Attending the Transit Vision Plan Public Meeting

Click on map for larger view by Missy Schmidt, Communication Manager, Hampton Roads Partnership, Missy@HRP.org

I attended the early Transit Vision Plan (TVP) public meeting last night in Norfolk. One of the TVP consultants, Travesky & Associates Ltd., presented a slide show highlighting the maps and route corridors, improvements and integration methods.

This TVP is an evolutionary plan, with enhancements happening over many years. To be successful as a region in the future, the TVP promotes and predicts more compact mixed use development along corridors of transit. It encourages employment, housing and other activity centers to locate along these corridors as well to be more efficient.

It looks at an integrated system of transit services: bus, shuttle, ferry, light rail, street car, commuter rail, just about anything larger than a tandem bike that would take people out of their cars and off the highways.

Other benefits of the TVP are: redevelopment of aging commercial areas, links to activity centers from less dense areas of the region, designated park and ride areas, connection of activity centers during high demand/peak tourist periods, encouragement of pedestrian traffic, prevention of sprawling land patterns (i.e. better land use).

Approximately 30 citizens (six UCAC-HRT’s User Citizen Advisory Committee members among them), participated in break-out work groups after the consultant’s review. The break-out session facilitators asked these questions:

• Among the transit improvements proposed, what are your priorities?
• What are the benefits to the region of implementing the proposed transit improvements? Which benefits are most important to you?
• How would implementing the proposed transit improvements affect your ability or interest in using transit?

HRT-users sitting with me oohed and aahed over the foresight and thoughtfulness that went into the plan. There was a genuine, almost electric, feeling of collaboration and importance. Everyone likes to be heard. The more opportunity people are given to engage in meaningful, positive dialogue, the better.

The suggestions made by the work groups, reporting back to the full group after the break-outs, seemed very workable, i.e. using technology for access to “flex shuttles” within the Community Circulators routes, creating “Community Response Transit” routes, etc.

The usual questions were raised about funding sources and user-friendly issues such as accessibility, hours of operation, affordability, seamless transfers, frequency of service, ease of purchasing tickets, better shelters, etc.

However, overwhelmingly, I heard a different sentiment of “Just DO IT!” The need for “a regional transit authority,””working together as a region,” and to “stop bickering among localities as to who pays for what” was prevalent. “If we don’t act now, we’ll have DC-like traffic” was heard.

Not one person mentioned Economic Development as a reason for improving Public Transit last night.

To sum up the break-out reports, citizens care about getting where they need to go when they need to get there affordably, comfortably, conveniently, safely, securely and in a way that is environmentally-friendly.

Quality of Life, Freedom of Choice and Regional Cooperation were overwhelmingly the most important benefits mentioned. Yes, Economic Development is a beneficial by-product of focusing on these issues, but it was not the citizens’ focus.

You still have until March 13th to comment on the Transit Vision Plan: http://hrpartnership.blogspot.com/2009/02/transit-vision-for-hampton-roads-region.html