Running With The PAC?

On Wednesday evening Hampton Roads Transit's (HRT) User Citizen Advisory Committee (UCAC) met at HRT's Monticello Avenue office in Norfolk. Or is that HRT's Passenger Advisory Committee (PAC)? One of the orders of business was a review of the committee guidelines, with a change in the committee name suggested. Critics thought it sounded like a political action committee or a gang. Any such changes require approval by the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads (TDCHR).

Three new members were seated (one each from Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Newport News), with a prospective new member from Portsmouth attending. Lee Westergard of Newport News accepted the Vice Chairmanship.

A long batch of City Reports were given. That section of the meeting went on long enough that Vice Chairman Westergard has suggested submitting City Reports in writing prior, with them going into the meeting packet.

There will be some aggressive recruiting of new members. First, advertising cards will be placed inside of buses. Second, Chairman Henry Ryto stressed recruitment in his remarks to the UCAC. For the committee to function as designed, it needs as many sets of eyes and ears out there as possible.

It was the first meeting for Ryto as Chairman. HRT's Customer Service Department presented him with an umbrella. "An umbrella?!?" you ask? The night before the new Cedar Grove Transfer Center was to open, he had e-mailed with the weather report. There was a 70% chance of rain the next two days, so he suggested where HRT could buy some inexpensive umbrellas for the Staff who would be at Cedar Grove handling problems. With his seating as Chairman, they bought him a very nice umbrella.