Virginia Beach Light Rail and Transit

[vdogg]

Tell me again why the city is chasing American Maglev?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/brinkmann-on-business/os-airport-maglev-train-150529-post.html

Tony Morris has already hired a contractor to build cars for his levitating train in Orlando, but there’s one big problem.

The $400 million project that’s supposed to connect to Orlando International Airport is still not approved to enter the airport.

And it won’t be, unless the airport receives a professional study on ridership, said Stanley Thornton, COO at Orlando International.

cComments

@surehands.42 The Maglev will connect two Sunrail Stations. The Sand Lake Station, and the Osceola Station in the second phase of Sunrail.

NOEL32818

AT 5:14 PM MAY 30, 2015

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“We don’t want a losing proposition coming into the airport. There’s risk with everything but it has to be an acceptable level of risk,” Thornton said. “Mr. Morris and his company have not presented us with an acceptable ridership study. We have sat down with them and told them that we need a study by a reputable firm that shows the intended ridership, where the passengers would come from, and what kind of impact that would have on the airport.”

Keep in mind, these are problems they're having today, not several years ago. I hope the city is paying attention and they abandon this at least for the route to the beach.

[vdogg]

That study seems to be causing the beach to get cold feet again. That negative pilot article really did a number on us. Uhrin, who has been a strong proponent, is now emphasizing that a final decision has not been made on light rail. HRT needs to get out ahead of this and respond to this article.

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/06/study-virginia-beach-lightrail-extension-moves-ahead

[BFG]

This reminds me of the article a few months ago, which implied Mayor Sessoms is making shady business deals with Towne Bank people. As a result, it jeopardized many future projects, including the arena. Everyone hailed it as good investigative journalism, but in a way, it still kills a lot of future progress for the city and region.

 

The Pilot distorted so many facts with that story from last week, and conveniently overlooked the fact that the Tide runs as a starter line. Fortunately, there's new quotes from council members to dispute that article, but it still concerns me that the damage may be done. The one silver lining is that this study takes a little more than a year, and maybe when it's all said and done, that report will be old news. Unless, of course, the Pilot decides to keep digging up that fact, which didn't need to be reported to begin with.

[urbanvb]

Looks like the VB city Treasurer is against extending light rail to TC.

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/06/virginia-beach-treasurer-pays-newspaper-ad-against-lightrail-extension

[lil-bear]

I think that people who oppose LR have a tendency to be short sighted. As everyone knows, LT is subsidized and will never pay for itself. Ridership numbers are low, but as LR expands and more population builds along the line ridership will increase. Yes buses can be used, but there is a negative stigma about them. More buses on the road will not alleviate traffic congestion on the road, it will contribute to make traffic worse.

I personally ride on occasion, but as LR is expanded and services more places I will ride more frequently.

Hypothetically, The nay-sayers need to stop wanting all their transportation eggs in just the road basket.

[Nathan_in_DC]

So...any news? Has this thing been put back on life support, or is it still on its way to reality?

[skylinefan]

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/07/armada-hoffler-buys-property-near-proposed-virginia-beach-lightrail-route

Article on the purchase of property by Armada Hoffler near proposed Virginia Beach light rail station/route.  Apparently Armada Hoffler would not have taken the risk of buying this property if they did not have some insider knowledge about what direction Virginia Beach is going when it comes to light rail. 

[BFG]

They're doing a study now. I think the Pilot said it would be a year before they vote. I'm getting antsy...I hate that everything around here is drawn out, just like how they keep pushing back the entertainment complex.

[varider]

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/09/virginia-spots-deal-lightrail-cars-offers-four-beach#_ga=1.84324057.1360710260.1440716798

 

Can they stop with the back-and-forth yet? GEEZ our local politics is frustrating to say the least.. 
 

Im confused as to why VB has clearly stated that transit development is critical and spent millions and millions on studies just to keep bickering and infighting. Its looking like the State of VA wants us to prosper more than our own local elected officials do. They have promised us 155M and are trying to expedite the process and we still can't come to an agreement or a consensus? 

WITHOUT LRT THIS CITY WILL NEVER COMPETE FOR JOBS AND ENTERTAINMENT. YOUNG FOLK WANT TO LIVE IN WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS. WAKE UP VIRGINIA BEACH AND ACT LIKE THE CITY OF 450K THAT YOU HAVE BECOME. PROGRESS IS INEVITABLE BUT I GET THE FEELING THAT COUNCIL WANTS TO DELAY THE PROCESS AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. UGH 

Edited September 2, 2015 by varider

[lil-bear]

It's why we are still considered a backwoods...

[vdogg]

The sarcastic tone of the article title certainly doesn't help. The reason why these politicians are getting cold feet is because the Pilot paints everything they do in relation to light rail as nefarious or underhanded. I can already see the breathless editorial the pilot will write, decrying how city leaders are not forward looking, once these officials have finally had enough and cancel light rail due to bad publicity. 

