Norfolk Light Rail and Transit

[erdogs]

Well I'm sure the $75,000 goes farther than JUST the name on a piece of paper. The branding, graphic design, marketing plan, etc. go along with it, I'm sure.

I can still do it for half that. Can someone get me in touch with Mr. Fraim?

[Chesapeake Pirate]

Norfolk and HRT continue to fail in fully utilizing the talent and expertise available here at UrbanPlanet.org.

What are those government officials thinking?

[cpeakesqr]

Norfolk and HRT continue to fail in fully utilizing the talent and expertise available here at UrbanPlanet.org.

What are those government officials thinking?

Really!!! Why didn't they have a region-wide competition to come up with a name... The city could have gotten better names from school children!

[Glassoul]

Really!!! Why didn't they have a region-wide competition to come up with a name... The city could have gotten better names from school children!

That's how they came up with Harbor Park, which I think was a very good choice. I voted for "none of the above". Retarded that they spent $75,000 on a consulting firm that obviously doesn't have a clue about the area. Bay Runner? Where does it run along the bay? If this grows into a regional system, that makes it even more moronic. Tide? Huh? We already have a baseball team called the Tides, no thanks. B: How does Tide even invoke the idea of a light-rail system? First Rail.. This also make no sense and sounds completely and utterly stupid.

[okinawatyphoon]

We need something fresh, short, clean, and catchy. I'm thinking like "The Ride" or.....I'm not really in a creative mood right now.

[vdogg]

We need something fresh, short, clean, and catchy. I'm thinking like "The Ride" or.....I'm not really in a creative mood right now.

Neither were the consultants, obviously.

[RJWGMU]

Talk about a bunch of comments below THAT article! People fail to realize you can't just go build an extensive network of railways all at once... They wonder why it is so short, but fail to think "oh, you can actually add on to those things?" Idiots...

As for the name, they all suck, but the best of those three is "Tide." Even then, I don't like it...

[cpeakesqr]

A region-wide competition would have garnered support by giving citizens a sense of ownership, while also educating those uniformed about LRT's broader potential. Instead we get a stupid name from a distant group of overpaid bullsh**ters. I mean, come on, who could predict that acronyms are going out of style?!? I would put more faith in the collective creativity of an entire region, than in this so-called 'firm'. What's next, council members hiring people to name their children? The only good thing is that the FTA will see that Norfolk is serious, because it spent 75 G's on a name...

[vdogg]

I see the need for some sort of service; the major bus routes at peak periods are too busy to be handled well by the "toasters on wheels." I would have prefered BRT, but it's dead and LRT is about to become a reality. The Starter Line roughly paralells HRT Route 20, which carries 1.1 million passengers per year. As a regular 20 rider, I can tell you the Starter Line will run SRO at peak periods and majority full midday. As for Virginia Beach, expect light rail down the Norfolk Southern Right-of-Way to be in the pending Citywide Transit Plan. As for Portsmouth, build the new second tube of the Midtown Tunnel wide enough to put a rail line in in addition to the two traffic lanes. Finally, I prefer "Tide" as the name; we already have "The Wave" trolley service in Virginia Beach.

- Henry Ryto - Virginia Beach

Now this is interesting. If I recall correctly I think Mr. Ryto used to have some connection to VB city government. If true, this is a positive step in the right direction.

[Downtowner]

Yeah those names suck for you. Why not something like this

NTA

Norfolk Transit Authority

[cpeakesqr]

Yeah those names suck for you. Why not something like this

NTA

Norfolk Transit Authority

Acronyms are supposedly going out of style... Besides, "the tide" or "the bayrunner" or "first rail" will already have HRT plastered all over it.

[urbanlife]

Hampton Roads Transit planners roll on with names for light rail

Okay, this might be a small reason, but it is the reason why I feel this is the wrong consulting firm for deciding a name for the rail. If you look at this picture, it is well over ten years old. I was like 19 when they tore down that ugly white building in the middle of the picture. What, they couldn't afford to buy a digital camera and take a much more recent shot to use for their rendering?

Just had to get that little point of my chest.

[spiker3]

Okay, this might be a small reason, but it is the reason why I feel this is the wrong consulting firm for deciding a name for the rail. If you look at this picture, it is well over ten years old. I was like 19 when they tore down that ugly white building in the middle of the picture. What, they couldn't afford to buy a digital camera and take a much more recent shot to use for their rendering?

Just had to get that little point of my chest.

I was wondering where that building came from, lol

[Telmnstr]

Now this is interesting. If I recall correctly I think Mr. Ryto used to have some connection to VB city government. If true, this is a positive step in the right direction.

Henry hangs around with one of the tourism people or something. He does follow the local politics. And was actually for spending 40 million on BRT. Arrrgh.

I thought my segway comment was right on track. Mmm I want one.

