Richmond Region Transportation

[CommRE]

Although the topic of this thread is "planes, trains, and automobiles", I thought this could go here.

I just got back from being a tourist in my own town. I took my dad on a Segway tour of Richmond. The new Segway store in Shockoe Slip offers them at 10AM and 2PM every day. Despite the heat, it was a great time. First, the Segway. Wow. What a blast to ride. Very easy to learn and get comfortable on. It goes just about anywhere and after a few minutes feels like an extension of your body. Now the tour itself was ok, but it wasn't terribly informative. The tour guide was extremely nice and admitted he wasn't a history buff. I did get to say hello to Mrs. Kaine at the entrance to the Executive Mansion though. In all honesty I was along more for the Segway experience than the tour.

What I really found encouraging was the number of people out and about in 100 degree weather. There were people at Tredegar, at the Turning Basin, on the Canal walk, eating lunch in the Slip, at the White House of the Confederacy...you get the idea.

To keep on the transportation subject of this thread, I can see the Segway being a viable alternative for those within 5 miles of work. Apparently Silvestri at the RT-D rides one to the Media General office from his home in Byrd Park. It goes for 25 miles on a charge, and can be recharged quickly using a standard computer power cord. I actually rode both versions - the standard one and the off-road version. The off-road one was a very smooth ride (larger, knobbier tires) and just as easy to maneuver as the standard.

Anyway - if you are looking for a fun way to see Richmond, stop by the Segway store in the Slip and take a look.

Segway of Richmond website

[burt]

Haha, CommRE. That does sound like fun and I just might do it when I'm in Richmond next month. There isn't an age limit, is there? I'm thinking of urging my 82 year old girl friend to try it with me. That would be a sight to turn some heads -- two octogenerians spinning along the streets of Richmond. Mrs. Kaine would probably come to the Mansion door and offer us sustenance.

But rental is expensive, isn't it? Like $65? I've heard that Segway Tours from the tourist office in the Convention Center are doing better than expected. Some days they have no one, but very often there are 5, 6 or 7 people taking guided Segway tours of the city.

So, you can begin your tour at either the Shockoe Slip Segway office or at the Convention Center tourist office on 3rd Street. At least, that's what I've been told.

Edited June 7, 2008 by burt

[CommRE]

You should definitely do it Burt. There were 5 total on my tour, and the guide said that they usually have between 2 and 10 on every weekend tour. The tours are run by the Segway store, but they do leave from the Visitor's Center at the convention center. It is $65, but they were running a Father's day special and it was two for one. The others on my tour were anywhere from early 50's to 67. The Segway is very age friendly. If you can stand up - you can ride it.

[D_C]

You should definitely do it Burt. There were 5 total on my tour, and the guide said that they usually have between 2 and 10 on every weekend tour. The tours are run by the Segway store, but they do leave from the Visitor's Center at the convention center. It is $65, but they were running a Father's day special and it was two for one. The others on my tour were anywhere from early 50's to 67. The Segway is very age friendly. If you can stand up - you can ride it.

I am thinking that I heard on one of the local radio stations last week, that fathers could take a free Segway tour on father's day. I will have to look into that as I would love to check out one of those things too.

I have seen Segway Silvestri on Boulevard at Byrd Park in the mornings. It is a pretty cool looking toy.

[MissySchmidt]

If you live or work in Virginia and whether you've been stuck in highway gridlock or not, your future is at stake! If we don't fix transportation now, we may never be able to fix it. Statewide, delay is costing millions of dollars per day, more than it would cost to build the roads we need. Help us beat the drum for new transportation funding

[burt]

Welcome, MGB. They better start giving more than lip service to rail as well as highways.

Unfortunately, e-mailing your state representative may fall on dead ears if he or she is of the GOP persuasion. A number of them in the House of Delegates have sworn to block any tax increases for transportation needs in Virginia. Maybe they will get the message with a pink slip accompanying their final pay check come next statewide elections.

[D_C]

Welcome, MGB. They better start giving more than lip service to rail as well as highways.

Unfortunately, e-mailing your state representative may fall on dead ears if he or she is of the GOP persuasion. A number of them in the House of Delegates have sworn to block any tax increases for transportation needs in Virginia. Maybe they will get the message with a pink slip accompanying their final pay check come next statewide elections.

I don't know what a $10 increase in the grantor's tax has to do with transportation funding. I hope the GOP has enough ammo to do the job.

No more taxes Kaine!! Put the friggin' brakes on!

If the state wants more money for transportation, why don't they go after the people who are burning fryer oil in their trucks or diesel cars. Yes, converting french fry oil to fuel is a great idea and can lower the cost of fuel, but think of the taxes that are being avoided. Let transportation be funded by fuel taxes, not additional taxes on stuff that has nothing to do with transportation.

[Shakman]

I would not mind seeing higher taxes and fees from the stand point that it will discourage driving thus bring down the demand for oil. (...and hopefully bringing more residents back into City.)

...and this is coming from a Republican.

Edited June 23, 2008 by Shakman

[Cadeho]

That would explain some things....

