The City of Suffolk had long simply leased buses from Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) and operated it's own four local routes as a separate service. Last year Suffolk studied the matter and determined it was cheaper to have HRT assume direct control. In March HRT took over Routes 71, 72, 73, and 74. Finally accomplishing a "get around to it" project today, I went to Suffolk to check things out for myself.
First there is the issue of getting there. The only bus into and out of Suffolk is Route 962, a MAX route that operates only on weekdays and during rush hour. You transfer from Route 962 to Route 73 at the Magnolia Park and Ride, a facility that underwhelmed me on seeing it for the first time. The four Suffolk local routes meet at the Suffolk Bus Plaza, just a block off the main drag in downtown Suffolk.
Suffolk service is quite different from that elsewhere in Hampton Roads. There are no posted bus stops; you simply flag the bus down along it's route. All four routes are loops. The routes go into shopping centers, apartment complexes, etc. (In the other six cities, the route goes past on the main road with a bus stop there.) Service only operates on weekdays 11 hours a day. All buses are hourly.
I had heard some bad things about Suffolk service, but was pleasantly surprised. In a sane world, bus service would be daily and 18 hours per day. In an ideal world, the looped routes would be straightened and replaced with more and more frequent routes. However, given political and financial realities, with a little tweaking Suffolk bus service wouldn't be that bad.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Islamification Of Europe
The following video has been posted by about four different people on YouTube. While I don't agree with it's alarmist tone (if the change is so inevitable, what could be done about it?), it provides plenty of food for thought. Such changing demographics have obvious long-term policy implications.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
It's A Tie
The vote on whether Laskin Road or Seaboard Road should take priority ended in a dead heat.
The new question: Is President Obama A Socialist? The term gets thrown at him regularly by critics. What do you believe?
The new question: Is President Obama A Socialist? The term gets thrown at him regularly by critics. What do you believe?
RAC May 7, 2009
This afternoon Virginia Beach's Resort Advisory Commission (RAC) held it's May meeting.
It was announced that funds have been found to complete the repainting of the Resort Area trolleys. To underline that the remaining trolleys and the new hybrid buses serve the same purpose, the trolleys are being repainted in a blue color scheme similar to the hybrids. In addition, the sites have been prepared for the 5 new Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) being brought to the Resort Area.
Enhancements for Beach Street were discussed. Banners and additional signage will be used to create a sense of arrival in the Resort Area.
The Gift of Tourism Campaign continues, with funds in the pending FY 2010 Budget to operate it during the next fiscal year. Updated economic impact figures should be online by July, as well as an improved Contact Us section so residents can e-mail in questions on Resort policy.
Two meetings will be held in May on the annual influx of international students. Next week will be a meeting geared towards prospective employers; at the end of the month, an orientation meeting for those students who have arrived. The meetings will be cosponsored by the Virginia Beach Hotel/Motel Association, the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association, and the Resort Retailers Association.
Finally, there was a Presentation by a representative from the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium on harnessing offshore wind for energy. VCERC's website is at http://www.vcerc.org
It was announced that funds have been found to complete the repainting of the Resort Area trolleys. To underline that the remaining trolleys and the new hybrid buses serve the same purpose, the trolleys are being repainted in a blue color scheme similar to the hybrids. In addition, the sites have been prepared for the 5 new Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) being brought to the Resort Area.
Enhancements for Beach Street were discussed. Banners and additional signage will be used to create a sense of arrival in the Resort Area.
The Gift of Tourism Campaign continues, with funds in the pending FY 2010 Budget to operate it during the next fiscal year. Updated economic impact figures should be online by July, as well as an improved Contact Us section so residents can e-mail in questions on Resort policy.
Two meetings will be held in May on the annual influx of international students. Next week will be a meeting geared towards prospective employers; at the end of the month, an orientation meeting for those students who have arrived. The meetings will be cosponsored by the Virginia Beach Hotel/Motel Association, the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association, and the Resort Retailers Association.
Finally, there was a Presentation by a representative from the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium on harnessing offshore wind for energy. VCERC's website is at http://www.vcerc.org
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Young Earth Creationists
It's become a running joke with us at work: there's a museum that claims the Earth is only about 4,000 years old and that people and dinosaurs lived together in the Garden of Eden.
Slides from the museum are online at http://web.mit.edu/gjordan/www/creation/slides/_DSC2310.html
Slides from the museum are online at http://web.mit.edu/gjordan/www/creation/slides/_DSC2310.html
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Urbanization In Virginia Beach
On another site today, Reid Greenmun delivered another of his periodic attacks against urbanization. The Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance (VBTA) has done it previously before City Council. My point: urbanization is a process already underway that the Virginia Beach City Council couldn't put the brakes on tomorrow even if they wanted to.
