The Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads (TDCHR) held it's October meeting this afternoon in Hampton.
A Presentation was given by Rear Admiral Mark Boensel, Commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic. He covered the Navy's economic impact on the region ($14.69 billion directly in FY 2008), but - appropriately enough - Transportation. Boensel stated that the Navy advocates enhanced mass transit as a means of getting sailors and civilian personnel to and from their bases. Most importantly, Boensel made it clear that the United States Navy supports light rail in Hampton Roads! (Take that, VBTA: being anti-LRT is being anti-Navy!) In addition, the Navy likes The Third Crossing "in concept".
In September HRT ridership was up 6.59% over September, 2008.
HRT is $741,049 under Budget for FY 2010.
Sign that we're coming out of the recession? HRT is short 8 full-time Operators: 7 in Norfolk, 1 at Virginia Beach Base. HRT is chronically short Operators, but in recent months slots have been kept full by the poor job market.
Finally, a contract was awarded for station finishes on Norfolk's light rail line, which came in over $136,000 under budget.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Public Is Much Smarter Than Reid Greenmun
As part of the process for developing the region's 2034 Long-Range Transportation Plan, an Internet survey of residents was conducted. When asked the question "What do you think is the most effective way to reduce transportation congestion in our region?", here's what they chose:
1. Expanding the mass transit system - 228
2. Providing passenger rail service between metro areas - 217
3. Adequate, dedicated transportation funding - 187
4. Improving coordination of land use and transportation planning - 128
5. Expanding the highway system - 99
6. Improving the operation of existing highway facilities - 96
7. Maintaining existing transportation system - 82
8. Improving the operation of existing transit service - 58
9. Providing more biking and walking facilities - 58
10. Adding freight capacity - 44
11. Other - 22
Note that the Top 4 responses all spell "Smart Growth".
1. Expanding the mass transit system - 228
2. Providing passenger rail service between metro areas - 217
3. Adequate, dedicated transportation funding - 187
4. Improving coordination of land use and transportation planning - 128
5. Expanding the highway system - 99
6. Improving the operation of existing highway facilities - 96
7. Maintaining existing transportation system - 82
8. Improving the operation of existing transit service - 58
9. Providing more biking and walking facilities - 58
10. Adding freight capacity - 44
11. Other - 22
Note that the Top 4 responses all spell "Smart Growth".
TPO October 21, 2009
Wednesday morning the Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) held it's October meeting. The TPO is Hampton Roads' Federally-mandated Transportation planning commission.
First of all, there were no speakers for the Public Comment session, then the consent agenda was passed unanimously without comment.
The big thing was that the TPO agreed on how to weight various criteria as they move to prioritize the region's planned transportation projects. There was both a study by Staff on what other regions do, and there was a public survey on the Internet that drew over 900 responses. In addition, there will be second public survey later in the prioritization process.
The TPO named the first group of members to serve on it's advisory committee for freight shipping issues.
Finally, there was a briefing on Phase II of the regional transit vision plan. Public meetings on draft Phase II will be held in the Spring.
First of all, there were no speakers for the Public Comment session, then the consent agenda was passed unanimously without comment.
The big thing was that the TPO agreed on how to weight various criteria as they move to prioritize the region's planned transportation projects. There was both a study by Staff on what other regions do, and there was a public survey on the Internet that drew over 900 responses. In addition, there will be second public survey later in the prioritization process.
The TPO named the first group of members to serve on it's advisory committee for freight shipping issues.
Finally, there was a briefing on Phase II of the regional transit vision plan. Public meetings on draft Phase II will be held in the Spring.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sacre Bleu!
Coming out of the City Council strategic planning meeting, I crafted a poll question on the Property Tax rate. I never would have guessed what the results would be: 47% want to raise the rate to above 91 cents, 34% want to raise the rate to remain revenue neutral (with assessments projected to go down 5%), 10% want to hold at the current 89 cent rate, while 6% want to drop the rate below 89 cents. 81% of voters backed some form of rate hike.
