Fear not, RVA’s merry revelers, it’s now easier than ever to get turnt and make it between Carytown and the Bottom (and everywhere in between) safely.
Fear not, RVA’s merry revelers, it’s now easier than ever to get turnt and make it between Carytown and the Bottom (and everywhere in between) safely.
The mysterious demise of the To the Bottom and Back bus service last year left a void of late-night bus service for bargoers and partiers in RVA. Noticing the unmet service, Napoleon Taxi and Nightlife Virginia have teamed up to fill the vacuum with The Hop, which debuted last weekend.
Running 6 p.m. – 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, The Hop currently shuttles riders from the Carytown Kroger parking lot to the 17th Street Farmers Market in Shockoe Bottom, with stops in The Fan. The Hop is looking to expand its operations to three buses by the start of VCU’s fall semester, as well as adding Sunday brunch and tourist routes, among others.
Similar to The Bottom and Back, The Hop’s funding mainly comes from donations by “socially aware business” and ordinary citizens. You can donate on their website, where you can also find live GPS tracking of the buses.
“The Hop RVA’s core mission is to heighten awareness of responsible alcohol consumption and provide a platform for party-goers to avoid driving,” the organization said in a press release. “We are looking forward to many years of service to our community.”
On the first night of it’s launch, RVA Web Editor Brad Kutner found himself just peckish enough to need a lift from the Boulevard down to Belvedere. After checking The Hop’s website and noticing the GPS tracking system was down, and trying to tweet directly at the bus with no reply, he’d all but given up hope.
Kutner and his drinking compadre began the long walk down Cary in the hopes of catching the bus – yes, much like Bottom And Back, you can flag down the bus if you see it passing. (This lead to some safety concerns originally for the BnB, please don’t run into the street like an a-hole, stick your arms up and holler, but stay on the side walk)
Updated: here’s a photo of their route:
It was a good 15 min walk down Cary before the bus passed by and was successfully waved down – it was about 11:30 PM and nearly empty, but the employees, including a driver and two other uniformed folks, were there to help get us on and ask us where we were going.
The bus ride itself was smooth, much like the BnB. While the employees weren’t totally clear on their own rout, it does seem the bus will go up Main and down Cary when it hits the Fan, so if you’re trying to get on, those are good routes to start walking down (or up).
Hopefully they’ll get their GPS tracker up and running, but until then, enjoy yourselves, be safe, and appreciate the free ride before all the drunk college students come back.
