56% of voters lean towards light rail extended all the way to the Oceanfront, 39% are leaning towards the Lynnhaven option, while 5% want an extension to Town Center.
While all three options are in play, I'll explain why I'm one of the 39%:
1. The gap between Lynnhaven and the Resort Area could easily be bridged transit-wise. Simply run a shuttle bus between the Lynnhaven Station and the transportation center planned for the Dome site complex.
2. You can run feeder service to Oceana NAS nearly as easily from Lynnhaven Station as you could Oceana Station.
3. The Lynnhaven alignment would bring in 4 of the 6 Strategic Growth Areas (SGAs) along the Norfolk Southern Corridor. Remaining would be AICUZ-constricted Hilltop, and the Resort Area. (Obviously the dynamics of the Resort Area are quite different than the other five.)
4. The estimated $251 million lower cost than the Resort Area option would be easier for the public to swallow.
5. One of the two major obstacles an Oceanfront extension faces in getting Federal funding is the constrained redevelopment opportunities adjacent to Oceana NAS. (The other is the large sum of money.) Stopping just west of the Oceana doughnut hole negates that, and also boosts us on the other count.
Should Oceana lose Master Jet Base status in outlying years (as many anticipate), the AICUZ footprint around the base would shrink dramatically for choppers or turboprops. We can then extend Lynnhaven - Dome site without breaking our commitment to the Navy.
The new poll question: should Pakistan be sanctioned for harboring Osama bin Laden? If so, how?
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