Hampton Roads Transportation

[erdogs]

3rd crossing plans pushed back

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-48...ews-local-final

Here we go again!

[VAGATOR]

The mixing bowl in Springfield even makes me feel uneasy at times.

That flyover connecting the Beltway to I-95 South is amazing. Has to be at least 15 stories high.

[vdogg]

It's as though they're have a competition to see how much they can screw us over.

Boards budget steering towards local road cuts

The Commonwealth Transportation Board is expected to approve a budget today that cuts deeply into regional road projects and leaves state support for investment in transit at a 10-year low.

Spending for interstate maintenance will jump - at the expense of highway construction. Money for a new Gilmerton Bridge along Military Highway in Chesapeake was delayed again.

"It's very discouraging," said Dean Block, the director of public works in Virginia Beach, which is bracing for a 53 percent cut in its local road-building program.

"The money is not there to accomplish projects that already should have been completed," he said. "People are just going to sit in traffic longer."

[rusthebuss]

I wonder how bad this budget is hurting other regions of the state

[wrldcoupe4]

I think everyone is feeling the pinch:

Funding cut for local roads, transit

[rusthebuss]

I think everyone is feeling the pinch:

Funding cut for local roads, transit

I think its time to clean house up there. These guys are idiots!

[vaceltic]

I think its time to clean house up there. These guys are idiots!

It's hard for anyone to get any transportation through when this state is run by rural delegates that dont reside in Northern Virginia, Richmond, or Hampton Roads. Why is that!?

[rusthebuss]

It's hard for anyone to get any transportation through when this state is run by rural delegates that dont reside in Northern Virginia, Richmond, or Hampton Roads. Why is that!?

The rest of the state pays for these rural areas as well. HR and NOVA pay pretty much for the rest of the state and get very little in return.

[wrldcoupe4]

it's obvious though that many rural areas couldn't possibly only get back what they put in.... otherwise they'd have 1 lane dirt roads and have to ford rivers....

the fact of the matter is that regardless of who pays what and where, there isn't nearly enough money for transportation needs.

Even if HR and NOVA got all the money back they put in (if that is the case), there would still be a shortfall in funds for what is needed.

[NcSc74]

Not me! I use it as an excuse to fly! Tunnels don't bother me but people like that tick me off and give me road rage! I hear now that road rage is a disease.

Yeah I remember when I lived in Hampton and my wifes uncle lived in Va Beach I would go at least 85 through the HRBT. The sad part about it is I was still getting passed.

[VAGATOR]

Yeah I remember when I lived in Hampton and my wifes uncle lived in Va Beach I would go at least 85 through the HRBT. The sad part about it is I was still getting passed.

I'm sorry, but it is almost impossible to go through the HRBT at 85, unless it is 3 in the morning. The state isn't run by rural delegates and I wish people would stop saying that. Howell and Chichester are from Stafford County and Fredericksburg respectively, and Wardrup the House Transportation head is from Virginia Beach.

[NcSc74]

Yeah it is possible. I never did it during the weekends or rush hour....

[vdogg]

Development will come to a standstill if transportation crisis not overcome

[rusthebuss]

Development will come to a standstill if transportation crisis not overcome

Man this is not good news for this region. I hope they find a solution soon but I don't think it will happen. What is it going to take to get this fixed!!!!!!!

[wrldcoupe4]

I think the whole state is feeling the pinch, some places more than others... but each area needs serious work in certain areas. The state simply can't provide adequate funding given the current revenue for everything that needs to be done. A tax increase devoted exclusively to transportation woes would help, but would never fly with constituents.

[rusthebuss]

I think the whole state is feeling the pinch, some places more than others... but each area needs serious work in certain areas. The state simply can't provide adequate funding given the current revenue for everything that needs to be done. A tax increase devoted exclusively to transportation woes would help, but would never fly with constituents.