The new poll question is on the new draft Comprehensive Plan for Virginia Beach: have you read it? If not, do you plan to? There are three public meetings scheduled for resident questions and comments on the Comprehensive Plan:
1. Thursday, October 22 - Bayside Recreation Center
2. Monday, October 26 - Virginia Beach Convention Center
3. Thursday, October 29 - Creeds Elementary School
All meetings will run 7-9 P.M. In addition, later both the Planning Commission and City Council will hold Public Hearings on the Comprehensive Plan before it is adopted by Council.
The new poll question is on the new draft Comprehensive Plan for Virginia Beach: have you read it? If not, do you plan to? There are three public meetings scheduled for resident questions and comments on the Comprehensive Plan:
1. Thursday, October 22 - Bayside Recreation Center
2. Monday, October 26 - Virginia Beach Convention Center
3. Thursday, October 29 - Creeds Elementary School
All meetings will run 7-9 P.M. In addition, later both the Planning Commission and City Council will hold Public Hearings on the Comprehensive Plan before it is adopted by Council.
I Finally Figured It Out
It's always cheap fun to kick around our favorite bunch of kooks, the Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance (VBTA). Transportation is one of the major issues in Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads as a whole. A number have verbally jousted with the VBTA and their Transportation Chairman, Reid Greenmun, on the subject. Under Reid's "leadership", the VBTA has opposed each and every plan to build roads while advocating that we dismantle mass transit. If you're actually trying to improve Transportation, such a line is utterly insane.
However, the "logic" of it finally came to me. To understand VBTA policy, obviously you must first suspend rational thought. It all goes back to their desire to reduce Virginia Beach to a retirement park for senior citizens. To achieve such a goal, it would be necessary to choke off the Transportation network, so tourists, commerce, etc. can't make it to Virginia Beach. Therefore, you attack the Transportation connections to other cities in the region and access in and out of the region. The previous Vice Chairman of the VBTA once told City Council, "Commerce is killing us." The statement is absolutely bizarre for anyone in the mainstream, but not through the VBTA's prism.
Remember that when John Moss ran for Mayor last year, his position was to cut the City Budget by $100 million, with half going to tax relief, and half going to local roads within Virginia Beach. While mobility within our City is appreciated by the VBTA, they don't see beyond the city line.
There, I said it publicly. Next time you're confounded by the VBTA opposing every initiative to improve Transportation, remember what I told you.
However, the "logic" of it finally came to me. To understand VBTA policy, obviously you must first suspend rational thought. It all goes back to their desire to reduce Virginia Beach to a retirement park for senior citizens. To achieve such a goal, it would be necessary to choke off the Transportation network, so tourists, commerce, etc. can't make it to Virginia Beach. Therefore, you attack the Transportation connections to other cities in the region and access in and out of the region. The previous Vice Chairman of the VBTA once told City Council, "Commerce is killing us." The statement is absolutely bizarre for anyone in the mainstream, but not through the VBTA's prism.
Remember that when John Moss ran for Mayor last year, his position was to cut the City Budget by $100 million, with half going to tax relief, and half going to local roads within Virginia Beach. While mobility within our City is appreciated by the VBTA, they don't see beyond the city line.
There, I said it publicly. Next time you're confounded by the VBTA opposing every initiative to improve Transportation, remember what I told you.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Transit Notes October 16, 2009
Today's full itinerary (a medical appointment, lunch & matinee, and a couple errands) made for an 11 bus day. Some notes from it all:
1. It was the first time I had rode the first Outbound Route 20 of the morning, which goes through Pembroke East at 5:45 A.M. We fluctuated around a dozen passengers. It was a tight group, as the regulars and the Operator knew each other and chatted as friends.
