LR from Norfolk to the Beach

[Coconut1]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

10 years form now the area where the starter line and future lines run through with be dense and look like a Urban Oasis.... Developments will fill in the gaps in the Downtown area and then slowly but surely fill up the corridor towards VB. Give it at least 5 years to mature and fit in with the community. Its like a New Highway.

While I appreciate your optimism, and would be on board with it if we were talking about any other area, we are unfortunately talking about Virginia Beach.

The Town Center project was originally conceived in the 1980's (89 is when things finally got rolling) and today (it's still not complete) holds a whopping 15 stores and an enormous 24 restaurants/entertainment venues. That's 22 years (around 3 of which was the most prosperous real estate and financial time in US history)

Hampton Roads is really the home of the strip mall, seas of parking lots, SUVs and vinyl box McMansions.

The infill of business along the line just won't happen here.

I am a big transit fan, but we are wasting our breath trying to convince people here, who are even more backwards than a car stuck in reverse, the benefits of connectivity.

[VA7cities]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

While I appreciate your optimism, and would be on board with it if we were talking about any other area, we are unfortunately talking about Virginia Beach.

The Town Center project was originally conceived in the 1980's (89 is when things finally got rolling) and today (it's still not complete) holds a whopping 15 stores and an enormous 24 restaurants/entertainment venues. That's 22 years (around 3 of which was the most prosperous real estate and financial time in US history)

Hampton Roads is really the home of the strip mall, seas of parking lots, SUVs and vinyl box McMansions.

The infill of business along the line just won't happen here.

I am a big transit fan, but we are wasting our breath trying to convince people here, who are even more backwards than a car stuck in reverse, the benefits of connectivity.

Im still optimistic but I totally agree with the bolded(underlined & italics ) ........ Hampton Roads only cares about the military and shipyards... anything else you can forget about.

[chris72]

Originally Posted by citydweller

According to this article, to extend light rail from Norfolk to VB would cost a whopping $807m dollars. I think it would be great to have the rail extended but at this price I am a bit skeptical. Anyone that has ridden the Metro in DC (just got back myself) can appreciate it but we don't have the density like they do in Nova to justify it imo. Maybe building in phases is the answer though it does drive up the price.

Va Pilot article

I have always maintained that we do not have the density. I guess Transit Oriented Development will occur along the line and the density will create itself. That is how they are selling this train to taxpayers ...

[pdxtp]

I live in Portland, Or where we have "The Max" (our version of lite rail). All in all, it's been a success. It covers most of the city...including a line which goes straight to the airport. For this reason, I believe if HR wants LR to really take off, it needs to extend the rail throughout the entire region. People need to know that they can go anywhere using LR (not just from one side of 264 to the other). It should also swing by the airport if possible (I remember Norfolk International being surrounded by protected wetlands so that may not be feasible).


I use LR a lot...I've even picked up visitors from out-of-state using it. I have no complaints.



Just my two cents!

[xGrendelx]

Originally Posted by pdxtp

I live in Portland, Or where we have "The Max" (our version of lite rail). All in all, it's been a success. It covers most of the city...including a line which goes straight to the airport. For this reason, I believe if HR wants LR to really take off, it needs to extend the rail throughout the entire region. People need to know that they can go anywhere using LR (not just from one side of 264 to the other). It should also swing by the airport if possible (I remember Norfolk International being surrounded by protected wetlands so that may not be feasible).


I use LR a lot...I've even picked up visitors from out-of-state using it. I have no complaints.



Just my two cents!

Portland is a great example of what can happen when a city invests in itself with good urban planning decisions. They've broken ground on more than one occasion, and Norfolk should take some notes. Places much larger than us have (I know both SF and NYC have, to name a couple).

I hope LRT is just the beginning. I'm still so stoked for the trains to start running, and I'll be there opening day for sure. Team Norfolk! Team Light Rail!

[Mister Miaugie]

They should connect it from Virginia Beach to Norfolk To Newport News in my opinion, I went to DC last year and the light rails are waaaay more reliable then those rubbish HRT buses. Plus LightRails are fun to ride and you don't have to deal with the horrible congestion of warwick blvd. on Fridays at Rush hour. Only downside of the project is the cost, and that on occasions, they are a little late, but other than that they are superb to the HRTs.

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by Mister Miaugie

They should connect it from Virginia Beach to Norfolk To Newport News in my opinion, I went to DC last year and the light rails are waaaay more reliable then those rubbish HRT buses. Plus LightRails are fun to ride and you don't have to deal with the horrible congestion of warwick blvd. on Fridays at Rush hour. Only downside of the project is the cost, and that on occasions, they are a little late, but other than that they are superb to the HRTs.

They don't have LRT in DC , you would have to go to Baltimore or Philly if you wanted to see LRT.

[Mister Miaugie]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

They don't have LRT in DC , you would have to go to Baltimore or Philly if you wanted to see LRT.

ohhh I was talking about Metro Stations! Well We need metro stations in the hampton roads area, screw Light Rail.