Are you for or against a regional light rail transit system?

[terrence81]

Good for y'all. Never been to Hampton Roads but yeah go for it. I heard y'all are kind spread out though. I would wonder how well it will work if everyone drives their car anyways. Although I will say that yeah more middle class people will be more likely to ride a train than a bus.

[Erma]

Originally Posted by terrence81

Good for y'all. Never been to Hampton Roads but yeah go for it. I heard y'all are kind spread out though. I would wonder how well it will work if everyone drives their car anyways. Although I will say that yeah more middle class people will be more likely to ride a train than a bus.

There are many middle class people that ride the bus. #1, cars are expensive #2, so is insurance #3, personal property taxes for the time you have the vehicle doesn't help those that don't make much money, let alone depend on having a place to live. I hope it all turns out so people can have an on schedule mode of transportation.

[kairi2]

Originally Posted by telemonster

This ain't NYC. The creative class leaves this place. Quit trying to pretend it's a real city and not a skanky navy town. Heh.

damn.. too bad we can't have sigs on here. haha

[telemonster]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

I don't live in the Tidewater region, but I am a firm supporter for the light rail being in the TW area. I am a supporter because I live in a metro where the light rail is a joke(metro Atlanta). I think it will be very good for the region.

Atlanta's MARTA is way bigger than light rail. How you could say you support the silly light rail in Hampton Roads, but dump on your own MARTA is odd. MARTA is a real subway, as I recall (I have ridden it). Light rail will not be.

[cityboi757]

Originally Posted by telemonster

Atlanta's MARTA is way bigger than light rail. How you could say you support the silly light rail in Hampton Roads, but dump on your own MARTA is odd. MARTA is a real subway, as I recall (I have ridden it). Light rail will not be.

Atlanta has a proposed light rail system. He was not referring to MARTA. If our LRT is silly, so is Charlotte's, Houston's, Seattle's, Salt Lake City's, Dallas's, they all have pretty much the same thing we do

[coffeemaker]

Yes, a light rail system would be good for the metro.
The DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) light rail system was good.
I used it sometimes and it was very handy. Didn't have to worry about
traffic jams, road rage, etc. I rode it from Plano to the Dallas zoo, for example. That took about 30 minutes I believe; shorter than driving a car.
So yes, it would be good for the area.

I've heard there's a local-government debate about whether to bring it to Virginia Beach. Is that correct?

[cityboi757]

Yeah there is a group called the VBTA that are anti mass transit and the city council/ mayor are pro light rail.. The city of VB has purchased the right of way and the abandoned circuit city lot adjacent to town center for a major transit station

[citydweller]

We certainly have to think now about the future. There is no way to build enough highways that are needed. As congestion increases I think LR will become increasingly more popular as well as more TOD (transit oriented deveopment) going up near the stops.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by telemonster

Atlanta's MARTA is way bigger than light rail. How you could say you support the silly light rail in Hampton Roads, but dump on your own MARTA is odd. MARTA is a real subway, as I recall (I have ridden it). Light rail will not be.

I call it a joke because it only covers two small counties. It doesn't cover that much of metro Atlanta. If MARTA were to go out to places like Kennesaw, Woodstock, Gwinnett County, and other outer areas, I would be very pleased with it. Right now I am working on a petition to the governor of GA to have the MARTA lines expanded.