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vdogg

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vdogg Megalopolis

vdogg

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"suburban assassins"

I've never heard that term before but it is perfect to describe some of the people out there. Va. Beachs portion of light rail was shot down many years ago and for the same reasons. <_< I hope we power through on this as well. None of these naysayers really came to light until the FTA approved the line, which is unfortunate. I really wish these people had come forward long ago so we'd had a chance to air out their concerns instead of jeopardizing this entire project in the last minute.

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Virginia City
Virginia City

5? If you actually think that MFer is going to be done in 5 years I got some oceanfront property in Arizona I'd like to sell ya.

Urbanlooker
Urbanlooker

There's a proposal being made to triple the number of trains on Amtrak between NN and Richmind. This would make the service more similar to a shuttle service instead of a commuter service. https:

vdogg
vdogg

Had a chance to travel through the High Rise Bridge/I-64 widening project for the first time in a year and man, that is one massive bit of construction. Between the CBBT, HRBT, High Rise, and I-264 pr

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urbanfan Hamlet

urbanfan

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I've never heard that term before but it is perfect to describe some of the people out there. Va. Beachs portion of light rail was shot down many years ago and for the same reasons. <_< I hope we power through on this as well. None of these naysayers really came to light until the FTA approved the line, which is unfortunate. I really wish these people had come forward long ago so we'd had a chance to air out their concerns instead of jeopardizing this entire project in the last minute.

Oh, there were plenty of naysayers. Just read through the questions and answer section of Norfolk's light rail page and you'll see them. It has been an uphill battle from the start. If Norfolk could get through these hurdles and have to completely redesign stops and the route of the line because people didn't want the line to pass by a facility or there neighborhood, they will get through this trivial problem. The hard part is actually over with. Short of some type of great depression hitting the U.S. this line will be built.

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vdogg Megalopolis

vdogg

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Do these people know how to do anything but reject transportation bills?! They have not come up with one (1) solution. We need to vote every single one of these idiots out of office, this whole situation is past ridiculous. What the heck have they been doing with our tax dollars?

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rusthebuss Metropolis

rusthebuss

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Do these people know how to do anything but reject transportation bills?! They have not come up with one (1) solution. We need to vote every single one of these idiots out of office, this whole situation is past ridiculous. What the heck have they been doing with our tax dollars?

This is where the people need to step up and show the politicians whose really in control. We need to have some kind of rally here to show the politicians up in Richmond that we mean business. We also need to show this in the next term comes up for these guys!

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urbanfan Hamlet

urbanfan

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The bill was shot down as it should have been. It was ridiculous. They wanted to set up a tolling authority to toll old and new roads to pay for projects without any oversight. The wording of the legislation would have put the tolling authority in charge of everything with no checks and balances which means they could have charged whatever toll they felt like. There is another peice of legislation that is still alive that has a much better chance passing because it allows the general assembly to have some authority and insight into the tolling authority so that the tolling authority can't just go raising crazy rates whenever they want to. Let's not just race to adopt a bill just for the sake of adopting a bill. Let's be smart about it. Let's look out for our interests instead of some new tolling authority who's new game would be to try and make money off of us, which is what this would turn into. We have to live with the consequences of toll's and fees, lets make shure it's something we can live with and not something we just throw together for the sake of finishing a funding bill.

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Padman Hamlet

Padman

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The bill was shot down as it should have been. It was ridiculous. They wanted to set up a tolling authority to toll old and new roads to pay for projects without any oversight. The wording of the legislation would have put the tolling authority in charge of everything with no checks and balances which means they could have charged whatever toll they felt like. There is another peice of legislation that is still alive that has a much better chance passing because it allows the general assembly to have some authority and insight into the tolling authority so that the tolling authority can't just go raising crazy rates whenever they want to. Let's not just race to adopt a bill just for the sake of adopting a bill. Let's be smart about it. Let's look out for our interests instead of some new tolling authority who's new game would be to try and make money off of us, which is what this would turn into. We have to live with the consequences of toll's and fees, lets make shure it's something we can live with and not something we just throw together for the sake of finishing a funding bill.

That point about an autonomous tolling authority may be valid, but should have been open for negotiation and refinement after the bill was introduced. It seems that these people aren't discussing and negotiating on contentious issues. I understand that the other bill probably won't raise enough money to keep our major projects alive, although it won't gore so many oxes. The problem is that too many of these legislators seem to think that no one should have to pay for a functional society, therefore nothing gets done. Is this really a true reflection of what our citizenry thinks?

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gosscj Whistle-Stop

gosscj

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Or, more accurately, hit us in the wallet. These politicians, aside from the fact that they have to live here too, have no apparent real interest in seeing our state prosper. They're politicians for their own selfish reasons and, by and large, they're unworthy of pretending to serve a public. I can't believe enough of them are so unconcerned about passing a working transportation budget that they would rather allocate no money to transportation needs than even consider compromising. And this is with House and Senate both controlled by the same party! It's mind-blowing!

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Padman Hamlet

Padman

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I keep going back to Urbanfan's post on this subject, which refers to flaws in the bill specifics. I sense that the inability to pass legislation on transportation is in part a reflection on the incompetence of our elected officials. The lack of agreement and partisan bickering is a part of the sickness, but bills have to contain specific tools and logical solutions. These tools have to be reasonable responses to problems, and they must be tested conceptually on their fairness and efficiency, their costs and their practicality.

I think that Tim Kaine needs to appoint a group to quickly assess tools that have been used elsewhere, ranging from tolls to gas taxes, so that a series of plans can be drafted that carry some weight of authority and credibility. That done, hopefully some of the carpers and naysayers can be brought into line.

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wrldcoupe4 Metropolitan Area

wrldcoupe4

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ehhh I'll put this here even though it applies to more than Hampton Roads:

US 460, I-64 tolls proposed by private firm--Other ideas include gas stations in the median, raising speed limit

One proposal to fund a new U.S. 460 in southeastern Virginia envisions charging tolls on the new road and Interstate 64 east of Richmond.

Another floats the idea of developing a string of gas stations and restaurants in the medians of the new Route 460,

And another suggests increasing the speed limit to 65 mph to entice drivers to the new toll road.

Three multinational conglomerates have come out with competing plans to build a new eastern stretch of U.S. 460 as a toll road.....

In soliciting the proposals, state officials made it clear Virginia had no money for the project and was hunting for a private company to build Route 460 and operate it as a toll road.

But all three of the firms that responded said toll revenues alone would not be enough. They proposed a variety of financial and construction tradeoffs, which promise to give VDOT and the public much to ponder.

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rusthebuss Metropolis

rusthebuss

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ehhh I'll put this here even though it applies to more than Hampton Roads:

US 460, I-64 tolls proposed by private firm--Other ideas include gas stations in the median, raising speed limit

Sounds like another stale situation. I think by the time they decide they will take action it will be such a problem it will hurt us

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