Richmond is not feeling any pinch compared to Nova and here. You guys have had a bunch road construction just completed. You guys don't have bottlenecks up there. Its been a while since any major road construction has been done for this area. Everytime this area needs something the state drops the ball and its ridiculous. They want control of everything but screw this area. Nova is in the same boat. They don't mind taking money from these two regions but when its time that we need some of it back they don't want too. Richmonds road ways are great compared to all the pot holes here. Shot even the president asked if they were going to fix the roads around here.

[vdogg]

Too tall trucks stll heading for tunnels

What does it take to get through peoples heads?

[rusthebuss]

Don't know but i seen in the daily press yesterday that even the people supporting the third crossing is backing out of it and say its a cash hog now.Story

Edited August 10, 2006 by rusthebuss

[willy]

The state simply can't provide adequate funding given the current revenue for everything that needs to be done. A tax increase devoted exclusively to transportation woes would help, but would never fly with constituents.

"Needs" vs. "Wants"

Virginia had roughly $271,000,000 of PORK packed into the 2005 budget. Cut the pork and we would have more money for transportation. It may not fund all the projects, but over a quarter of a billion dollars would help out.

[rusthebuss]

Willy it won't happen dude. Look at the record for the state for this region. They always drop the ball for this region.

[Padman]

I sometimes think that some people in Richmond might see us as a foster child of the Pentagon. Because of that, maybe they feel that the Feds should pony up the lion's share of the transportation dollars for our area. Is that idea too far fetched? On the other hand, Richmond has an abundance of corporate clout and Northern Va has the beltway bandit industry. Those are economic engines that really fatten up the State.

[hoobo]

I sometimes think that some people in Richmond might see us as a foster child of the Pentagon. Because of that, maybe they feel that the Feds should pony up the lion's share of the transportation dollars for our area. Is that idea too far fetched? On the other hand, Richmond has an abundance of corporate clout and Northern Va has the beltway bandit industry. Those are economic engines that really fatten up the State.

I think we received an excellent explantion from a Richmonder of why Richmond has so many interstates: Richmond is expected to see population growth in the future and it is on a major north-south interstate. So routes 288 and 895 may be virtually empty now, but you wait about 15-20 years, then you'll see. And that Coalfields Expressway out in Wise is also another example of forward thinking. But the 3rd Crossing, 460 improvements, and I-81 truck lanes are reactionary ideas. HR needs to figure out its transportation needs 30 years from now and not focus on how to alleviate existing problems. (tic)

Edited August 10, 2006 by hoobo

[vaceltic]

I think we received an excellent explantion from a Richmonder of why Richmond has so many interstates: Richmond is expected to see population growth in the future and it is on a major north-south interstate. So routes 288 and 895 may be virtually empty now, but you wait about 15-20 years, then you'll see. And that Coalfields Expressway out in Wise is also another example of forward thinking. But the 3rd Crossing, 460 improvements, and I-81 truck lanes are reactionary ideas. HR needs to figure out its transportation needs 30 years from now and not focus on how to alleviate existing problems. (tic)

At least Norfolk is forward thinking with light rail. Now if we could just get her wonderful neighbor to catch on.

[GoodNews]

At least Norfolk is forward thinking with light rail. Now if we could just get her wonderful neighbor to catch on.

Norfolk is not the only one. Newport News wants it also.

[lammius]

I think we received an excellent explantion from a Richmonder of why Richmond has so many interstates: Richmond is expected to see population growth in the future and it is on a major north-south interstate. So routes 288 and 895 may be virtually empty now, but you wait about 15-20 years, then you'll see. And that Coalfields Expressway out in Wise is also another example of forward thinking. But the 3rd Crossing, 460 improvements, and I-81 truck lanes are reactionary ideas. HR needs to figure out its transportation needs 30 years from now and not focus on how to alleviate existing problems. (tic)

No offense to you or the unidentified Richmonder, but I think that explanation is B.S. Circumferential highways out in greenfields such as 895 & 288 don't solve the transportation problems of the future--they create them. I think many of the projects we see involve more politics than wise transportation planning.