The Tide's momentum reaches the Beach

What pays for mass transportation. It has been said that all transits are paid for in subsidies, so then you have some who say they don't want it paid for by their taxes. But the truth is that while bus/train fair don't pay for itself. Real estate taxes gained from transit oriented development (TOD) are what ACTUALLY pay for the light rail. Look at DC's metro. Development has occured in waves, centering around the metro's stops. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_oriented_development this like shows real pictures of the development in DC. Let's understand that this area is going to expand...we can either embrace it in TOD or expect VB council to extend the green line to allow for more suburban sprawl into pungo. Only adding to the strain on our roads!!

[sig] - once again Mike, the 6 MPO projects that you and your pals in the Hampton Roads Partnership keep pushing are NOT the commuter traffic congestion relief we locals are looking for. That "regional plan" is mostly a plan to benefit certain targeted business interests. It does not offer any meaningful solution to the many unmet transportation NEEDS our citizens want to have dealt with. DEMOCRATIC Governor Kaine failed to offer a better plan for our region too. He passed the buck and simply stated that whatever the MPO decided, that was what he would support. There is a lot of blame to go around for the mess we now find ourselves in, but it is guys like you and the business lobby who are most to blame for the gridlock we citizens now suffer with.

The argument can be made by citizens about something being done about transportation, however, the disagreement lies in what transportation projects were to be built and HB3202. I attended most every HRTA meeting that was held in the Tidewater area and can vouch for the disenchantment expressed by the majority of the folks in there about HB3202 and the HRTA that it created as well as the bogus MPO projects that were in there. BTW, you can't tell me that politics aren't partisan. Otherwise there wouldn't be as much lobbying in Richmond by the business community. And it still goes back as to what side your on as to "who in the district is put first" That's pure rubbish Mr. Barrett. For the record, I don't believe in representative democracy. That is business lobbists in a coat and tie. I believe in a representative republic and a republican form of government guaranteed under Article 4, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution.

Well the candidate who beat Welch supported funding a transportation solution. Perhaps you can make the argument that he lost the support of his base, but in the end, the citizens showed that they want a solution, and Welch was just too clearly identified with the republican leadership that has blocked a solution. I agree that gerrymandering has been done by both parties, but I still support a solution that puts us, the citizens of a district, first, not partisan politics. The business community strongly supports the creation of a commission to design the districts subject to a final vote by the Legislature. The current system has essentially disenfranchised many of us who actually believe in representative democracy.

Oh I totally disagree. John Welch lost his seat because because he supported HB3202. He took a lot of flack from a lot of folks (including me) at the first HRTA meeting at Hampton Convention Center and any other HRTA meeting he showed up at.
So you wouldn't consider yourself a "credible candidate"? Anyway, as for redistricting, democrats are just as guilty of gerry-mandering the lines as the republicans. They are two wings on the same bird. All of these delegates follow their party line and who works or refuses to "work for us" depends entirely on your political philosophy. Democrats have been consistant on tax and spend into oblivion and republicans like to borrow and spend into oblivion. So vote Libertarian where government who governs least governs best.

I am not sure to whom you refer. John Welch lost because he did not support transportation before he decided to do so. And a number of NOVA republicans lost because of their opposition to funding transportation. Fact is, I believe the majority of Virginians would vote out of office most delegates, but of course, there needs to be a credible candidate in opposition. Regretfully, because of the inane system of redistricting, we have created a system whereby most incumbents end up with a lifetime appointment so we deserve these delegates who follow the party line and refuse to work for us. That said, I believe that a number of anti tax delegates will lose next November, and then we will have redistricting for which I hold hope that the system will be changed.

Well Mr. Barrett, you still haven't answered my question. You continue to blame the republicans for their "irresponsibility" and continue to complain about it. Fact is that a few republicans lost their seats for going along with HB3202. Besides being ruled unconstitutional, it was a wake up call for them. Again you have it in your power to vote for the candidate of your choice or run for office yourself. I think you should do the latter. Don't you think that if the public is dissatified with their elected leaders that they will vote them out? You don't give the public very much credibility. When a majority of the public gets tired of it, they'll change it. I also believe that it was "your" interests that were once again subjugated, not necessarily the rest of us.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Keith. Of course, you can make this as personal as you wish, but of course many of our local delegates pledged to vote to increase taxes and fees to fund our transportation needs, yet after the republican get together at the Homestead just before the special session, they received their marching orders that reportedly made clear that any delegate that broke ranks would head up the doggie patrol at the capitol. So all the work went for naught, and our interests were once again subjugated to the Grover Norquist No Tax Pledge, a pledge that guarantees that delegates who have signed it cannot work for us. We need new delegates; it is really that simple, and since our present crew can be whipped into silence by Bill Howell, why would anyone vote for them?