[jbjust]

I would not mind seeing higher taxes and fees from the stand point that it will discourage driving thus bring down the demand for oil. (...and hopefully bringing more residents back into City.)

...and this is coming from a Republican in name only.

fixed that for ya.

Edited June 23, 2008 by jbjust

[burt]

According to this inRich article from yesterday, it would cost a couple hundred million more to double track the Buckingham line between MSS and Doswell than upgrading the present Staples Mill/Ashland route. Acca Yard and Ashland are going to get more and more congested in upcoming years while an improved Buckingham Line would not be encumbered thusly in the future. It would almost resemble a dedicated passenger route because of comparatively light freight traffic. Also, a suburban station COULD be built at or near the junction of I-295 and US 301 to serve all of Henrico as well as Ashland and Hanover. Looking toward the future, the added cost would be economically practical and assure high(er) speed connection between Richmond and Washington, IMO. Note that the cost for both routes also includes improvements for passenger rail on the CSX line from Richmond to Newport News:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/sunday....06-22-0144.html

PS: Again, this is just my opinion, but if the Doswell route were approved, Ashland and Staples Mill could continue to have passenger service via extension of Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter service south from Fredericksburg terminating at Staples Mill (Acca Yard.) Express buses via I-64/95 could connect to Main Street Station making rail improvements on the CSX line between the two Richmond stations a moot point and lopping off a goodly amount of dollars to the total cost. MSS would be for through East Coast service with stops only at I-295/US301 in suburban Richmond, Fredericksburg and Alexandria enroute to Union Station in DC.

Those suburban Amtrak riders now using the Staples Mill depot in the northwest area of the region could just as easily drive to a new station with ample parking at I-295/US301...which, incidentally would be a new convenience for eastenders and residents of the burgeoning Mechanicsville region.

Edited June 23, 2008 by burt

[Shakman]

fixed that for ya.

Thanks!!!

Cad - You catch on quick.

Edited June 23, 2008 by Shakman

[burt]

For any of you interested, I've amended and edited my views about a new Amtrak route that I just finished posting one stop above.

[Cadeho]

According to this inRich article from yesterday, it would cost a couple hundred million more to double track the Buckingham line between MSS and Doswell than upgrading the present Staples Mill/Ashland route. Acca Yard and Ashland are going to get more and more congested in upcoming years while an improved Buckingham Line would not be encumbered thusly in the future. It would almost resemble a dedicated passenger route because of comparatively light freight traffic. Also, a suburban station COULD be built at or near the junction of I-295 and US 301 to serve all of Henrico as well as Ashland and Hanover. Looking toward the future, the added cost would be economically practical and assure high(er) speed connection between Richmond and Washington, IMO. Note that the cost for both routes also includes improvements for passenger rail on the CSX line from Richmond to Newport News:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/sunday....06-22-0144.html

PS: Again, this is just my opinion, but if the Doswell route were approved, Ashland and Staples Mill could continue to have passenger service via extension of Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter service south from Fredericksburg terminating at Staples Mill (Acca Yard.) Express buses via I-64/95 could connect to Main Street Station making rail improvements on the CSX line between the two Richmond stations a moot point and lopping off a goodly amount of dollars to the total cost. MSS would be for through East Coast service with stops only at I-295/US301 in suburban Richmond, Fredericksburg and Alexandria enroute to Union Station in DC.

Those suburban Amtrak riders now using the Staples Mill depot in the northwest area of the region could just as easily drive to a new station with ample parking at I-295/US301...which, incidentally would be a new convenience for eastenders and residents of the burgeoning Mechanicsville region.

The only thing I don't like about using the other railroad is that it doesn't seem to be straight like the one used now. High speed trains would not seem possible with all the turns, but I know those trains do rumble through there... we can heard them from home and we're not that close to it. And of course poor Ashland. But if they did let some trains go through there, it would be fine.

[burt]

Neither route would accommodate actual High Speed trains running in excess of 110 mph. The eastern route is twisty, but the project would involve extensive improvements mitigating present single-track conditions along the rail line. "Tilt" trains negotiate curves at higher than normal speeds, but even if speed were restricted to an average of 60 mph between MSS and Doswell, it would still cut off about 10 to 15 minutes between the two points, IMO. Presently it requires almost 30 minutes to negotiate the stretch from MSS to Staples Mill; speeds then may hit the upper 70s for a short distance before slowing to 35 mph (45 after dark) through Ashland. Then, assuming improvements were made, trains could conceivably run at high speeds from Ashland to Doswell. The Buckingham line would avoid tie-ups at Acca yard as well as a slowdown thru Ashland.

And I mispoke when I said the difference in costs between the routes was $200Million. It is estimated at about $150Million. If the main line from Acca to MSS were left to CSX to maintain for its freight movements, that would knock the government's cost down by about $50million.

Whichever route is finalized, the cost will include track upgrades east from Richmond to a new station in Newport News.

Rail improvement is vital, not only for the Richmond region, but for the entire East Coast.

Now, if only the lines could be electrified!

