VA: Why don’t buses go to the Norfolk airport? Transit leaders say they need more drivers.

There is currently no way to take public transportation to Norfolk International Airport.

The region’s transportation authority, Hampton Roads Transit, would like to change that. But to do so, officials say they need to overcome a yearslong shortage of bus drivers.

The transit organization has looked into extending Route 9, a bus line travelling from downtown to Little Creek Road along Sewell’s Point Road, to the airport. However, the longer route would require four more bus drivers, said Ray Amoruso, Hampton Roads Transit chief planning and development officer. Before starting any new bus service, the transit authority first wants to erase a shortage of 242 drivers, he said. ,

Currently, passengers can take a rideshare or taxi to the airport or park for $12 a day in a garage. The closest bus stop to the airport is at the intersection of Military Highway and Norview Avenue, about 1.5 miles away.

For years, Amoruso said, transit leaders wanted to run a service to the airport but were stifled by airport leadership. However, he said Norfolk Airport Authority President and CEO Mark Perryman, who joined the airport in 2022, told Amoruso the airport was one of the few places he had worked at without a transit service.

“It’s not that we don’t want to do it,” Amoruso said. “I’m happy we have an executive director that wants transit at an airport.”

Norfolk International Airport spokesperson Chris Jones said the organization would welcome a bus route, but wasn’t sure how it would impact traveler volume.

“But we are excited about the prospect given a bus route’s potential benefits for workforce development at the airport,” Jones said.

As of this week, Hampton Roads Transit has 414 drivers and is 92 short of being fully staffed, said Kim Wolcott, chief human resources officer.

Even if the organization was able to staff those 92 positions, Wolcott said the transit agency needs another 150 drivers to implement a planned regional backbone network with higher frequency service.

Amoruso said the agency is focusing on filling those positions before starting new service. Wolcott said the pandemic exacerbated staffing issues, with drivers leaving due to safety concerns. She said more than 100 drivers left the agency in less than a year.

While Hampton Roads Transit is having some success hiring new drivers, Wolcott said, it is struggling with retainment. Because of union seniority rules, she said new drivers are often selected for mandatory overtime shifts and experience burnout.

To combat the issue, the transit agency plans to implement a pilot program in September by doing away with mandatory overtime and replacing it with a volunteer system, where drivers who want to earn overtime can pick up extra shifts. Additionally, she said Hampton Roads Transit leaders are exploring implementing a child care subsidy for drivers with young children and offering emergency leave.

Under a recent union contract, bus driver pay starts at $22 an hour, with drivers who stay with the organization for a little over four years able to make as much as $30 an hour. The job requires a commercial driver’s license, and Hampton Roads Transit offers a free CDL prep course to new hires.

Hampton Roads Transit is also creating a plan to close and consolidate less-used bus routes and redeploy those drivers to busier routes, expanding the frequency of bus stops, Amoruso said. The agency is currently presenting draft recommendations to cities, he said.

Amoruso said the plan is also aimed at securing more transit funding from Virginia and the federal government, which he said fund agencies based on the number of passengers per bus trip.

Norfolk International Airport has grown significantly in the past few years, adding new airlines like JetBlue and posting its busiest month in history in July. The airport also recently fully opened a moving walkway from baggage claim to the concourses and is in the midst of completing several other capital improvement projects, including an on-site hotel.