2. Taking Route 29, I stumbled onto an alarming occurrence: the bus stop at Lynnhaven Mall has temporarily been moved to the rear, with Mall access via the backdoors to the Food Court. (I hadn't seen a HRT Passenger Alert on it.) The huge problem: Route 29 already runs regularly late, so the additional few minutes to loop behind the Mall is a disaster. Even in the quiet of the morning, we were late arriving at the TCC - Virginia Beach Transfer Center.
Route 26 and 29 passengers should cushion their riding itineraries to handle possible late buses. (Routes 26 and 29 are presently serviced with the same three buses, with them flipping routes at TCC.)
3. I took the MAX into downtown Norfolk. With it's schedule being reduced in the off-season, it was the last day of midday Route 960 service until May. If only this had happened earlier: 11 passengers were on our trip. (Decent midday loads could have saved the 960.)
4. Preparing to leave downtown Norfolk, I had to grin when I saw the bus approaching on Route 310. It was Bus 511, the same vehicle I rode on that early Outbound 20 trip.
Today's movie was Capitalism: A Love Story. I liked it better than either of the two previous Michael Moore films I had seen: it has neither the flimsy and transparent propaganda of Fahrenheit 9/11 nor was over-the-top like Sicko. Even where I disagreed with Moore on government policy, I enjoyed the humor he aimed at his targets. In this movie, Moore is fairly open about his political goal: cooperative socialism. (For those on the fringe right who love to throw around the word "socialism" to attack any spending you oppose, there's a clear difference between cooperative socialism, state socialism, and traditional American liberalism.) Regardless of your politics, if you opposed the recent Federal bailouts, you'll like Moore's skewering of them.
1. It was the first time I had rode the first Outbound Route 20 of the morning, which goes through Pembroke East at 5:45 A.M. We fluctuated around a dozen passengers. It was a tight group, as the regulars and the Operator knew each other and chatted as friends.
2. Taking Route 29, I stumbled onto an alarming occurrence: the bus stop at Lynnhaven Mall has temporarily been moved to the rear, with Mall access via the backdoors to the Food Court. (I hadn't seen a HRT Passenger Alert on it.) The huge problem: Route 29 already runs regularly late, so the additional few minutes to loop behind the Mall is a disaster. Even in the quiet of the morning, we were late arriving at the TCC - Virginia Beach Transfer Center.
Route 26 and 29 passengers should cushion their riding itineraries to handle possible late buses. (Routes 26 and 29 are presently serviced with the same three buses, with them flipping routes at TCC.)
3. I took the MAX into downtown Norfolk. With it's schedule being reduced in the off-season, it was the last day of midday Route 960 service until May. If only this had happened earlier: 11 passengers were on our trip. (Decent midday loads could have saved the 960.)
4. Preparing to leave downtown Norfolk, I had to grin when I saw the bus approaching on Route 310. It was Bus 511, the same vehicle I rode on that early Outbound 20 trip.
Today's movie was Capitalism: A Love Story. I liked it better than either of the two previous Michael Moore films I had seen: it has neither the flimsy and transparent propaganda of Fahrenheit 9/11 nor was over-the-top like Sicko. Even where I disagreed with Moore on government policy, I enjoyed the humor he aimed at his targets. In this movie, Moore is fairly open about his political goal: cooperative socialism. (For those on the fringe right who love to throw around the word "socialism" to attack any spending you oppose, there's a clear difference between cooperative socialism, state socialism, and traditional American liberalism.) Regardless of your politics, if you opposed the recent Federal bailouts, you'll like Moore's skewering of them.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
This In 2009?!?
In Louisiana a Justice of the Peace is refusing to issue marriage licenses for interracial couples. His excuse is that he claims interracial marriages don't last long. http://www.kansascity.com/437/story/1510399.html
As the ACLU lawyer in the story notes, the Supreme Court struck down prohibitions on marriage based on race 46 years ago. That a local official in Louisiana thinks he can do it on his own is astounding!
As the ACLU lawyer in the story notes, the Supreme Court struck down prohibitions on marriage based on race 46 years ago. That a local official in Louisiana thinks he can do it on his own is astounding!
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