Henry_Ryto

The proposal floated by Virginia Beach Vision in July was to go Newtown Road - Dome site. As the linked article says they're looking to endorse, I'd assume that's what they have in mind. My complaint is shutting down at 10 P.M. Monday-Thursday. That's too early for coming home from an Admirals or Tides game.

Nothing new: the same business people support it. The first grassroots endorsement will be the momentum-pusher.

As a condition of getting Federal funding, Norfolk was required to limit parking downtown. If Charlotte isn't doing it, it should look at it.

I work for Regal and have heard nothing on it.

No, ground breaking is at Harbor Park, 1-3 P.M. The spike driving and speeches will be at 1:30. Councilman John Uhrin is tied to pro-LRT interests, but he's been pretty cautious in his public statements so far. Yes, "Henry from Virginia Beach" was me, trying to preach to the undecided.

I just got a tip: Cathy Lewis will cover light rail in Virgnia Beach today during the first segment of Heresay at Noon on WHRO-FM. If you miss the program, you can catch it later on the podcast at WHRO's website.

Robert Dean has an e-mail list of 1,500. The only way it flips that badly is if he sent it.

The VBTA probably sent out an e-mail with link. They're still losing.

Hold the horses here: 1. At their Retreat Sunday, Council watered down Barbara Henley's proposal to make a decision on LRT during the coming year. 2. Louis Jones is quite powerful. He could hold this thing up. (Unfortunately.) 3. The Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance (VBTA) will try to control the public meetings. The bottom line: as soon as the meeting schedule comes out, get everyone you know who's pro-LRT in Virginia Beach to the meetings.

On Day 2 of the Virginia Beach City Council Retreat, Council took up an item by Barbara Henley to make a decision on light rail within the next year. It passed...but not before it was watered down, eliminating a reference to a specific transit system to go down the Norfolk Southern Right-of-Way. Ironically, the waffling was led by our two HRT Commissioners (Jim Wood and John Uhrin). As the Retreat adjourned, I leaned over to a pro-LRT business leader and whispered "They need to be lobbied on light rail". Let's see if we get some arm-twisting.

Virginia Beach can always use eminent domian, asking the court to award the ROW at Norfolk's price.

This morning before the start of the City Council Retreat, Jim Wood and I were joking about the column. SPEAKING OF WHICH... On Day 1 of the City Council Retreat, the deadlock on Norfolk Southern ROW negotiations was revealed: 1. Norfolk Southern wants $40 million for the Virginia Beach portion of the ROW. 2. The City of Virginia Beach has offered per mile the same price the City of Norfolk paid. LRT is on Sunday's Agenda as an action item. Stay tuned!

"The Necks"? As in Rednecks?

At least three consultants have told the City of the need for a HQ hotel; politics have kept it from happening so far. Let's hope common sense finally wins out.

The FFGA has now been posted on the offical website at http://www.ridethetide.com

Having looked at the projected per station boarding figures, they don't look that bad. I think three are off: 1. Plume Street - anyone think over 2k per day the current Kirn Library site? 2. Harbor Park - FTA regs won't allow them to use Tides traffic, so it will be higher. 3. Military Highway - the two busiest bus routes in South Hampton Roads (Routes 20 and 15) go there, making it an undercount.. Overall, a wash.

The 3:1 figure was given at the recent TOD seminar in Norfolk.

Uh...Paul Fraim mentioned such a routing in his remarks at the FFGA SIgning Ceremony.

No, as my signature indicates, I sit on HRT's User Citizen Advisory Committee (UCAC). I'm not a route planner. Odds: 1. Norfolk - it's common sense, but will common sense prevail in government? 2. Virginia Beach - if Will Sessoms and the incumbents win in November, 2008, light rail Newtown Road - Dome site will defintely be studied. 3. Portsmouth - their City Manager is already on record about route planning.

1. EVMS to Navy base via ODU. 2. Virginia Beach is putting along, and most likely will try to avoid a decision before the November, 2008 election. (I'd love to see Council act at their Retreat this November 3-4.) 3. If Portsmouth can get rail included in Midtown Tunnel planning, it will start planning it's route. Anyone want to take a shot at the Peninsula?

NEWS FLASH: given the scarcity of low-income housing, moving 1,400 people will be a nightmare. This goes against the grain of Norfolk policy, but have they considered a low-income (subsidized) apartment tower building? It's not mixed-income like Broad Creek, but: 1. It would fit in the urban landscape. 2. It allows them to stay in the same neighborhood. 3. It would provide a ready pool of blue collar labor for downtown businesses. 4. It keeps them at their YMCA and churches. Nah...makes too much sense.

I had a couple conversations on this issue yesterday. As for Virginia Beach: 1. The good news is that the Norfolk Southern ROW negotitations are close. 2. The bad news is that it looks like a DEIS won't be commissioned until after the November, 2008 City Council elections.

Keep everything in here. I'd prefer one very busy thread to two.

vdogg, I caught that reading it, too. "accomodations" doesn't necessarily have to be a third rail-only tube, but a second tube engineered for both cars and rail. Cheaper that way. Norfolk is building, Portsmouth is jumping on board...and we're slowly conspiring here in Virginia Beach.

I was at the FFGA Signing Ceremony. It's official: light rail is coming to Norfolk. Check out your evening news: about three channels (including Channel 3) were there. The omen of the Ceremony? FTA Administrator Jim Simpson's pen wouldn't work went he went to sign.