Henry_Ryto

Here's the lowdown: Norfolk wanted Virginia Beach in on light rail. Virginia Beach demanded the EVMS - Navy base via ODU spur as a precondition. Norfolk planned to eventually do it anyway, so Norfolk accepted. Virginia Beach: 1. Thought light rail made little sense without the Navy base. 2. the Newtown Road - Dome site DEIS numbers will be boosted by including the EVMS - Navy base spur in the Study. The two extensions are one political package deal joined together. One doesn't happen without the other.

A referendum isn't going to happen. The word is out that any Councilman who tries will be targeted and taken out a la Reba McClanan.

Missy, half that many: 25 in Hampton. What struck me is how few had actually read the Plan. We got plenty of generic comment, but little directed to the Plan itself.

Missy, A couple corrections on your HRP post: 1. It was reported at yesterday's TDCHR meeting that 50 people attended in Norfolk, half that in Hampton. 2. There were 5 UCAC members at the Norfolk meeting. (As Chairman, I was counting.)

Due to technical problems, it's not posted yet. Hope the Vision Plan is up this evening.

Virginia Beach's Pembroke Plan (in the works) is nothing more than very expensive paper without light rail as the catalyst.

Three problems with that scenario: 1. City Council didn't approve Town Center until January, 2000. In '98 we didn't know about it. 2. Had we built earlier, the resulting TOD would certainly have got Oceana BRACed. 3. The land in the Norfolk Southern Corridor wasn't rezoned for transit until December, 2003.

I threw that very idea past Jim Wood (Councilman & HRT Commissioner) a few months ago, knowing Circuit City was in financial trouble. I just sent him a reminder e-mail, so hopefully we can get it done.

Yesterday's City Council election results were good for light rail in Virginia Beach. We dumped one who was wishy-washy (Oberndorf) and one against (McClanan) for two committed to the project (Sessoms and Davis).

You always do polls randomly.

Got it from a candidate earlier today: light rail in Virginia Beach is polling over 70% favorable!

Yes, and 5.3% under budget.

Today's City Page announced a Mass Transit Open House on Tuesday, September 16. It will be at the convention center from 7-9 P.M. This is what we've discussed before on UP. Everyone and their best friend needs to show up and be vocal! You can bet the VBTA will make all the noise it can. We need to make it clear that most residents are pro-transit.

Back on topic, we're killing them on the hamptonroads.com comments!

Virginia Beach's light rail referendum was November 2, 1999. The ballot question asked about LRT, with the routing and financing to later be decided by City Council. The "top option" at the time was a Gas Tax, but the campaign largely skirted the issue of how to specifically pay for it. The result was 55.6% "No", 44.4% "Yes". Polls now show a majority of Virginia Beach residents supporting LRT, which is why elected officials are moving forward slowly. Even John Moss, for his Mayoral campaign, has trotted out a "wait and see" position, knowing he can't run as an openly anti-LRT candidate. As for the whining, it has to do with the internal politics of the VBTA, not LRT or popular consent. You couldn't put the 1999 "No" coalition together again.

The Administration spokesperson was probably simply miffed over the special session. Everyone I've spoken to expects Kaine to sign it.

The next step would be to commission a Draft Enviromental Impact Statement (DEIS) for a Newtown Road - Dome site extension. The $64,000 Question is "Does the FTA approve?" Theoretically, you could build the line as a PPTA without Federal money if you could draw investors. However, Federal money makes it infinitely easier. Therefore, it's not a done deal until the FTA stamps it "RECCOMENDED".

After HB 6028 passed the House 93-0, I sent out an e-mail about going to Richmond to testify before the Senate Transportation Committee. They then ram it through the Senate the same night. Oh well, I don't see any problem getting Kaine to sign: not only has he supported Norfolk's Starter Line, but supports Transportation change.

Funny that you bring up Killam. Early this month I had a chance to talk to someone who had sat on a Norfolk LRT committee. His favored routing for going north: Killam Avenue.

The makings of a Dome site - Naval base line. 1. Jim Wood reiterated Virginia Beach's position: VB wants EVMS to the Naval base via ODU as a prerequisite to getting in. 2. Randy Wright says he wants such a line. Then let's do it!

Okay, I was the guy in the rear right wearing the green shirt. The good news is the Randy Wright quote. Compare it to Jim Wood in today's paper and realize we have the makings of a Dome site - Naval base line.

The blog Wards Corner Now overhyped the meeting. No announcement on extensions this morning. 1. HRT, beginning at this afternoon's Commission meeting, will start a "visioning process" on where LRT should go. 2. Randy Wright said, "We want to go to Old Dominion University...We want to go to the Naval base." 3. Eventually he'd like to see a line from Hampton Boulevard to Ocean View via Wards Corner. I should have slept in.

PPTA = Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995. That law sets the parameters. Virginia Beach's share would depend on how much the state and the private company are willing to pay.

That's the question that I've raised on my blog. I'm not sure how you would structure this as a PPTA.

90 days after it becomes law, the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) would be required to put it out for bid as a PPTA. Once those bids come in, one would be selected.