To Ride or Not to Ride: Hampton Roads Transit Part 2

There are many places you might want to go, for various reasons in Hampton. I am only going to list the really important ones here, as a quick reference for any future trips.

Malls

Patrick Henry Mall

Location:12300 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, VA 23602

Phone: (757) 249-4305

Bus Routes: 107, 111, 113, 116, 119

Since Peninsula Town Center opened up, Patrick Henry has become a lot less of a hot spot. However, it is still good for those mall staples, like Spencer’s, the Food Court, and Auntie Annie’s Pretzel (yum!). Getting a ride here could be a lot more expensive, because of the increased distance. Driving it can take 20 minutes, more if there is traffic. It will admittedly take longer if you take the bus, but since most people go to Patrick Henry with their friends it should go by quickly. Just make sure you know what bus you are taking and which bus you’re using to get back. With buses, lack of information can cost you up to 3 hours of lost time, especially in that area, which is technically Newport News.

You will need at least 2 buses to get there, more if you do it wrong. None of the buses that go to this mall leave from Hampton Transit Center. To get there from Hampton you will need to either take another bus from Peninsula Towne Center, or from the Newport News Transit Center (NNTC). The buses to Peninsula are listed below, and the buses that go to NNTC are the 101, 103, and the 961 from Hampton Transit Center.

From NNTC  you take the 107 to Patrick Henry, which can be 35 minutes and operates daily. It leaves NNTC every hour at xx:15.

From Peninsula Towne Center, you can take the 113 to the mall, which only operates Fri.- Sun. in the evenings and afternoon. Check the schedule for exact times as they vary.

Peninsula Towne Center

Location: 4410 East Clairborne Square, Hampton, VA, 23666

Phone: (757) 838-1505

Bus Routes: 102, 105, 113, 114, 118

Peninsula Towne Center has become a very popular spot for dining, shopping and hanging out. It’s main selling points are the Target, Five Guys, and the Forever 21. They have a little bit of everything. Taking the bus has the added advantage of not having to search for parking. The buses that go there from the Hampton Transit Center are the 102, 114, and the 118. Click on any bus number for a link to its schedule. 

The 102 is pretty much specifically for Peninsula Towne Center with maybe 2 other official stops on the way. It leaves HTC once every hour, at xx:20. When leaving from HTC make sure you give yourself 20 minutes to get there, because nothing sucks more than watching your bus pull away, and having to wait for another 15-30 minutes for the next one. Luckily, there are other Peninsula buses that leave from HTC. 

The 118 also leaves every hour, at xx:15. It will take you 20 minutes to get to the Towne Center, which will be listed on the schedule as Coliseum Square. The 114 bus leaves twice an hour, at xx:20 and xx:50 until 8:00 pm, after which it only runs once an hour at xx:50.

Grocery Stores

Farm Fresh #1: Coliseum Dr. 

Location: 2190 Coliseum Dr., Hampton, VA, 23666

Hours: 6am – Midnight, 7 Days A Week

Phone: (757) 827- 4816

Bus Routes: 118, 102

The 118 and 102 bus both go here. The 118 leaves every hour at xx:15 and the 102 leaves every hour at xx:19. The bus should take around 20 minutes from the Hampton Transit Center. This Farmfresh is right down the street from Peninsula Towne Center on Coliseum Dr. You should request a stop as soon as you see the Farm Fresh come up on your right. For the 102, there is not an official stop for that Farmfresh so you’ll might have to ask the driver to stop when you get to it.

Farm Fresh #2: Phoebus

Location: 608 E Mercury Blvd, Hampton, VA, 23663

Hours: 6am – Midnight, 7 Days A Week

Phone: (757) 723 – 0771

Bus Routes: 120

There are many buses that passby within a block or 2 of this store, but I’d rather give you the most direct bus possible. The only bus that goes right in front of the store is the 120, which leaves HTC every hour at xx:31.

Walmart

Location: 1900 Cunningham Dr., Hampton, VA, 23666

Hours: 24/7, 365 days a year

Phone: (757) 826-6377

Bus Routes: 105, 114, 118

Cheaper than Farmfresh, with great deals on everything you probably shouldn’t be eating in large portions. Conveniently open all the time, which is great for design students in the middle of the night who need supplies and snacks. NO one wants to run out of Sharpies in the middle of a section drawing.


The 118 leaves HTC at xx:15 every hour, starting at 6:15, and arrives at the Pine Chapel Rd. and Freeman stop at xx:29, with the last bus arriving at 10:29 pm. 
The 105 is a special bus that I'm guessing is specifically for those working the early shift at Walmart. it only arrives at 6:12 am on weekdays. It leaves the Newport News Transit Center at 5:40 am also on weekdays only.
The 114 is another special bus, but with a few more drop off times. This bus appears to be picking up the graveyard shift at Walmart. Instead of going to the NNTC, it goes to the HTC at 5:53, 6:23, and 6:53 am. 
For all the Walmart buses, the stop should either be Pine Chapel Rd. and Barrack St., Pine Chapel Rd. and Freeman, or something with Pine Chapel in it. If you need further directions, ask the bus driver.