scm

Where is any of THAT proven? You can search every new start rail project in the world, and you will find congestion avoidance listed as a chief benefit EVERY time -- Dallas, Austin, Portland, even your own Charlotte Observer: ""Getting commuters out of their cars is a key goal for CATS. Not only are park-and-ride customers most likely new transit users, they usually take longer train trips

My father always said people will always give you two reasons for doing something: The real reason, and one that sounds good. Is this anything more than anecdotal, that people have just mentioned to you? The reason I ask is that the HRPDC did a Naval Station Traffic Management Study a year ago and looked at ways to increase transit usage -- never mentioned the things you said. It is insightful to look at where NS trips originate (from the same study) -- very few originate in the 264 corridor or in C'peake -- most are in Ocean View, Wards Corner, or Ghent/Larchmont. It may be that the express service isn't drawing from that big a target population -- only draws about 350 riders/day. Have to wonder how many would ride LR from VB to the base -- both for my reasons, and for the fact there just aren't that many potential riders. Which brings up the next point. A NS extension may be a "political imperative" to get VB on board, but I doubt that will withstand any scrutiny by the bill payers -- state and federal. You see what the FTA did to the Dulles extension? Standby for the same. I don't see anthing that LR will do, that can't be done by bus service connecting at the Medical Center. Will travel in the traffic, at the same speed. Won't require re-construction of a RR underpass, either at Colley or Hampton. Will be able to enter the base, without a change, and get to most of the employment centers. Won't require capital. Won't be as sexy. The sexy argument won't carry the day.

Rus, I wish I could be so sanguine about the potential for Naval Base ridership, but unless someone can show some empirical evidence, I have to think it will be a complete disaster, with such low ridership it will set the entire system back years. Today, for a variety of reasons, the Naval Station has the higher percentage of SOVs than the average in HR. The layout of the NS has something to do with it -- if you are on a ship, and have a dental appt off the ship, you have to have a car to get there, or have hours to wait. If you have to go to a variety of offices, they are all located away from the waterfront. Gym the same way. Bottom line is you have to have a car during the day, almost every day, just due to the physical layout. Second, there is something in the population that takes extraordinary pride in having a car. I saw it in Germany. Stuttgart has one of the best urban transit systems in Europe, with a heavy and light rail station a short distance from our main base there (compact, walkable base). Bus connections are frequent, yet I almost never saw an American service member waiting at the closest bus stop. Which brings me to the next observation -- it will be impossible to not utilize circulator buses that connect to an off base final LR stop. The Navy will NEVER permit a LR station on base, and besides, it will never be close to all of the destinations, ergo a collector bus system will be required. Second problem is rooted in the fact that LR will only coax drivers out of their cars if it delivers better times than driving -- proven in system after system. If the Medical Center line is extended to ODU and the NS, it will have to go either up Hampton Blvd, or Colley, and then jumping over to Hampton at 27th and 26th. Either way, they will basically be streetcars, as there is no way to get dedicated ROW. Hampton is two lane both sides until around 38th, and horribly slow at rush hours. If I guess right, there will be around seven stops between the Medical Center and the NS -- minimum three minutes between stops, in good traffic, so twenty minutes, on top of what it took to get from VB to the Medical Center. Typical ride will be drive to a park and ride, then forty minutes to an hour to the end of the line, where you change to a circulator bus to get to your destination -- and be without a car all day. All of these issues won't change because of the extension of LR up Hampton. There are approximately 100,000 people assigned to NS Norfolk, although many aren't there every day. There is enough demand, from that population, to support a total of TWELVE express buses daily from the Silverleaf and Chesapeake P&Rs -- single bus service, with no change required. If the population doesn't better support the current express bus service, then why do you think they will ride an even more time consuming LR extension?

Probably would require blowing the entire system up and starting all over. That HSR line could be run by a Virginia state authority, in partnership with industry, much like the Florida and Texas systems were planned. The problem is, that as the VP pointed out just today, the Virginia Rail Enhancement Fund should be re-named the "Norfolk Southern Capital Budget Subsidy Fund". Of the $163M in funding requested in 2008's submissions, over $100M is for NS freight projects alone. The passenger rail requests are 4 of the 14 -- and just a pittance of the $$$ amount. Until our political leadership leads, we will remain wedded to this idea of single occupancy vehicles as the ne plus ultra of transportation. We have to get rid of the notion that public transportation is to transportation, as public housing is to housing. Until our leaders begin changing opinion, and show how an effective, integrated system, will improve all of our lives, and deliver something better than SOV-driven solutions, we are wedded to spending more money, building roads, to ultimately discover that all we get is more congestion, more pollution, and more money going to dictatorships that hate us. I am not optomistic we will get leadership before I run out of life to enjoy the results.

