Norfolk Light Rail and Transit

[Glassoul]

I went to bed early Tuesday night to get up bright and early for my first in the water off a boat dive trip on Wednesday. Car alarm woke me around 3:30AM, at that point the radio was already stolen. But I still filed police report and everything and crashed again at 4:30AM, but wasn't really able to sleep. Up at 6:30AM, off to the Exxon to vacume up all the glass, dock at 7:40AM (a little late). On the boat. Visibility was weak but I finally made it in the ocean! I got the boat thing down now. Back at home by 3PM. Back at work at 4PM. Left car at work so it could remain in shelter and locked up, since it looked like it was going to rain. (I hit rain coming home with no passenger window, trash bags do not work :-) But it wasn't terrible mess due to vehicle aerodynamics).

So I finally walk home after work, partly not feeling good from the boat ride (Dramimine non-drowsey makes you drowsey I think) and party from being exausted from no sleep. So I turn the corner and there is this huge party thing going on in the parking lot of Viola. Too funny. I snatched a Burrito because I was starving then was thinking I'd do a little cleaning in the apartment. Yea, that lasted long enough for me to kick off episode 2 of Adam Curtis's Freedom documentary thing, and I was on the couch. And passed out.

But the whole time I could hear the tuba riff (well okay I think it was a sousaphone) going BOM bom BOM bom BOM bom BOM ba bom. It didn't matter. BLAM. Woke up at 3:30AM. Looked out the window, didn't see anyone prowling the lot. Back to bed till 7.

The speed at which insurance company is moving to fix my stuff is insane!

Also the train tracks are coming up York street. Slowly but surely. The construction down there has them washing out the building that is good for projecting on.

Hasn't crossed City Hall yet, and not much going on at the MacArthur station.

Sorry to hear that, Tel. Hopefully by insane you mean insanely fast, not insane like this light project is...

[varider]

Also the train tracks are coming up York street. Slowly but surely. The construction down there has them washing out the building that is good for projecting on.

Hasn't crossed City Hall yet, and not much going on at the MacArthur station.

I think the tracks will cross City Hall within the next couple of weeks.

Here is a blurb from a blog about transit..

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I think this neoclassical station design is really unique. I'm not aware of any other US light rail systems that have tried to blend station design with surrounding historic buildings. Largely because existing light rail systems in the US are few and far between, but also because many are in the West where there isn't the same stock of antebellum neoclassical buildings we have in the East- particularly in Virginia. Also, many light rail systems have little to no infrastructure in the way of stations, rather they are simply signed areas on the street for boarding and deboarding.

So it seems that Norfolk may soon have the world's only modern-neoclassical LRT system!

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By the way- why did the sketch artist for the above illustration choose to draw an SUV in front of the train station?? I guess if they can use bikes to sell SUV commercials they can also use SUV's to sell light rail?

[ronsmytheiii]

By the way- why did the sketch artist for the above illustration choose to draw an SUV in front of the train station?? I guess if they can use bikes to sell SUV commercials they can also use SUV's to sell light rail?

No, its Kerry Dougherty trying to run the trains off the track!

[varider]

No, its Kerry Dougherty trying to run the trains off the track!

LOL! I think she's noticed she lost her battle and the Tide will be extended to the oceanfront.

[Telmnstr]

There isn't much going on at the old library site. They put in what I think are the footers for the power poles a while ago.

They did the same in front of the mall. The track comes up to near city hall, but no attempt to cross yet.

York Street is coming closer to Peta. The next chunk will make it very visible along Brambleton. I'd say 2 more chunks of completion and then it crosses Botetourt.

Crazy.

[varider]

There isn't much going on at the old library site. They put in what I think are the footers for the power poles a while ago.

They did the same in front of the mall. The track comes up to near city hall, but no attempt to cross yet.

York Street is coming closer to Peta. The next chunk will make it very visible along Brambleton. I'd say 2 more chunks of completion and then it crosses Botetourt.

Crazy.

Yeah, it is crazy.

Do you still wish it was maglev? Or are you converting? lol

[jeffconn]

Walked from the TCC campus to the MacArthur Memorial today. The Quality Shops has a "we're moving" sale going on, and the Nygaard Jeweler's storefront is for rent. Somebody should jump on those storefronts. They could be pretty valuable after the Tide stops there.

People exiting the Tide will have a nice view of the MacArthur statue too.

[varider]

I like the MacArthur Station.. The library, memorial, mall, and CBD all in one. Plus it's gonna be the busiest station on the starter route.