Edited May 17, 2007 by Telmnstr

[lammius]

Okay, this might be a small reason, but it is the reason why I feel this is the wrong consulting firm for deciding a name for the rail. If you look at this picture, it is well over ten years old. I was like 19 when they tore down that ugly white building in the middle of the picture. What, they couldn't afford to buy a digital camera and take a much more recent shot to use for their rendering?

Just had to get that little point of my chest.

OMG yeah I remember that crapbox building being there too. And look at the boxy, 1990s era LRT vehicle on the left edge of the screen. Tacky tacky tacky. I'm sure new images have been developed since, but the Pilot likes to hang onto what it has in the archives already.

[vdogg]

Big wheels turning in transit game

A few weeks back, we wrote an editorial commending reader ideas on what to name Norfolk

[rusthebuss]

I think TAX is hilarious considering that we are about to be up to our eye balls in it

[Henry_Ryto]

I Googled myself and look what I found.

One of my hats is that I'm Virginia Beach's only active member on HRT's User Citizen Advisory Committee (UCAC).

Another hat is that I'm a Director with the Council of Civic Organizations (CCO), Virginia Beach's civic league federation. As for Ethan's comment about me hanging with tourism people, I'm the CCO's voting representative on VB's Resort Advisory Commssion (RAC).

Getting back to transit, Virginia Beach has a Citywide Transit Plan in the works. One of the questions to be answered is "What system goes down the Norfolk Southern Right-of-Way?" The top option is light rail, thus my comment on hamptonroads.com

If anyone is interested, the UCAC next meets this Wednesday evening (the 27th), 6:30 P.M., in the board room of HRT's Hampton office.

Finally, now that I've found this, I have it bookmarked. I look forward to being able to rationally discuss the region's transit future.

[cpeakesqr]

I Googled myself and look what I found.

One of my hats is that I'm Virginia Beach's only active member on HRT's User Citizen Advisory Committee (UCAC).

Another hat is that I'm a Director with the Council of Civic Organizations (CCO), Virginia Beach's civic league federation. As for Ethan's comment about me hanging with tourism people, I'm the CCO's voting representative on VB's Resort Advisory Commssion (RAC).

Getting back to transit, Virginia Beach has a Citywide Transit Plan in the works. One of the questions to be answered is "What system goes down the Norfolk Southern Right-of-Way?" The top option is light rail, thus my comment on hamptonroads.com

If anyone is interested, the UCAC next meets this Wednesday evening (the 27th), 6:30 P.M., in the board room of HRT's Hampton office.

Finally, now that I've found this, I have it bookmarked. I look forward to being able to rationally discuss the region's transit future.

Looking forward to your many insights... welcome!

[vdogg]

I Googled myself and look what I found.

One of my hats is that I'm Virginia Beach's only active member on HRT's User Citizen Advisory Committee (UCAC).

Another hat is that I'm a Director with the Council of Civic Organizations (CCO), Virginia Beach's civic league federation. As for Ethan's comment about me hanging with tourism people, I'm the CCO's voting representative on VB's Resort Advisory Commssion (RAC).

Getting back to transit, Virginia Beach has a Citywide Transit Plan in the works. One of the questions to be answered is "What system goes down the Norfolk Southern Right-of-Way?" The top option is light rail, thus my comment on hamptonroads.com

If anyone is interested, the UCAC next meets this Wednesday evening (the 27th), 6:30 P.M., in the board room of HRT's Hampton office.

Finally, now that I've found this, I have it bookmarked. I look forward to being able to rationally discuss the region's transit future.

Indeed, welcome. We've picked up quite a few new people this week. Glad to have you here.

[Henry_Ryto]

Let me throw out a Norfolk transit issue to you. If the Wachovia Center is built (as expected), the construction will force the HRT bus transfer position off of Charlotte Street, as it would be in the construction zone.

The City of Norfolk wanted to move it for construction duration to Wood Street, but the Fire Marshall nixed it: Station 1 is there on the corner, and the buses would impede Fire and EMS traffic.

So what is the alternative? UCAC member Kenneth Bone (Chesapeake) likes Harbor Park, figuring there will eventually be multimodal there with LRT and the proposed Higher Speed Rail station. My problem with that it's too seperated from downtown.

My personal preference is Plume Street. Just a short walk to MacArthur Mall, Waterside, and the NET. The hitch is it could get in the way of preliminary LRT construction work there.

Okay, geniuses, what do you propose?

Edited June 24, 2007 by Henry_Ryto

[rusthebuss]

What about near the mall?

[Henry_Ryto]

What about near the mall?

You could put it on Monticello Avenue beside the Mall if you can live with the missing traffic lane.

[vdogg]

Lots of movement on light rail today at city hall.

Property transfer from city of Norfolk to HRT for light rail

Norfolk/HRT light rail cooperation agreement

Warning! .pdf files

[Chesapeake Pirate]

Prepare to ride the Tide!

The name has been picked