Richmond Region Transportation

[burt]

Where was Virginia when the TIGER DOT awards were passed out? Or more importantly, where have Virginia politicians and their transportation appointees been when other states were getting projects "shovel ready" in order to receive funds?

Check out this pdf file:

http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2010/dot18810.html

The single award for Virginia is $100,000 for a Hull Street Corridor Revitalization.

This recent RTD article doesn't even mention awards elsewhere:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2010/oct/23/plan23-ar-581301/

[burt]

Senators Warner and Webb have finally secured the promised $45 million to begin preliminary work on the Washington/Richmond/Petersburg rail corridor.

A lot -- LOT -- more funding will be required to make any practical progress, and who knows when more money will become available?

From the RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2010/oct/26/rail26-ar-586268/

Edited October 26, 2010 by burt

[burt]

Amtrak is going to get some competition in Richmond.

A company called Megabus has established a hub in Washington and will start service to and from Richmond three times daily. Cities to be served from Richmond are Hampton, Durham, Charlotte, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Arrivals and departures will be from the parking lot underneath I-95 called Cathedral Walk across from Main Street Station.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/business/2010/nov/16/mbus16-ar-655552/

[burt]

Despite the future Majority Whip of the House who reportedly backs vast rail improvements in Virginia, Thelma Drake is of the opinion that it will not happen anytime soon with the newly elected Congress.

Since establishing a Southeast High Speed rail corridor connecting Charlotte to Washington would require major investment in Virginia, perhaps more influential politicians in the Carolinas and beyond will help The Commonwealth to secure funding.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2010/nov/17/b-rail17-ar-658059/

[burt]

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was in Charlotte the other day hinting that rail funds slated for Ohio and Wisconsin may be reassigned to places like North Carolina.

Newly elected Republican governors in those midwest states have threatened to reject Federal help for rail infrastructure.

It seems pretty far fetched to me, but it has stirred discussion on Urban Planet's North Carolina Intercity Rail Transit thread. One poster goes so far as to hope that Virginia gets a hunk of the Ohio/Wisconsin dollars.

As I've been saying, unless Virginia gets big bucks there will be no Southeast High Speed corridor.

From Charlotte Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2010/11/17/nc-could-see-new-funds-for-high-speed.html

[burt]

Republican governors in Wisconsin and Ohio are refusing federal dollars for rail improvements. Those funds will be refunneled to 13 states, including about $10 million to North Carolina.

California and Florida are the biggest beneficiaries.

Virginia, which apparently has little influence in the matter, will not get one red cent from this financial shuffling.

From today's New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.c...0rail.html?_r=2

Edited December 9, 2010 by burt

[burt]

More on the redistribution of rail funds:

http://www.fra.dot.gov/Pages/press-releases/231.shtml

[burt]

I suspect this headline about businesses supporting high speed rail will pop up at least twice a year during the next dcade until the matter dies of exhaustion.

Wisconsin and Ohio declined Federal assistance for intrastate high(er) speed rail and it now appears the new Governor of Florida is less enthusiastic than his predecessor about a high speed line between Orlando and Tampa.

Why are not some of those rejected funds diverted to the Wshington/Charlotte corridor?

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2011/jan/08/tdmet01-business-groups-back-high-speed-rail-ar-760754/

Edited January 8, 2011 by burt

[burt]

Zipcars, Zimrides and Groom Transportation will make getting around campus and around the city easier for UR's 4,500 students as well as its 1,500 faculty and staff members.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/business/2011/jan/11/TDBIZ01-ur-expands-its-transportation-options-ar-766100/

[540_804]

Zipcar is a cool program (I'm a member) and its nice to see them expanding in the Richmond area.

I just wish they would add more cars. I think there are only 6 cars in the area (4 at VCU and now 2 at UR) but I suppose they (Zipcar) are just waiting to see if it will really take off before they bring more to the area.

[burt]

According to the latest Urban Mobility Report published by Texas A&M University, traffic in Richmond isn't so bad.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...-bad-ar-787209/

Edited January 20, 2011 by burt

[calwinston]

According to the latest Urban Mobility Report published by Texas A&M University, traffic in Richmond isn't so bad.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...-bad-ar-787209/

Well that is true Richmond really does not have a traffic problem! Thats a big reason why the government officials drag their feet in having a reliable regional transportation system!

