Norfolk Southern Right of Way Deal

H/T Henry Ryto

The City of Virginia Beach is scheduled to purchase the Norfolk-Southern Right-of-Way, which is expected to be the extension of The Tide to the Oceanfront!!!!

Meaning, to get the ball rolling, bus service in Virginia Beach MUST run at night/Sundays (existing routes until about 11 PM) before the Federal Transit Administration will even talk to us about getting light rail.

Brambleton Station Construction: Brambleton Ave detours

Be advised that due to construction of The Tide, Brambleton Ave will be shut down at the I-264 overpass. Routes 13 and 18 will be on detour (Route 9 is UNAFFECTED). Passengers needing to head to Ballentine Blvd south of Corprew Ave or any part of Kimball Terrace MUST USE ROUTE 13. Here is a map of the detour:


View Larger Map

KEY
BLUE is Route 13
RED is Route 18

The Downtown Norfolk Stop is WHERE!?

H/T Henry Ryto, Avenging Archangel:

All services that used to stop at Monticello & City Hall and City Hall & Court now stop at Bush & Brooke temporarily while The Tide is being constructed (this detour is until further notice). This is right in front of the Union Mission. Norfolk, are you trying to say something by dumping us off at the homeless shelter?

Yes Norfolk, you're even having MAX riders (who pay a premium fare to ride to work in Downtown Norfolk) getting off the bus AT THE HOMELESS SHELTER!

Suggestion: move the stop two blocks north to Bush & College which would provide better access to TCC and MacArthur. This would also get rid of the stigma of getting off in front of the Union Mission.

Valley Metro Light Rail

Today marked the Grand Opening of Metro Light Rail in Phoenix, Arizona. They use the same make/model of trains as used on Charlotte's LYNX which will be the same trains seen on The Tide.

Congratulations Phoenix :)

Metro Light Rail Web Site

(In case you're wondering: Phoenix is where one of my cousins live)

The Tide comes to Downtown Norfolk

Starting next year, The Tide starts construction in Downtown Norfolk.

In case the Pilot doesn't approve my comment:

"I look forward to laughing at all the Naysayers (you regular posters know who you are) who are sitting on City Hall Ave in 2010 trying to exit Downtown while we whiz by you on the train. Next up on the list of extensions: EVMS to NOB via ODU and Oceanfront via existing line (yes, these were publicly announced). ORF Airport? Once we get them out of the pockets of the taxi companies, then we're good to go. (it's the airport authority that illegally prohibits (denial of access to a public facility) HRT from serving the airport). Remember folks, The Tide is a Starter Line that is designed to be extended. Please do your research before posting."

I fully expect the Regular Naysayers (you know who you are) to spew fire on the article comment board

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation

DRPT, here's an idea: these improvements that you want cost $7 million, right? How about you fork over the $7 million to pay for it! Plain and simple.

See Virginia-Pravda article

h/t Henry Ryto.

Tide Maintenance Shop Contract Awarded

HRT awarded a contract yesterday to construct the maintenance and storage facility for The Tide. It is a $10.9 million contract and because of NSU paranoia, er concerns, is 11.7% over budget.

NSU: since you demanded - excuse me, requested - these changes, perhaps HRT should bill you for the 11.7% or $1.5 million?

The Tide Electrical Systems

H/T to Henry Ryto: The Tide's electrical systems contract is 5% BELOW budget.

Yes Reid, BELOW budget.

Kirn/MacArthur Tide Station

Guess I haven't noticed my own poll. A slim majority says build some kind of public plaza.

Ride the bus Downtown, Get Cool Stuff! (of course there's a catch)

To celebrate The Tide, Festevents and HRT have teamed up to award Bike, Bus and Boat Bucks to attendees who come by bike & boat. For more information, visit the Festevents website.

The only strange thing is that I don't see any mention about riding the bus Downtown. I guess I'll see what happens if I show up with my bike and a Transfer (yes, meaning I would have to pay cash fare). Where's the "bus bucks" part of it?

Overall, not a bad idea. Too bad buses only run at night in Norfolk, in Portsmouth on Route 45 only, and in Virginia Beach along Route 20 only.

