Region's first long-term transit plan in works

Work is about to begin on Hampton Roads' first regional public transit plan.

The state has authorized up to $400,000 for developing a regional, long range vision for bus and rail service.

With fuel prices soaring and public budgets tightening, the timing is right for elevating transit planning to the same level as road planning, said Dwight Farmer, executive director of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.

The region already has bus, shuttle and ferry services. A starter light rail line is under construction in Norfolk and is scheduled to start carrying passengers in early 2010. HRT is managing Norfolk's $232.1 million, 7.4-mile light rail project. There are no current plans to extend it into neighboring cities.

"It's painfully obvious a transit vision is needed," said Hampton Roads Transit Chairman Michael Townes.

The plan will be developed by state consultants and will be managed by the planning commission's Metropolitan Planning Organization. It is scheduled to be complete early next year.

Newport News Mayor Joe Frank demanded some short range action on transit at the planning district's quarterly meeting Wednesday.

"What are we going to do about public transit now?" Frank asked. He added that there's an "urgent need" for more transit now that the General Assembly did not pass several proposed road funding measures in a special session earlier this month.

Financing was sought for seven local projects - including a third crossing over the James River, a two-lane expansion of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, and a new U.S. 460 running northwest from Suffolk - at a cost of more than $10 billion.

"We're obviously not going to build roads in Virginia any time soon," Frank said.

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com