A citizen speaks: WE WANT MASS TRANSIT AS A SOLUTION

by Troi Lewis, a public transit evangelist, City of Hampton resident and frequent online commenter and forum participant; Troi is looking forward to the day when he can use public transportation all the time.

Currently, we need to realize a cost effective alternative to the transportation issue. While it is true that new tunnels and roads are needed, it is still in our best interest to implement mass transit. If you don't agree, please consider the following: Whatever decision is made, it has to be paid for somehow.

I say this because there are concerns as to the cost of the starter light rail (LRT) line in Norfolk. There's also concern about Virginia Beach’s purchase of the remainder of the Norfolk Southern (NS) line to eventually bring LRT to the Beach. But the truth of the matter is: it's the start to an alternative.



Notice that it's called a "starter line". It's not called the "only line", or "Norfolk's exclusive-customized-one-of-a-kind-light rail line; it's called a "starter line". It's the beginning to a light rail system that could stretch all over Hampton Roads and beyond. You probably would also say: This doesn't seem cost effective.

On the contrary, compared to what a new tunnel or crossing would cost, piecing together a light rail system with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Street Car systems would be a lot less. No matter the cost, we need something that would bring a lot more to the table then just more tunnels and more roads.

If you look at TOD (Transit Oriented Development) as something that only feeds the developers’ pockets, you’re not looking at the big picture. Look at the convenience of having some form of rapid transit within walking distance of where you live, work, shop, school, etc. While interstates and expressways are good for business and those close to them, they don't bring property value up like rail or rapid transit does.

There's also a very large financial return that comes from TODs. This could help fund other transportation projects.

You also need to think about the environmental effect this can have, specifically on our health. Think of your children and your other loved ones that have asthma, allergies, or any other forms of respiratory problems.

So I say to you Hampton Roads: Support your city and their decision to bring mass transit (whatever the form) to the region. This will be supporting all of Hampton Roads.

The General Assembly (GA) is not providing solutions. The MPO has worked on bringing a solution to the traffic and travel time through this Plan: www.HamptonRoadsTransitPlan.com



Again, many of the cities are already working on implementing these ideas. So it's going to take all of Hampton Roads to come together to make this into a reality. For those of you who agree on these ideas, please, PLEASE show that you are in support of what's being planned. This way the GA will see that something like this needs to be funded and not put on the back burner like it has been for the past 20 years. I, myself, would rather pay taxes for something that I know can actually bring benefit and make a change, then for something that will be outdated before it's even finished.

So, in closing, we have to put our voices together on this one and tell the GA: WE WANT MASS TRANSIT AS A SOLUTION!!!!

America's First Region Community Support Recognition

VIDEO LINK

The Hampton Roads Partnership (HRP) launched the brand “America’s First Region” in 2006. Since then, a number of organizations and businesses have and continue to actively promote it. HRP honored them with a resolution of appreciation for their support at the March 2009 Board Meeting.

HRP Board member: Mr. Bill Crawford, Regional President, Wachovia Bank, sponsored billboards throughout the region. Other supporting community organizations and their representatives in attendance:

• Mr. Ben Giancola, Assistant General Manager, Norfolk Admirals and Norfolk Tides posted the brand on the Scope Arena message board during their hockey season and on Harbor Park’s outfield digital message board during each Tides home baseball game;
• Mr. Doug Davis, President & General Manager of WAVY TV- Channel 10, produced the award winning “My Hampton Roads” series profiling individuals and organizations region-wide working to preserve area treasures;
• Mr. Ken Scott, Executive Director, Norfolk Airport Authority, welcomes visitors and all those returning home to “America’s First Region” with a prominent digital sign in the airport;
• Mr. Dennis Heuer, Hampton Roads District Administrator, VDOT broadcast the brand in their 610 AM radio advisories;
• Ms. Elaine Cayton, President AHR Communications, Inc./AdMobile, features the brand on their mobile billboard delivery trucks traveling throughout the region;
• Mr. Doug Lister, Community Relations Director, Adams Outdoor Advertising, provided valuable billboard space for businesses to display our brand on the Peninsula and Southside;
• Mr. Steve Goad, Manager of Government Relations, Cox Communications, sponsored the “America’s First Region” history poster which is distributed to fourth grade classrooms in both public and private schools throughout Hampton Roads;
• Mr. Michael Townes, President & CEO, Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), continues to display the brand decal on their entire bus fleet.

Featured in the video are:

• ABNB Federal Credit Union
• Adams Outdoor Advertising
• AdMobile
• Cox Communications
• Dairy Queen
• Farm Fresh
• Franklin-Southampton Economic Development
• Hampton Roads Transit (HRT)
• James City County
• Norfolk Admirals/Scope
• Norfolk International Airport
• Norfolk State University
• Norfolk Tides
• The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center
• Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater
• Verizon idearcMedia
• Virginia Department of Transportation, Hampton Roads District
• Virginia Governor Tim Kaine
• Virginia Natural Gas
• Wachovia Bank
• WAVY TV 10

There are many more promoters of “America’s First Region”.
What's yours!

Transit Vision Plan's Public Presentation

Scroll through this presentation for Vision Maps to see how this long-range plan affects your future, your life, your work, your mobility:

Transit Vision Plan for Hampton Roads with Maps

View this presentation in a new browser window; click on "Full" to view full screen; click on "Download" to download the presentation to your own computer.

The Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization (HRMPO) is undertaking an effort to develop a regional vision of public transportation, indicating the combination of transit services and land use intensity best suited for the region. The basic premise of this study is that public transportation provides a mobility option valuable to the individuals who use it and beneficial to the whole community as part of its economic infrastructure. Route-based public transportation services are generally financially feasible where they connect high activity locations.

This plan is being conducted at the request of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and will be used as input into the Hampton Roads component of the Virginia 2035 Statewide Transit Plan.

Authored by the consultant team of HNTB Corporation, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc., RLS and Associates Inc., and Travesky & Associates Ltd. with cooperation from staff from the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization, funding from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and sponsorship by the Hampton Roads Partnership.

More on the Transit Vision Plan plus a link to the complete Draft Plan.

Want more? More Mobility Options?

“I want more high quality, safe, efficient and environmentally friendly public transportation services in Hampton Roads.”

Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) has started an online petition for voicing your support for more public transportation in Hampton Roads. Take a minute to complete the “I Want More” petition here online. Just click on the photo above or visit http://www.gohrt.com/iwantmore/iwantmore.html.

HRT's mission is “to serve the community through high quality, safe, efficient and environmentally friendly regional transportation services,” and they can accomplish this mission only through public support and partnership between citizens, HRT, and local, state and federal government stakeholders.

Be heard.

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