urbanfan

As many counties and cities I could think of I used for each MSA. I have listed the facts below. Also I will provide a link to the census. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/ Here are the facts according to the official U.S. Census Beaurea. Which are pretty accurate. However the last census was 2000 so keep that in mind. Henrico County pop. 271, 083 median income = 49, 185 per capita = 26,410 Hopewell pop. 22,391 median income = 33,196 per capita = 16,339 Petersburg pop. 33,091 median income = 28,851 per capita = 15,989 Richmond pop. 197,790 median income = 31,121 per capita = 20,337 Chesterfield County pop. 276,840 median income = 54,537 per capita = 25,286 Hanover County pop. 94,081 median income = 59,223 per capita = 25,120 Richmond metro (unless I missed some counties, Don't know if you consider some of the peninsula counties part of msa) 895,276 (I might be leaving some counties out but the major population is about right. I don't know where the 1.2 million comes from maybe you can tell me of a county or city that I missed. Cheseake pop. 199,184 median income = 50, 743 per capita = 21,949 Hampton Pop. 146,437 median income = 39,532 per capita = 19,774 Newport News Pop. 180,150 median income = 37,597 per capita = 17,843 Norfolk Pop. 234,403 median income = 31,815 per capita = 17,372 Portsmouth pop. 100,565 median income = 33,742 per capita = 16,507 Suffolk pop. 63,677 median income = 41,115 per capita = 18,836 Virginia Beach pop. 425,257 median income = 48,705 per capita = 22,365 Poquoson pop. 11,844 median income = 60,920 per capita = 25,336 James City County Pop. 53,487 median income = 55,594 per capita = 29,256 Williamsburg pop. 11,605 median income = 37,093 per capita = 18,483 Isle of Wight pop. 31,925 median income = 45,387 per capita = 20,235 Gloucester County pop. 36,698 median income = 45,521 per capita = 19,990 Hampton Roads Metro = 1,495,232 (also missing a few counties to keep from being too laborious) These are the facts according to the U.S. Census of 2000. If you really want me to I can crunch all of the numbers out for you. I don't know where you got those numbers but check that we are on the same page as far as per capita and median income. And if all else fails I would go with the census being a little more accurate. That's what the government uses to get all of its facts.

I have to retract a statement I made. Richmond does have a higher per capita then we do. I went to the official U.S. Census online and took the median income statistics and per capita statistics and then took population statistics. For each City or County in the metro areas I took their metro's population and divided it by each city/county population and got thier percentage. Than by taking their percentage of the population you can multiply that by the median income and per capita, then add them all together, and you get the average median income and per capita for each region. Here are the facts: RichmonD: Median Income = 45,982 Per Capita = 22,195 Hampton Roads: Medain Income = 45,385 Per Capita = 21,951 So yes I did give a false fact but I hardly think that a few hundred dollars short really constitutes that much of a difference in any area.. Remember, Richmond is the one with all the big headquarters and supposedely high paying jobs. If that's the truth, then we aren't doing to bad without the "big paying jobs" imagine what a few could do for this region.

Every target or Walmart that I have seen are full of mostly young people or older people looking to supplement there retirement pay. I should no my mother has managed Hampton Walmart, Newport News Walmart, Portsmouth Walmart (College Drive), and Norfolk Walmart (Military highway). Yes there are some people who work there that might not fit into this category, but the majority do. Compared to Richmond I believe that our per capita here is actually higher than richmonds. And in reference to D.C. your trying to compare apples with oranges. Trying to compare a metro area of 1.6 million to an area of 5+ million with a higher cost of living is not even close. Compare our cost of living with areas such as St. Louis and Milwaukee and San Diego and you'll find that for our size our per capita is just about right. Last I checked there are alot of medical jobs in this region with huge medical centers like the norfolk medical campus, thousands of jobs that are pretty good income. Shipyard's don't pay poor either, starting pay at Newport News is now at 30,000 yr. (starting) Jefferson research labs, even all of the calling centers that are popping up don't pay poor either, of which I have worked at a few. By the way the majority of people who work at walmart that arn't in the ages I described are mostly departmant managers, associate managers, regional managers..etc..... and they don't make a poor salary either. Walmart is actually a pretty good wage if you work your way up. Just like any thing else in life you have to work for it. It just doesn't fall into your lap.

I would be kind of worried if we didn't have alot of jobs at 5.15 an hour. You don't just expect teens to go out at get a first time job at 10.00 hr. (which most of those people are teens.) We have alot of high paying jobs here in this area. How else can people afford to pay to live in Williamsburg and commute to the shipyard or norfolk. Or james City County. Even Gloucester. Lots of high priced homes in this area. I wonder how they buy these if there only making 5.15 hr. I've watched this area turn from sprawling gettoes to mid-high priced homes. Low income housing is few and far between anymore and continues to be bulldozed every chance it gets. Yes we do have alot of 5.15 hr jobs but put it in the context that it should be in. We also have alot of ceo's at the shipyard making 100,000's. I've only worked one job my whole life at minimum wage. You always start at the low end and work your way up. Now I make enough (in less than four years) to support my family own a mid-priced home tithe more than 10% to my local church and own (not owe money) two mid-priced cars. And I havn't even finished my education yet. It only gets better. I would love to see this area bring even more high paying jobs to the area, but to imply that this area is a low income area with low wage paying jobs is just not accurate.