Poll Closed

My MacArthur/Kirn Tide Station poll closed. By a slim majority, yes, let's make a little public plaza around it.

Political School

So I just had a major political lesson yesterday at the City Council Retreat.

• Apparently, Council Objective #1 is "Be friendly to bloggers" ;)
• VB Cares about a bus system. Since Council wants light rail so badly, here's the scoop: Before the Feds will even TALK about light rail, year-round bus service has to be increased by 20%. (at last: it sucks having to be home by dinner time; maybe I want to work a closing shift). Slowly but surely, it'll come.

My offer to ALL HRT Staff and VB City Council Members: Let's go for a bus ride. I'd like to take you on a tour of Fareset 4 (what HRT refers to internally as Virginia Beach; it's a Farebox thing). Important parts to head to (in no order):

• Route 12: The 4:45 PM bus leaving 20th & Seaboard (good luck between I-64 and Kemps River)
• Route 29: almost any trip (U.S. 58 and First Colonial anyone?)
• Routes 1/36: Heading outbound trying to get me home to TCC when I take the long way from Cedar Grove (this is when I'm lazy and don't want to transfer buses)
• Route 20: Pembroke & Hilltop
• Route 33: U.S. 60 between 17th St and 40th St (during Summer only)
• Routes 30/31/32: Take note that with my existing 30-Day Pass, I am unable to ride (solution: this is how it's done out west)
• Route 27: Usually late every trip on Saturday. Biggest problem? Making that left from U.S. 58 onto Newtown
  

The MacArthur Tide Station

Today in the Pilot we have a proposal to really enhance the MacArthur Tide Station. All I can say is wow. This is simply a wonderful idea to tie the facility into the look of MacArthur Center and MacArthur Memorial.

Of course, the SUV drivers who will never use transit all wine about it. They complain about the cost of gas, yet they don't want to try out an idea that really saves money. I'm not surprised.

The MAX: We WON!!!!

The TDCHR (the board that governs HRT) met yesterday and first up was the MAX Public Hearing. The only two speakers were Henry Rtyo of Avenging Archangel as well as myself.

The Commission approved The MAX on condition that staff adjust it as suggested by Public Comments.

Tweaks that should be implemented:

• Route 960 (Downtown Norfolk-Oceanfront) needs to stop, in addition to what's listed in the presentation, at Town Center (using the existing stops on Route 36) and the Pembroke East transfer point. In addition, it should then exit I-264 at Birdneck and head LOCAL via 19th Street to serve the convention center and finish the route at 19th & Pacific
• Route 961: Downtown THEN Cedar Grove
• Route 967: How will local connections work (12 in the VB end, 15 at Greenbrier, 44 at Chesapeake Square, and NNTC buses in Newport News)
• Senior/Disabled Fare: I'd pay $1.50 for MAX service or $45 for a 30 Day that works on everything, including Circluators, Local, Ferry, VB Wave, The Tide, and MAX
  

New Tide Logo

I noticed HRT changed The Tide logo around a bit. I think it looks nice. I look forward to January 2010 :)

The VBTA

Apparently, someone who is from, or supports the ideas of, the Virginia Beach Taxpayers' Alliance is trolling both my blog and Avenging Archangel's blog. Sorry VBTA, but I actually enjoy riding the bus. Many sections of my book Rachel's Story were written while I was sitting on board a bus. I can't wait for The Tide to open so that I can breeze out of Downtown while people in their cars sit in the gridlock of City Hall Ave.

Too bad, but I'm not afraid of the VBTA. I will continue to push for expansion of mass transit that is reasonable (meaning no high priced SkyTrain - which is what Reid wants yet doesn't want to pay for since he won't stand for the tax increase required for such a system).

Please be sure to read Avenging Archangel's blog entry concerning this attack.

Reid Greenmun: VB's biggest crybaby

Go figure, Reid Greenmun is always the anti-tax crybaby. Here, read the comments for yourself. The article is an Opinion entry from the Pilot basically speaking the truth: NSU, you're too late about crying over The Tide. I do ask, why would someone from Sandbridge even care about life in Norfolk?

I expect a nasty gram any time, so let me run for cover.