story Map matches what was presented in the early Spring 2023 public open houses and pop-up meetings. If you attended any of those meetings and do not need a refresher on the materials, feel free to skip to the comment form  here .

The Tide is one step closer to an expansion of service. The result of years of planning is a potential extension north from the Newtown Road Station. The extension would include two new stations – one with direct access to Sentara Leigh Hospital and a new end-of-line station at the Military Circle Mall Redevelopment Site. This Story Map is intended to guide you through the project’s progress, the initial recommended alignment, and the immediate next steps for making this plan a reality.

The Naval Station Norfolk Transit Corridor Project is moving forward in two phases. The Phase 1 Project would extend the Tide Light Rail from Newtown Road Station to the Military Circle Mall Redevelopment Area. The Phase 2 Project will explore Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as a high-capacity transit connection to Naval Station Norfolk (NSN), with a potential connection to a regional high-capacity transit network.

The Phase 1 initial recommended alternative can be seen here. Newtown Road Station would be relocated slightly west. The Tide would extend east from this station and turn north, running on the west side of Kempsville Road. A new station would be built directly across from Sentara Leigh Hospital, just south of the southern entrance to Kempsville Circle. Kempsville Road would be reconstructed to accommodate both traffic and the Tide extension. Moving north, the Tide would gain elevation and cross over I-64 on a light rail-only bridge. The Tide would return to ground level at Glenrock Road with no anticipated impacts to Costco’s operations. Because the details of the Military Circle Mall Redevelopment Site are still being planned, the exact location of the new end-of-line station will be determined in the future.

The Military Circle Mall Redevelopment Site has been a driving force behind the potential Tide extension. The City of Norfolk has envisioned high-density development for several years. The City is working with developers to determine the best possible use for this land. The images here depict what the City of Norfolk's Military Circle Urban Development Area Plan envisioned the site could look like.

The following images depict what Kempsville Road, Sentara Leigh Station, and Newtown Road Station could look like after construction.

Kempsville Road would be reconstructed to reduce the median while still accommodating two lanes of traffic in each direction. The station would provide easy access to Sentara Leigh Hospital and surrounding office buildings. With the narrowing of Kempsville Road from one side to the other, crossing the street would require less time than today.

The Sentara Leigh Station would sit on the western side of Kempsville Road and feature signalized pedestrian crossings. After the reconstruction of Kempsville Road, all four legs of this intersection would have crosswalks as opposed to just three today.

The Newtown Road Station would be reconstructed perpendicular to Abilene Avenue and provide pedestrian access to the station from both sides of Curlew Drive.

Easton Forest could experience transportation access and land use impacts if the Tide is extended. Access to Newtown Road and Kempsville Road via Bangor Avenue would be removed in favor of a consolidated entry point at Blackstone Street and Kempsville Road. This intersection would be signalized, allowing more reliable and safe maneuvers in and out of the neighborhood. The relocation of the Newtown Road Station would provide the opportunity for new pedestrian connections to both sides of Curlew Drive.

The project is currently engaged in the Environmental Assessment (EA) process. An EA is a document presented on behalf of the federal government, in this case the Federal Transit Administration, that describes the impacts of the project and the means by which the design of the project will attempt to avoid and minimize adverse impacts. The EA is required in order to receive federal funding. After the EA process is complete, HRT will apply for SMART SCALE funding – a state funding source for transportation.

The federal environmental planning process requires evaluation of environmental justice. Environmental justice focuses attention on the environmental and human health effects of federally funded projects such as this, on minority and low-income populations with the goal of achieving environmental protection for all communities. The public engagement process is a key method of ensuring this protection and the study team seeks input specifically addressing this topic through in-person events and also the survey below.

Visit  https://www.navalstationnorfolktransit.com/  for the latest project updates.