FRA won't let you run light rail and heavy rail on the same lines. But I love that routing -- possibly could do it with diesel multiple unit commuter rail running throughout the day? Platforms at the stations could allow HS mainline traffic to be interspersed - on a siding, loading, while the mainline continues. NS owns that line that goes past Ward's Corner to the NS.

That is the same line that goes past Harbor Park -- the NS Lamberts Point coal yard feeders. They just don't go anywhere, except to the NS lines to Suffolk and points west. That's the problem with the Harbor Park station. The right heavy rail line (won't be HS anywhere this side of NN -- but then neither are the French TGV lines once they get near a city) goes across through the third crossing, to W'burg, Richmond a/p, parallels 295 to Glen Allen and Ashland, to F'burg, then west through Quantico MCB, across Manassas and up the median of Route 28 to the east side of Dulles -- just like at Charles De Gaulle and Frankfurt. Dulles to Norfolk in 1+30. No more connecting flights. No more three hours to get from the Springfield mixing bowl to Quantico on 95. But on this end, you need a rail collector system to feed the requisite loads to drive the frequency you need on that route. Frankfurt A/P to Stuttgart, they run every 30 min to an hour, and when you get to Stuttgart, you have an extensive rail -- commuter heavy, subway, and streetcar -- system to get you to your destination. No busses involved. We could have the same thing here -- commuter heavy rail from E City, serving Moyock, Great Bridge and Volvo P'way and from Franklin, serving Suffolk, Bowers Hill and Victory Crossing. Light rail from both downtowns -- Norfolk and TC. Then, have a local line from Norfolk to Richmond, stopping in NN, Oyster Point, W'Burg, Toano, the Richmond A/P, and downtown. Would collect folks from the intermediate points and get them to the HSR stations along that route. Also, a local line (basically an expanded VRE) from Richmond to Washington Union Station would serve the same purpose, and provide access to Alexandria and the District, connecting at F'burg. I've seen that system -- it is the norm in Germany and France. It increases quality of life. It is a model to emulate, for many reasons.

I believe this is a temporary situation, even though they haven't identified the follow-on. It DOES need to have LR connections, and I am almost certain it will. Henry, any insights? Now, for the correct location of a future multi-modal station. As attractive as the Harbor Park location appears, it isn't in the right place for H/S rail access, especially as we plan for the future. There is NO access to that from the north, including any future tubes in the third crossing. You also have to compete with the NS coal lines running to Lamberts Point. The right place to put that is in the industrial area off 264 and Ballentine, at Westminister Ave. That is a large, little used industrial area. It is adjacent to the LR line, and directly on the double tracked lines north. South, the bridge could be expanded to double track and be supported by a marshalling yard on the old Ford plant rail head off Campostella, a necessity for a station at the end of the line. The double tracked lines that go north from the Westminister Ave location go directly to the Naval Station, and lead right into the future third crossing. Commuter rail could serve as far as Elizabeth City and Franklin/Suffolk from this location now, and Williamsburg later. Easy transfer to LR for downtown or Town Center employment centers. All in all, a better, more central location with better rail line, and equal highway access.

La Galleria in Norfolk now is events-only

VP gets onboard for LR in the Midtown, as part of a regional solution.

I thought this through. It needs to start at the Midtown, to tie into the west end of the starter segment. Then, after it comes out, it should run alongside Harper Ave, west, to the east side of the MLK freeway. You would want a station there to serve Port Norfolk via connector busses. Then south to London along the east side of the MLK. Not much in the way until you come to London, where you might have to take out a few houses in the SW corner of Shea Terrace. Rebuild London with four lanes of vehicle traffic and two dedicated LR lanes, along the north side of the existing street. East to Effingham, with the station serving the Naval Hospital at that corner. I know it is not on the doorstep. Never will be, since the NH is a dead end. More shuttle busses that loop around on Crawford around Old Town. Then, south on Effingham, under 264 by expanding the existing overpass. Effingham south of 264, now three lanes on each side, could be rebuilt just like London. All the way down to NNSY, with a station carved on that parking lot at P'mouth Blvd and Effingham -- plenty of bus bay space for feeder routes from the south and west. All of this routing minimizes the number of buildings removed, serves all of the trip generators, and has potential for feeder bus traffic. The reason the new city manager, Ken Chandler, is so big on this, is that he formerly worked in Arlington. He has seen the effect of transit oriented development on real estate values. This would turn Port Norfolk and Shea Terrace into easy commuter neighborhoods for the Medical Center and downtown Norfolk. It would make Old Town RE values skyrocket, as it becomes both a destination (for retail and restaurant) and a "bedroom" community. LR has the potential to redefine the old RE paradigm of "location, location, location". It can do it in Portsmouth.

