THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, March 13, 1996              TAG: 9603130562
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY PAUL CLANCY, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   59 lines

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: ***************************************************************** Robert Fentress, a member of the Tidewater Transportation District Commission, is a former Virginia Beach council member. His first name and council position were wrong in a MetroNews story Wednesday about bus-service cuts. Correction published in The Virginian-Pilot, Thursday, March 14, 1996, on page A2. ***************************************************************** BEACH, NORFOLK FACING BUS-SERVICE CUTS

Norfolk and Virginia Beach face substantial reductions in bus service if they fail to pay their share of money that will be lost due to cutbacks in federal subsidies, officials of the Tidewater Regional Transit system said Tuesday.

As many as 1,400 riders per day could be without bus service as an expected $1.2 million reduction in federal operating subsidies falls on the two cities. Or the cities could risk passenger falloff by reducing fare discounts for regular riders, the officials said.

The bleak picture will be presented to members of the Tidewater Transportation District Commission today.

In the case of Virginia Beach, which has many of the least-used bus routes, including one that runs along Princess Anne Road to City Hall, cuts seem inevitable.

``The bottom line is something's got to go,'' said Virginia Beach City Council member John Fentress, a member of the commission.

Norfolk City Council member Joseph Green, also a commission member, reluctantly agreed. ``I can't give any hope that we can hold onto what we have,'' he said.

TRT buses take more than 35,000 passengers a day around the region. Some lines run from downtown Norfolk to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, with dozens of stops along the way. Others run to Norfolk Naval Base, Oceana Naval Air Station, downtown Portsmouth and Great Bridge.

But for an area the size of South Hampton Roads, it is one of the smallest systems in the nation, in spite of growing demands for more service. Both Norfolk and Virginia Beach have asked for more bus service while opposing cost increases, TRT officials said.

``The service bone ain't connected to the budget bone,'' TRT Executive Director James C. Echols said.

Meanwhile, bus ridership has been growing, particularly in Norfolk, where several bus routes serve over a thousand passengers a day. The increase has come even with reductions in service.

``I think there's a lack of recognition on behalf of decision-makers of the value of public transportation,'' TRT Finance Manager Leland J. Carlson said.

Unlike some cities, such as Boston, Portland or Atlanta, where governments quickly respond to service needs, Carlson said, ``We're like Venus de Milo, standing here without any arms.'' by CNB