Edited September 2, 2015 by vdogg

[BFG]

The author of that article is the same guy who wrote an article exposing Mayor Sessoms last year, and tried to imply he was making shady deals. I'm so sick of the Pilot's one-sided reporting about light rail. The people voted, the reporters need to do their job and stop printing clickbait. 

And I'm sure the typical naysayers love this guy for his articles. 

[Nathan_in_DC]

Oh my gosh, the short sightedness of the commenters there is incredible. They don't seem to realize that if you build a light rail that doesn't serve many people (the Tide in its current form), then it isn't going to have many riders. If it actually connected areas, a la DT Norfolk and Town Center, people would most certainly ride it. The gift of foresight and thoughts of complex systems escapes so many people.

[BFG]

Oh my gosh, the short sightedness of the commenters there is incredible. They don't seem to realize that if you build a light rail that doesn't serve many people (the Tide in its current form), then it isn't going to have many riders. If it actually connected areas, a la DT Norfolk and Town Center, people would most certainly ride it. The gift of foresight and thoughts of complex systems escapes so many people.

And several people (myself included) have said they don't really ride because it doesn't go far, but would definitely change that if/when it extends to Town Center. Downtown to TC is a great route that saves about a 15 minute drive.

[OBXastronaut]

I don't really take this article very seriously. The Pilot has been posting both views of the argument in regards to the Tide. It's a matter of having balanced viewpoints, even if one of those isn't really based on good evidence. As far as I'm concerned, when the City Council voted this past Spring, the deal was done.

[urbanlife]

It's why we are still considered a backwoods...

Portland is just about to open its fifth light rail line in the metro. This is definitely something the politics in Hampton Roads is letting that metro fall far behind everyone else. If it wasn't for the military, I am not sure how much of that metro would even exist today. I am not trying to do a comparison with Portland, just simply sad that the city I grew up in still can't get its act together and build a real metro rail system. It seems like every time VB takes a step forward towards being a big city, they have to take ten steps back and pretend like they are still this sleepy suburb community.

[varider]

 

If there is a station at Town Center, once the line is extended from Colley Av. to N.O.B. all of the P&R lots would have to enlarged.

And after that lets take it to Greenbrier! 

[BFG]

I would have to look at the master plan for the Norfolk expansion, but the Ghent/ODU line seems like it would be tough to do. With the elevation issues in this area, how possible would an underground line be, with tracks coming above ground around The Ted or Foreman Field?

[vdogg]

I would have to look at the master plan for the Norfolk expansion, but the Ghent/ODU line seems like it would be tough to do. With the elevation issues in this area, how possible would an underground line be, with tracks coming above ground around The Ted or Foreman Field?

An underground line is possible, but due to our high water table it would be very, very expensive to build. With the type of ridership it would see on this segment, the price would be a deal breaker.

[Nathan_in_DC]

I don't really take this article very seriously. The Pilot has been posting both views of the argument in regards to the Tide. It's a matter of having balanced viewpoints, even if one of those isn't really based on good evidence. As far as I'm concerned, when the City Council voted this past Spring, the deal was done.

Two views unequally supported by evidence do not deserve equal treatment. It's the false equivalency logical fallacy that is often exploited by cranks who are "just letting the other side be known."

[varider]

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/09/virginia-beach-votes-buy-cars-light-rail-which-hasnt-been-approved-yet

 

one more step forward 

[BFG]

And yet another headline designed to rule up the anti-LRT crowd. It's like they just had to shoehorn the fact that it hasn't been approved. 

[vdogg]

And yet another headline designed to rule up the anti-LRT crowd. It's like they just had to shoehorn the fact that it hasn't been approved. 

Lol, that title was not lost on me. Thoroughly unprofessional. They need to stop shoehorning their opinion in and simply stick to the facts. Let the editorial board handle the opinions or move to a different department. 

[urbanlife]

And yet another headline designed to rule up the anti-LRT crowd. It's like they just had to shoehorn the fact that it hasn't been approved. 

No kidding, Virginia Beach didn't buy these trains, the state did....the Headline should be "Virginia buys four more trains for light rail in Norfolk and possibly Virginia Beach," but that headline wouldn't drum up any anger by the ill-informed idiots that buy into the garbage that paper produces.

[vdogg]

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/09/state-wants-more-oversight-after-virginia-beach-nixes-rail-cars#_ga=1.56907299.829525846.1438141595

 Something doesn't add up. If HRT decided not to buy the trains, then why would the state be disappointed in Virginia Beach? It sounds like Virginia Beach did not make a decision at all, It was HRT. I am thoroughly confused. Either the pilot is trying to  drum up more controversy, or there's more to this story.