It may be a foreign concept to some, that your committment is just that -- NSU made a written committment to the city and HRT

Funny, I thought the topic here was "Hampton Roads Housing" -- there isn't a single reference to HR anywhere in these 75 pages (and if you can explain what a "M5 Tranche of the ABFC 2006-OPT2 Trust" is, and how it effects housing prices here, ...........) There is a great line from Shakespeare which gave us the title of a Faulker book that comes to mind.

That is a great idea. How I would pursue it would be to bring VMASC and EMTASC in and focus on medical and emergency modeling and simulation. Perfect location -- sort of a medical corollary to the MAST center on the C'peake PTown line. That is something that empowerment zone loan subsidies should pay for --- not for medical office buildings that would get built anyway. Who is the beneficiary of under-market rate loans to build a medical arts building? The doctors that pay rent? The patients, who get lower charges as a result? The taxpayer? Or the developer, who charges market rates, and pockets the difference? Take a guess.

I think I have said before that I am a fan of Richard Florida's work. His new book, "Who's Your City?: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life" is interesting -- here is a synopsis from Publisher's Weekly: How this area gets younger isn't in the housing stock -- it is in the types of employment available here. Until we grow an employment base that will attract young people, all of the multi-family housing stock won't do squat.

Of course Sentara has the pockets to make this happen. Look at their profit margins at their hospitals in Hampton and VB -- 7% on revenues of over $1.5B total. Even Norfolk General ran 3% on $1.1B. That isn't the issue. The issue is that they put Keith Newby on this as the "face" -- to get $51M in empowerment zone facility bonds. The desire wasn't to get "some minority investment" -- the desire was to play the racial politics game since it appeared Johnson was doing it so well on the Hilton project. And on a minor detail, Newby isn't a surgeon -- he is a cardiologist. Who just happens to be the gatekeeper for heart patients to be referred to Sentara's heart hospital for surgery. Wonder how many he would send some place else if he is in bed with them on this office building?

Isla, housed in the former Burger King on Great Neck at FC, has closed. VP said this weekend it will become an O'Sullivans

Deal stinks even worse now. Newby has gotten $51 of the entire $130 million in Enterprise Zone (EZ) Facility Bonds awarded to the Norfolk/Portsmouth Empowerment Zone since 1999 -- $78 million to Norfolk (all obligated) and $52M Portsmouth ($32M unobligated). I could even get past the idea that this area, including West Ghent, is in the Empowerment Zone, if he lived up to the requirements of 35% of the workforce coming from Empowerment Zones. That was a believable number when it included a hotel - plenty of low skill, entry level jobs in a hotel. Now that it doesn't, will the Norfolk EDA ask for the $51M in taxpayer subsidized bonds back? Will he meet the 35% requirement by only leasing to West Ghent resident doctors? Who will monitor the compliance with this, or will it just be ignored? Since the city pretty much gives Sentara whatever they want, my money is on the latter.

I was over in Hampton today in the Enterprise Parkway office park, and noticed that the HU Proton Therapy Institute building is coming along nicely. It is right across the street from the old Gateway factory. Part I didn't realize is that Armada Hoffler is the developer. Two renderings are on their website. It will be a great addition to the community when completed.

Ocean Marine sale stalls link

Downtown Provision store closes link

Actually, it isn't "that churches are so much holier than thou", it is the First Amendment, and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, affirmed by the Supreme Court in Boerne vs. Flores. All of those laws require government to show a "compelling interest" to prohibit any action by a religious body, including expansion. There certainly is the opportunity for several motives among those attempting to deny this expansion. But they just don't matter, for reasons that are rooted in our laws and traditions. The City lost on every turn, because they couldn't comply with the requirement to show a "compelling interest" in preserving a building of no historical significance (agreed to by all parties), which will be replicated in a nearby location. Christ and St. Luke

#1 -- not available at my house #2 -- no Setanta Soccer Channel on FIOS #3 -- FIOS only has about 20 HD channels right now, D* has over 50 (not counting the Regional Sports). Bottom line is that D* has about every channel that has HD programming. Biggest drawback is that they don't have HD locals yet, but OTA integration is fantastic.

I thought about that -- but no matter who I bought it from, it was going to have to be picked up by Samsung warranty repair. It is just too big to even get in my SUV. Couldn't be happier -- picture is gorgeous. Now, just have to wait on D* TV to do the install. Cox added some HD channels over the weekend, but they still trail D* by a mile.

We just bought a new 56" Samsung DLP. Shopped at BB and CC -- $100 less at BB, so we bought it for later delivery (have to have the cabinet rebuilt to fit). But when I went to Amazon, got it for $300 less, no sales tax, no delivery charge (another $150). Delivered Monday, but there has been a further $200 price reduction which Amazon honors for another 30 days. So, total savings, $650. Worth looking at Amazon for that stuff. And a random observation -- if the entire TV is under $1200, then why does Monster think you will pay $100 just for the HDMI cable? Especially when a Philips is $35 at Walmart?