Dwight Farmer, Executive Director of the Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), spoke to the Board of Directors of Light Rail Now on Monday. Most of his remarks touched on general transportation and roads, with only a small portion on light rail. However, his comments on funding should once again sound alarm bells.
Transportation funding is usually measured in twenty year cycles. At the time of HB 3202 (which established the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority) it was at $13 billion for the region, with $8 billion raised by 3202's taxes and fees and $5 billion from other sources. It's currently only $2.5 billion. For those who attack rail, a "roads only" program would take in the neighborhood of $20 billion.
First, when we're operating on less than 20% of what was anticipated at the time of the HRTA, only the fringe right can deny we have a severe problem. Second, for those who want "roads only!", how are you going to fund an 800% increase in roads spending?
7 comments:
Is there any way to get the HRT Fare Increase proposals going again?
This way we can pay for our own evening bus service (we need Sunday service too!)
yes i would love to hear the "roads only" people's answers to this one myself. knowing them they would still come up with some lame excuse to not include rail. but one thing is for sure, is that they never have an answer for how we would pay for roads. only criticism toward LRT and such. simpletons
Anon 10:35,
That should happen in January.
Were it up to me, the TDCHR would be voting on a $2 fare on August 26.
(off subject, sorta)
Henry u seem to know something we don't when it comes to the HRBT. cuz it seems they just want to add lanes and another tube. or are u just looking towards the future?
Shooter,
You can either build The Third Crossing or add two more lanes to the HRBT. Which one?
Norfolk's position is squarely behind The Third Crossing.
see the thing that bugs me the most (i've said before i know) but where is Hampton in all of this. they have no other suggestions but to pave it (HRBT), none for rail (3X correct?). i mean they should push the bill and try to get light rail in Hampton b4 NN. i mean it would be perfect especially if the ROW is near the interstate. Ok maybe it would be an issue of population from the AA/DEIS and wouldn't qualify but darn it all, it's worth a try. i just find it hilarious that at every city council meeting, the same people are there debating the same issue and all council is there to do is make discussion on things and approve them (things were decided on "other meetings" but i'm not gonna talk about now) but i mean they're talking about developing areas in Hampton and not one thing ONE THING about transportation. so to sum it all up, if they claim to be the ones that "first" suggested something be done with the HRBT 2 yrs ago (Kearney did anyway), well then why won't they make good on there claim and have something that will start the snowball rolling and have an LRT connection by means of a tunnel HRBT or 3X. one last complaint, we 3 new council members after like a million yrs (lol) and they seem just as bland as the last ones that left. Joseph is the blandest out of all of them. yeah i know what ur gonna say, she backed the HSR for Norfolk. well to that i say, how about bringing some rail love back home ; ) (i mean LRT) sry long comment
sry for the rant lol
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