MissySchmidt

Just received word from the Principal Transportation Engineer (Andy) who is working on the 2034LRP; he says they WILL have sources of funding included.

This is not the final TVP. There is a marketing phase to come, complete with more opportunities for public feedback, before the plan is finalized. (This comes directly from the Transportation Engineers at the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization-HRTPO, formerly known as the Metropolitan Planning Organization-HRMPO.) Also, the MPO board voted affirmative to initial approval (final action coming next month, after public comment) of MPO by-laws changes including changing HRMPO to HRTPO. The survey that is circulating: http://www.hrmpo.org/keephamptonroadsmoving/index.asp comes from Andy Pickard who took over HRTPO's long-range planning section. Both the survey and the TVP are inputs to the 2034 LRP which Andy is developing. Be sure to take the survey and be heard!

We're definitely interested in what you find out! Would love to read your paper when finished. Thanks!

We already are, in a way: http://hrpartnership.blogspot.com/2009/03/...-2050-mega.html

Does this data from "Hampton Roads Performs" on taxation help?: http://hamptonroadsperforms.org/indicators...ns/taxation.php

Where did you see that? I found this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_Unit...atistical_Areas that shows us at 34th.

And, consider this: Virginia is only able to get federal money right now by using borrowed money. Say what? Funding Virginia's roads with IOUs and shell games The Virginian-Pilot Editorials

You know an impressive amount about Craney Island. Would you care to send me a post about it for the HRP Bog, http://www.SmartRegion.org, about the expansion and its importance to not only the Port of Virginia but to all of Hampton Roads? Thanks!

Vdogg- You are absolutely right about why we elect officials. A lot has changed in the last 10 years; it happened fast, and the future is going to come at us even faster. Hampton Roads is not a sleepy (little "t") tidewater any more. We can no longer rely on old models of transportation; we need to think ahead. And, we have a long-range transit vision with a plan to get there. Everyone has until March 13 to make comments: http://hrpartnership.blogspot.com/2009/02/...lan-public.html. I encourage everyone to take the time to review the plan, make comments (positive or negative, but constructive), and let's work together on this.

Thanks, Henry. I'll make the correction via comment, using you as the source. I'm guessing fewer people showed up in Norfolk for the second half. I counted 5 break-out groups of 6 each in the earlier meeting (hence, my 30 count). My mistake on the UCAC members; I don't have the pleasure of knowing everyone, so mis-counted there. That's great that 100 people showed up in Hampton. Sad, though, that only 150 people out of 1.6 million region-wide made the effort, though. That's less than 1/100th of 1% if I am calculating correctly. How do we change that?

Matt: In the immortal words of Kevin Costner, "If you build it, they will come." I attended the Transit Vision Plan public meeting in Norfolk last night and posted my report on the HRP Blog: http://hrpartnership.blogspot.com/2009/02/...lan-public.html Public comments are open until March 13th. I'm trying to get a copy of the PPT used last night which did a good job of summarizing the Plan. Will post online as soon as I get it from the consultants in NoVA.

Would you be willing to add your comments to our blog post on the Draft Plan?: http://hrpartnership.blogspot.com/2009/02/...ads-region.html

These are great! I wasn't familiar with Panoramio. Thanks.

I like your attitude! If interested in talking offline, please contact me via my HRP email below. Thanks.

any way you could find those clips and email them to us? they'd be great to use as part of our "We Are Hampton Roads" campaign... Thanks!

We'd love to find some clips of other national exposure of reference to "Hampton Roads" if you have or know of any. Doesn't have to be a political figure. Thanks!

Check out the Hampton Roads Partnership's new blog and video campaign "We Are Hampton Roads": http://HRPartnership.blogspot.com/2008/12/...pton-roads.html Keep the submissions coming! Note: Neo, UP Administrator, granted permission to add this link.

In the 60s, there were plans for a freeway system in DC which faced fierce opposition. Many planners thought a mass transit system, light rail, would never be self-sufficient because of low density land uses and transit ridership decline. Sound familiar? The concept of a mixed system, a Capital beltway along with rail line radiating out, was agreed on. DC never got its proposed second outer loop, though, to connect the suburbs. Bet, they're wishing they'd set aside 1970 money for that now. The DC Metro opened in the mid 70s with just about a 4-1/2 mile stretch downtown with five stations. The last track to be laid was in 2004. Finally, plans are in the works to extend the line to Dulles Airport. It takes a while. Everything has to start somewhere and look at where Metro is today. You think traffic is bad in DC? Just think what it would be without Metro. Just think of the possibilities to live and work regionally with light rail. I'm lucky, I can walk to work now. But, having to drive to business meetings in other parts of the region is a nightmare. For instance, 1/3rd of our Board members who had RSVP-ed for this past Friday's meeting (that's 20 people) couldn't make it because of traffic snarls. Let's hope the study recommends that VB connects to Light Rail. Organized urban growth versus scattered suburban sprawl makes sense in a region that is water-locked. We need to make the best use of the land we have here in Hampton Roads and stop people from referring to us as a cul de sac. Light rail is another way to stop our foreign oil dependence and reduce man's carbon footprint on the world.

With a pending federal economic stimulus package with monies almost assuredly to be directed at building infrastructure, NOW is the opportunity for lots of citizens like you and me to reach legislators and tell them what is our perfect Transportation Solution here in Hampton Roads. any ideas on how to do this?

If you (or anyone on the UP Forum) could be king/queen for a day, what would your perfect Transportation Solution look like?

Be sure to include nationally renown B.J. Leiderman in anything "music" in Hampton Roads: http://bjleiderman.com/ .

{Standing up and cheering for Sky06} Yes, let's get back on topic. Sky06 sounds like the kind of person we'd enjoy a meal with at VK or TJ's Bistro in downtown Norfolk. Love 'em! But, we like Hooter's wings, too, or, better yet, a great locally-owned place with their own special recipe, Amazin' Wings inside the Greenbrier Mall, Chesapeake. How did we find them? The owner emailed my better half after reading a quote from him online that he was a wings nut. Now, that's creative marketing/social media at its best! His picture's even on the wall there now.

wow, we have really gone way off topic from the "Virginia Arts Festival Progress". Maybe we should move to a different thread. Thanks, scm, for the food for thought. I'm checking with my sources re: the whole patent comparison issue.

Creativity isn't always so externally exhibited, is it? Consider the engineering, etc. creativity of industry such as NASA, VMASC, Jefferson Lab, NIA, Hampton Roads Research Partnership (and I'm sure I'm leaving out many more). We have a huge number of patents coming out of the region, too. Creativity isn't always something you can hang on a wall.

oh, I just had to respond to this: I recently checked out the much-maligned artwork at Waterside (breasts covered by styrofoam plates to prevent embarrassment on the part of patrons). What a hoot! I liked Padman's line about art so much, I had to blog about it and included a photo of the now-decorated plate-art: http://mgblankenship.blogspot.com/2008/08/real-art-doesnt-get-covered-by.html Enjoy