[burt]

Florida's governor has rejected $2 billion+ in Federal funds to build a high-speed rail corridor between Orlando and Tampa. It is expected that the money will be redistributed to one or more other states. Could Virginia be one of them?

A year or two ago the Majority Whip in the House, whose name is Cantor, stood shoulder to shoulder at Main Street Station with other proponents of improved rail connections between Washington and Richmond and even spoke enthusiastically in favor of it.

From the Florida Independent:

http://floridaindepe...high-speed-rail

Edited February 16, 2011 by burt

[540_804]

I guess we can only cross our fingers.

[burt]

Today, Florida's State Supreme Court has approved Governor Scott's rejection of $2.4 billion in Federal funds to build a high speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa. That money possibly could be assigned to one of the other proposed rail projects in the country -- like The SEHSRail line connecting Washington and Charlotte via Richmond.

A recent RTD news story suggests that President Obama would win re-election in Virginia, and Virginia's Eric Cantor, the Majority Whip of the House of Representatives, has more than once gone on record as favoring improved rail service through Richmond.

Does politics account for anything anymore?

Click on the sidebar box for descriptions of proposed High Speed Corridors.

http://www.cnn.com/2...dex.html?hpt=T2

Edited March 4, 2011 by burt

[burt]

There's at least one conservative Virginia fan of improved rail service. (Or two, if Mr. Cantor was honest when he appeared a year or so ago at Main Street Station to sing its praises.)

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/business/2011/mar/31/TDBIZ01-conservative-argues-for-faster-intercity-p-ar-939770/

[burt]

Virginia will not seek Federal funding for high(er) speed rail service.

From breaking news at today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/apr/06/1/virginia-not-applying-for-federal-funds-for-high-s-ar-954324/

[jbjust]

Richmond was named by Ford as one of the 25 most electric-car-ready cities in the U.S.

Ford Names List of Electric Vehicle Ready Cities

[burt]

US Transportation Secretary LaHood announced today a $2 billion dispursement to begin rail project improvements in various parts of the country.

Not a penny will go toward rail improvements between Washington and Richmond, nor in Acca Yard and Main Street Station within the City of Richmond.

Only $4 million will be spent in Virginia and North Carolina on an environmental analysis of the proposed rebuilt corridor from Richmond to Raleigh via the abandoned Seaboard line through Dinwiddie and Henderson.

If interested, you can read about it toward the bottom of this report.

http://www.fra.dot.gov/roa/press_releases/fp_DOT_57-11.shtml

[burt]

US Transportation Secretary LaHood announced today a $2 billion dispursement to begin rail project improvements in various parts of the country.

Not a penny will go toward rail improvements between Washington and Richmond, nor in Acca Yard and Main Street Station within the City of Richmond.

Only $4 million will be spent in Virginia and North Carolina on an environmental analysis of the proposed rebuilt corridor from Richmond to Raleigh via the abandoned Seaboard line through Dinwiddie and Henderson.

If interested, you can read about it toward the bottom of this report.

http://www.fra.dot.g...DOT_57-11.shtml

Edited May 9, 2011 by burt

[burt]

Today's RTD reporting on rail funding is considerably less rosy than yesterday's assessment.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2011/may/10/TDBIZ01-virginia-to-get-small-portion-of-us-high-s-ar-1027761/

[burt]

I think these figures are suspect.

It's difficult to believe that 53,900 passengers were transported on four daily trains between Newport News and Washington in the month of April when the total volume of Amtrak passengers on 18 week-day trains (including the Newport News service) calling at Richmond stations is less than 300,000 annualy.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/may/11/amtrak-says-virginia-dc-ridership-growing-ar-1031480/

[wrldcoupe4]

Traffic was up nearly 20% at Main Street Station in 2010... up about 4% at Staples Mill.

[calwinston]

The report by the Brookings Institute makes me sick to my stomach!

http://www2.timesdis...-in-ar-1059513/

http://www.brookings...cy_puentes.aspx

Richmond Ranks 92nd out of 100!

http://www.brookings...o_profiles.aspx

Edited May 25, 2011 by calwinston

[calwinston]

Richmond Profile!

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/Programs/Metro/jobs_transit/jobs_transit_profiles/RichmondVA.pdf