Passage of light-rail proposal met with awe

You might call it "the little bill that could."

A proposal to study an extension of Norfolk's light rail line to near the Oceanfront somewhat unexpectedly passed the General Assembly during a largely fruitless transportation special session that ended earlier this month.

And it gained more steam in recent days when Gov. Timothy M. Kaine signed it into law.

"Miracle of miracles," the bill's sponsor, Del. Bob Tata, R-Virginia Beach, said with a laugh. "I'm tickled pink."

Within 90 days of taking effect in November, the bill directs state and regional transportation officials to begin a study of the project. Money for that has not been identified, nor have project costs been determined. There is $15 million available from the state to help buy the right of way needed for the line.

So while the bill is only a first step in the process of stretching a light rail line into Virginia Beach, it is an important one in a city whose voters and politicians rejected light rail less than a decade ago.

Mayor Meyera Oberndorf called Kaine's endorsement a "pleasant surprise." "It looks like he is making a commitment to this region," she said.

Councilman John Uhrin, who represents the city's resort area, said a study will go a long way to answering the unknowns about light rail, including the cost, the route and whether rail is the best form of mass transit.

"The time is right for the city and the state to take another look at what the pros and cons are of that corridor," Uhrin said.

Hampton Roads Transit Vice President James Toscano said the bill helps advance "the needed discussion in Hampton Roads about the value of light rail, and potentially its expansion."

The Virginia Beach extension is envisioned as a 10-mile stretch from Newtown Road at the Norfolk border to the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

It would connect to The Tide, Norfolk's $232 million rail project that will run 7.4 miles from Eastern Virginia Medical Center to Newtown Road after its planned 2010 opening.

Securing federal money for mass transit can be challenging, but tying into The Tide may help the cause, said Robert Matthias, an assistant to Virginia Beach's city manager.

"The good news is it's easier to get federal funding for extension of an existing line," he said. "The bad news is it's a lot of money... and the cookie jar is fairly empty."

Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com

Richard Quinn, (757) 222-5119, richard.quinn@pilotonline.com