Couldn't have said it better, and I am from Hampton Roads. However just a thought. I was thinking about this the other day. I think we should scrap the third crossing as it exists. Build a real third crossing between the two existing run it over craney island and on to 264 at this point follow 264 to 464 and follow 464 to the new 168. By doing this we can finally have 64 run through the region to the north carolina border in a direct shot, no more culdesacs. Change the 664 and exist. 64 designation up to the new 64 to 264 much like larger cities have one loop (295, 495, ...) Then the exist. 264 designation changes to I44 once again except that I44 runs from the ocean front all the way to I95 via rt. 58. This gives the region another direct access to I95 other than the roundabout I64. That will simplify our highway system here. We will have two main interstates I64 and I44 and a loop system in case traffic is bad. Also, that finally gives peninsula residents and travels up north a direct access to Downtown Norfolk without having to drive thirty minutes around the region. What do you think?

Transit tunnels are not as expensive as you think. Most are precast off site and dropped into a trench that has been dug out, then backfilled over top. Now if you were tunneling under water or through a mountain, yes it gets very expensive. The guideway that was built was actually very expensive and they probably would have had better results in a tunnal or even at grade. Saving the 4 or 5 million dollars in extra funds needed to get the project to a half decent status. (still not running smooth)

We already know that maglev works, the only problem is cost. China has theirs up and running already, at a cost of 2 billion. I don't think anyone in their right minds wants to spend that kind of money on a transit system. Thats why ODU is doing this project, to create a feasible system that works within monetary budgets. However, I think American Maglev messed the project up by running this train on a raised guideway. The train rain smoothly in florida before it was shipped here which the track was on the ground and the only problem now is between supports where the track is not supported. Why couldn't they have built a tunnel or ran it at grade. If they had we wouldn't even be having this problem and the system would be running just fine. By the way china's system is at grade and through tunnels. Runs just fine.

Anything is possible, will it happen? probably not, but we can hope right.

Let's give VaBch some credit. The do have alot of land yet they also have zoning laws in place that will not allow much development below a certain line. Without that could you imagine the utter mess of sprawl that would be in virginia beach. Lets give them some credit.

This is all old information related to the original project. I am posting a link to the newest information on the project. Right now two private companies have proposals on the board for the project. The state and VDOT have already given them the go ahead to do detailed pricing and analysis. They are supposed to have the reports in by late this year with a possible record of decision early next year. I'll try to find the article that came out earlier this year which explained this. http://www.virginiadot.org/business/ppta3rdCrossing.asp

The deadline to have the system up and running is this april so we should be hearing something shortly. I am posting a link to the maglev website and another link that is the latest article about testing beginning to resume. http://www.odu.edu/af/maglev/files/new%20t...puts%20odu.html http://www.odu.edu/af/maglev/index.html

Most of the jobs that are being cut at Nasa Langley are not people that work thier directly. It is the contractors that work for nasa langley that are being cut. Most of the high paying jobs will be staying put. Not to mention that most of these contractors are local and will probably be able to find plenty of work elsewhere within the area with places more and more technology based business popping up. Hampton is working on a air research technology park just outside of nasa that will work in conjunction with nasa, lets hope that this comes through.

Last i heard GRT was looking at implementing a street car system through downtown richmond. I believe they have a little information on their website for the studies that were done and some renderings of the street situations and buildings associated with the project.

Nasa Langley is already going through optional downsizing but I don't think that Nasa Langley is in danger of closing. I guess we'll see though.

I agree. Both airport are growing at a very healthy pace. Newport News is exploding with growth which isn't very hard considering its easier to grow when your small. The feds have already started a new runway environmental impact for Norfolk International. Mainly because after an airport reaches 60% of its capacity they are mandated by federal provisions to plan a new runway. As of now NIA is at 80% of its design capacity as far as runways are considered. Thus the need for a new runway. What most people don't see is the Norfolk does alot of shipping. So while the concourses arn't completely overcrowded it does not mean that the airport's runways are sufficient. With cruise industry ramping up here and possibly a new airline coming to town things could get quite crowded at NIA. Newport News/Williamsburg International is also starting a runway study for its campus. NNWI is in the top five nationwide as far as growth is concerned. Public parking garages are getting ready to be started also.

The trees are on private land in Oyster Point Business Park. We have alot of construction going on here and pretty soon most of the trees along the highway will be thinned out. You will only be able to see City Center if City Center gets taller. However if you look hard enough you can see it.

Well, Here is the rendering I promised.

Hey fella's, new to the forum. I am 27 years old and currently work for a structural engineering firm in Newport News. I attend Thomas Nelson Community College and am majoring in engineering with a transfer to Old Dominion to specialize in structural engineering.

Hey fella's, first time post. Just thought I would submit a picture of the new 11 story hotel going up in the Newport News City Center Project. They are also building a garage that is under construction currently which will be wrapped with retail. I believe there will also be another office building 4 - 5 stories going up along with the parking garage. Does any one know how to post photos in a reply?