Edited June 23, 2008 by burt

[D_C]

If Tim Kaine had made this rail issue the driving force behind his proposed tax initiatives that he is trying to get passed, instead of spouting-off rhetoric about new highways and roads and easing congestion by making life easier for automobiles, then I might not be so opposed to his new tax plan. I know that there is supposedly 'some' funding in this package for rail, but the driving force is roads and automobiles. I want to see a bigger, concrete commitment towards passenger rail in this funding bill. IMO, if he wants money for roads, then raise the gas tax and raise the sales tax in northern virginia and hampton roads.

Burt, I love you input on this whole regional rail thing. Everything you have said makes total sense. That is why I am afraid that the politicians will never understand it. Politicians just plain suck. No way around it. When gas hit 2 bucks, we should have had proposals on the table to get this passenger rail service off the ground. Instead, Kaine is lingering on roads and cars.

I agree that the rail yard will become more and more busy as over the road truck transit becomes obsolete. Companies are already announcing plans to utilize rail shipping to Newport News and I would bet that more businesses are considering it now. Also, I would expect that deepwater terminal may be picking up the pace a bit as well.

[Shakman]

Sorry to change subjects, but koodo's to GRTC:

Inrich.com article link:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-co...06-24-0162.html

I am a bit surprised by this. My experiences with GRTC a couple of years ago were not the best. Of course things can change on a dime. Also, I do not find the system as extensive as it should be. As our suburbs (GAGH!!!) grow, so should the number of routes serving the burbs. I do not see this happening. I hope that this reckognition will equate to more Federal dollars to GRTC thus perhaps more routes to be added.

Cad - How extensive is the GRTC route network in eastern Henrico County?

[Cadeho]

I've seen bus stops along Laburnum but I don't recall seeing a bus on Laburnum. Maybe they're vans or something. I have seen a bus on Nine Mile across from the K-Mart. That's about it. I don't know what happened to the planned route up Mechanicsville Tnpk.

[burt]

Thanks, D_C for your support of Regional Rail. Years ago when everyone could see that oil prices were going nowhere but up, Republicans and Democrats alike gave slight attention to establishing a first class National rail network. Sadly, that situation prevails, even in these days of $4+ gas pump prices.

My two cents: Congratulations to GRTC on winning 1st place Nationally among similar sized metros. However, on every visit to Richmond I make a point of checking thru almost opague bus windows to gauge passenger loads. All too often they appeared practically empty. Even in rush hours I rarely noted full buses along the downtown Broad Street corridor. I think it's the suburban park and ride express bus clientele that is filling the seats more so than inner city passengers. What if smaller vehicles offering more frequent service on existing city runs replaced the larger buses?

And there should be routes on the several suburban beltways as well as inner city loops.

[burt]

Commuter rail might be practical on the Norfolk Southern line between old Hull Street Station and Watkins Center at pretty reasonable cost.

Edited June 24, 2008 by burt

[Shakman]

Rail:

A couple of weeks ago, Congress was to approve a 15 billion dollar package for Amtrak. I am not sure if it has been approved or is in the process. The funding would cover the next several years. I pray to God that this would potentially bring high speed rail to Rochmond. I know that Charlotte is also interested in high speed rail to connect to the Mid-Atalntic and on towards the Northeast. Perhaps Charlotte, for once, can be of help to us.

GRTC:

Before I bought a car in 2005, I use to take either the 1 or 6 down Broad Street into Downtown. There were a few people standing.

Cad - There is also a route from Downtown to RIC. Hopefully with the developments in eastern Herico, more bus routes will come that way.

Edited June 24, 2008 by Shakman

[burt]

I believe this is the latest on Southeast High Speed Rail south from Richmond:

http://www.sehsr.org/

Scroll down to Environmental Fieldwork June 20, 2008 and click where it says to click.

Edited July 4, 2008 by burt

[burt]

The SEHSR map which is accessible in the above posting proves to me that with minimal work, commuter rail could loop from MSS to Hopewell, thence via Ft. Lee, to Petersburg then return to MSS by way of Chester. The reverse route could also be implemented. BRAC expansion at Ft. Lee could be a source of considerasble ridership, IMO.

Two-car motorized trains might be practical and reasonable for this route as well as another along Norfolk Southern tracks between downtown Richmond and Watkins Landing.

Thought also should be given to rail commute from downtown to Ashland, West Point and Maidens in Goochland.

[D_C]

Looks like the planning department gave approval of the proposed roundabout at the intersection of Laburnum and Hermitage. From what I could gather, there was limited opposition to this proposal from members of the planning commission.

I like the idea of a real roundabout at this intersection, but there are a lot of people in this town that do not know how to act when entering a roundabout or how to maneuver in one. It is going to take some time and I really do hope that it works to calm traffic speeds there. The one that was installed at Lombardy and School Street has done quite a bit to calm the traffic speeds on Lombardy.

The conversion of the Lee statue roundabout to flow the way a real roundabout should flow, was an excellent move in my opinion, and should be used as a model for the A.P. Hill monument roundabout.

[Shakman]

Look - a - dee what I found on Richmond's intertstate and expressway system. Some interesting stuff planned in the past...

http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Richmond_I...Thoro_Plan_1968