Oh, and utility relocation for light rail on St.Paul's is starting..

[varider]

Standing on the Harbor Park Station!

[usermel]

Once again, great pictures Varider. You stay on it!!! Great job keeping us all up to speed via these pictures. This is my 1st time seeing anything dealing with light rail because I've been very busy and havent seen any of the progress yet. It's coming along! L.G.N.M

[varider]

Thanks usermel. It's coming along quite nicely.

[freshmusic1]

Standing on the Harbor Park Station!

Great pictures. I'm in Chicago so these pictures make me get excited about LRT. Thanks.

[varider]

[varider]

[varider]

"We expect to move 15,000 people a day," said Randy Wright.

[varider]

Woohoo!

Two LRT Cars are expected to arrive in Norfolk tomorrow!

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/light-rail...-arrive-tuesday

The first area that will be electrified, probably after the first of the year, will be a section between Brambleton Avenue and Ballentine Boulevard that will serve as a test track, Perez said.

Both static and dynamic tests will be conducted as part of the basic commissioning of the vehicles to identify and fix any defects. As the light-rail line gets built out and electrified, there will be system testing as well as operator training.

"People will be seeing light-rail vehicles running on the rails well in advance of opening," Perez said.

[varider]

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/Li...s_revealed_Tues

Our trains are on the tracks.

Edited October 6, 2009 by varider

[cpeakesqr]

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/Li...s_revealed_Tues

Our trains are on the tracks.

Ooooooooh.... Pretty!

[ronsmytheiii]

They're modern, sleek, and unlike any transit vehicle the area has seen.

Locals were introduced to The Tide light-rail cars today when the first two arrived in Norfolk. The cars traveled cross country by freight train from Siemens Transportation Systems Inc. in Sacramento, Calif.

Flooding in Atlanta and the derailment of another train in North Carolina delayed their delivery, but city and transit leaders vow the trains will run on time once they start operating here a year from now.

Another seven vehicles will arrive, mostly two at a time, over the next several months. Their cost, including spare parts, is $36 million.

Cool video too, I am not even going to bother reading the comments.

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/video-firs...-arrive-norfolk

[varider]

Yeah the train looks great. I like ours better than Charlotte's (even though it's the same) lol.

The comments on the Pilot are mostly ignorant. People think the money would have been better served to fund schools and fix potholes, but they don't understand that the $$ came from the feds and state for the sole use to build LRT. Oh well, they'll never understand.

Now that the trains are here and the tracks are pretty much laid, I'm ready to extend this thing all over. It's now a reality that we have light rail in Hampton Roads. Let's get a move on and extend it as fast as possible. I think we are in a much better position to recieve funding for New Starts than the majority of cities applying. Even if the Norfolk line isn't too successful (I think it will be, and at least meet ridership estimates within the first year), the fact that we are extending it to a big city like Virginia Beach is a big help. The future is bright and the possibilites are endless.

[varider]

[brikkman]

Pretty cool, I seen it this morning on my way from the beach. They look much better than the earlier pictures I have seen.

[HarryVB]

Yeah I completely Agree with VaRider. Just Imagine the lightrail running up and down atlantic and pacific ave too with all the tourist. Bringing them to the Convention Center.. Town Center and etc. You wouldnt even have to worry about parking at the beach to see the fire works or any of the popular days like labor day and memorial day weekend.. They would be coming on trains taking away traffic. They could park at harbor park and take lightrail to the beach. that would relieve all the traffic congestion on 264 and the oceanfront on the residential roads..

[varider]

Yeah, I think that Norfolk should build the extension to the Naval Base at the same time the Virginia Beach portion is being built. Next thing you know, 50,000 people ride a day. They actually should apply for funding at the same time.

[ronsmytheiii]

Yeah, I think that Norfolk should build the extension to the Naval Base at the same time the Virginia Beach portion is being built.

I suspect that a lot more time and money would be required for an extension to the Naval Base, as well as having much more of an impact for roads/businesses/housing. One of the greatest features of the current Norfolk line/possible Virginia Beach line is that most of it uses the old Norfolk Southern line, which has been closed and is not used. Going from the Medical Campus, near Granby, by ODU, and to the base will involve a ton of road closures and eminent domain usage, which will bog the project down. Don't expect this section to be nearly as easy as the current line or even the Beach option.

Edit: Looks like the best way would be to follow Hampton Boulevard, can you imagine the congestion this would create with construction? Not to mention that it would probably have to be elevated. Wow, we probably would need federal funding for this section.

Edited October 7, 2009 by ronsmytheiii