If you think urbanization can be legally stopped, read the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code. A number of areas in Virginia Beach are already zoned in a manner that would allow for urban redevelopment by right: the Strategic Growth Areas, the Resort Area, and the western portion of the Shore Drive Corridor. You can't go back and downzone the areas now: Loudoun County tried to downzone to slow growth and were nailed in court.
Demographic urbanization is also underway. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, fewer Whites lived in Virginia Beach in 2007 than in 1990. What population growth we've had for about a generation has been entirely minority.
Why bring up the matter if race? When some say they are "anti-urban", in many circles that's taken as "anti-minority". That's especially true of the VBTA. First, the VBTA has never had a minority member on it's Board of Directors. Second, when running for Mayor last year, John Moss didn't even go to a candidate interview with the African-American Political Action Committee (AAPAC). Knowing African-American turnout on November 4 would account for about 30% of voters, Moss & Robert Dean blew off the African-American community leadership. (The slight was noted.) Third, when the VBTA attacks a process they should know can't be stopped, it smells of playing the race card to scare people.
Urbanization in Virginia Beach is underway and the City doesn't have the legal means to stop it even if they wanted to. Therefore, the question is whether or not we want to urbanize is moot. The real issue is how do we manage the process.
If you think urbanization can be legally stopped, read the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code. A number of areas in Virginia Beach are already zoned in a manner that would allow for urban redevelopment by right: the Strategic Growth Areas, the Resort Area, and the western portion of the Shore Drive Corridor. You can't go back and downzone the areas now: Loudoun County tried to downzone to slow growth and were nailed in court.
Demographic urbanization is also underway. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, fewer Whites lived in Virginia Beach in 2007 than in 1990. What population growth we've had for about a generation has been entirely minority.
Why bring up the matter if race? When some say they are "anti-urban", in many circles that's taken as "anti-minority". That's especially true of the VBTA. First, the VBTA has never had a minority member on it's Board of Directors. Second, when running for Mayor last year, John Moss didn't even go to a candidate interview with the African-American Political Action Committee (AAPAC). Knowing African-American turnout on November 4 would account for about 30% of voters, Moss & Robert Dean blew off the African-American community leadership. (The slight was noted.) Third, when the VBTA attacks a process they should know can't be stopped, it smells of playing the race card to scare people.
Urbanization in Virginia Beach is underway and the City doesn't have the legal means to stop it even if they wanted to. Therefore, the question is whether or not we want to urbanize is moot. The real issue is how do we manage the process.
Sound Off On Route 960
Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) has proposed dropping MAX Route 960 to Route 962-level service September-April. You'll have two chances to sound off on this change.
1. There will be a Community Meeting on Tuesday, May 19 at 6 P.M. at HRT's Norfolk office on Monticello Avenue.
2. The TDCHR Public Hearing will be Thursday, May 28 at 1:30 P.M. in the same location.
In addition, comments for the Public Hearing may be e-mailed to HRT up to 5 P.M. on Friday, May 22.
IMO, the fundamental problem with the 960 is that the route's misdrawn. Virtually everyone who spoke up at the outset of MAX service said the 960 needed to go to Virginia Beach's Town Center. In addition, the first draft of the route had a stop at Virginia Beach's convention center. Add those stops and see if we can't get the 960's ridership to improve.
MAX service is being paid for by a three year CMAQ grant. As the initial grant had the 960 at more frequent service (3 times per hour peak, 2 times per hour off-peak), HRT should still have the money to fix this and get it right.
Given that the then-Strategic Planning Manager who screwed up the 960 is no longer at HRT, there's no need for the agency to run from the mistake. Admit it as the guy to blame is gone.
Slice some off a turd and what you have left is still a turd. Taking frequencies off the 960 doesn't fix the route; only correcting the original misdrawing does.
1. There will be a Community Meeting on Tuesday, May 19 at 6 P.M. at HRT's Norfolk office on Monticello Avenue.
2. The TDCHR Public Hearing will be Thursday, May 28 at 1:30 P.M. in the same location.
In addition, comments for the Public Hearing may be e-mailed to HRT up to 5 P.M. on Friday, May 22.
IMO, the fundamental problem with the 960 is that the route's misdrawn. Virtually everyone who spoke up at the outset of MAX service said the 960 needed to go to Virginia Beach's Town Center. In addition, the first draft of the route had a stop at Virginia Beach's convention center. Add those stops and see if we can't get the 960's ridership to improve.
MAX service is being paid for by a three year CMAQ grant. As the initial grant had the 960 at more frequent service (3 times per hour peak, 2 times per hour off-peak), HRT should still have the money to fix this and get it right.
Given that the then-Strategic Planning Manager who screwed up the 960 is no longer at HRT, there's no need for the agency to run from the mistake. Admit it as the guy to blame is gone.
Slice some off a turd and what you have left is still a turd. Taking frequencies off the 960 doesn't fix the route; only correcting the original misdrawing does.
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