Well, Mr. Barrett, again you place blame on Speaker Howell and the republican HOD for not doing what is in the best interest of Mike Barrett. Yet the man still retains his seat as well as his post as speaker. Therefore, I will say it again. When are you going to submit your papers as a candidate for the HOD? Go ahead and run on that platform for higher taxes and fees for those who struggle to put gas in their cars and get to work or blocking attempts for Virginia to get it's own energy resources off it's own coast. A member of the HOD is a part time job. As a CEO, I'm sure you could get the 45 days (or 60 in some cases) in January to be in Richmond and bankrupt the rest of us so that your HR buddies would be happy and richer.

Ken, we do not need the massively expensive 3rd Crossing, the port wants it because the port wants to expand and it will serve their new trucks they desire to dump onto our highway system. We have far greater REAL NEEDS then that boondoggle. The "new" RT 460 is also mostly pushed to support moving more trucks in and out of the port. What we, those of us that live here, NEED is traffic congestion relief. The MPO plan isn't it. It never was. Once again, I offer you facts. You choose to ignore them. The HRPDC stated that in 2021, with all 6 projects completed our region's highways would have 670 lane miles of LOS E-F (severe congestion). Yet, in 2021 if we did not build the 6 MPO projects we would have 670 lane miles of LOS E-F - the same severe congestion. Face it, the MPO plan was not a solution.

This area desperately needs a third crossing. That's one of the MPO's projects. We also need to increase capacity at the midtown tunnel. That's another of the MPO's projects. We also need more lanes on I-64 in Chesapeake between 464 and Bowers hill, including a new high rise bridge. That's another of the MPO's projects. Us-460 between Suffolk and Petersburg needs upgrading. That's another project.

But somehow only the ports will benefit from all this. How? Are these new roadways going to be restricted to port traffic only?

As much as I find the VBTA type opposition to improvements in transortation funding to be irritating and non sensical, our angst needs to be directed at Bill Howell and the republican delegates that absolutely refused to raise the taxes and fees we need to fund the regional projects and to maintain, repair, and expand our local transportation infrastructure. Many of these delegates in Hampton Roads had said they support this additional revenue, but when they had to face the ire of the Speaker, they wilted, and now have reverted to making us, the citizens, the culprit. Frankly, these republican delegates are fine people locked in a totally disfunctional party system, and regretfully, they have to go. We need new candidates to replace these delegates, and whether they are republican or democrat, they must pledge to support the funding necessary to fund our MPO plan and to maintain and provide the state match to build new local roads.

There is absolutely no transit system in the world that pays for itself without a taxpayer subsidy. It is a public service like trash pick-up, patching pot holes and fighting fires.

Attitudes like yours are why we have horrible roads and no relief in sight from the state. Fortunately, your politics were rebuffed last year at the polls and will be again when Moss is defeated (again) in November.

Not to nickpick here, but the MPO's six projects would relieve congestion at the Hampton Roads Birdge-Tunnel, Monitor-Merrimac Bridge-Tunnel, Downtown tunnel, Midtown tunnel, High Rise Bridge, I-64 between Bowers Hill and 464, I-64 on the peninsula, and I-264 throughout VA Beach.

So when you say the six projects would do nothing to solve any transportation needs, I'm left to assume you don't know what you're talking about.

Tell you what, transit riders can pay 100% of the purchase price on a new cars for drivers and 70% of the ongoing operating costs our cars, just as we are expected to pay for their light rail and buses to the same extent.

Fair is fair.

Or transit can pay its own way and we can pay ours.

But so long as transit riders aren't willing to even pay their own way, we should not consider keeping what has been built, much less adding to it.

The Feds have already authorized light rail to the Naval base, so it's going to happen.

On a referendum, under HB 6028 Virginia Beach light rail is a state project (DRPT) in conjunction with HRT. Therefore, only the General Assembly can put it to referendum.

Reid and the VBTA need to learn that the only thing that can stop light rail in Virginia Beach is the FTA.

All the business groups of which I am a member support the MPO plan and support sufficient funding for VDOT to meet maintenance requirements and the state match for local construction projects. Of course, the members of the House of Delegates that you and your cohorts in the anti tax payer groups have supported in the past would not vote for funding solutions for either problem, prefering instead to fall back on excuse after excuse, including a call for the eighth audit of VDOT in the last seven years. Many of the Delegates have taken the Grover Norquist No Tax pledge which requires them to "cut off the arms and legs of government so it can fit in the bathtub and drown." With this kind of pledge, how could they vote for us?

Gee Mike, exactly what part of SB 668 or HB 3202 would have contributed ONE DIME to fixing those bridges you mention? Oh, that's right - they would not. Why? Because the multi-Billion Dollar plan you and your pals keep pushing isn't about spending our transportation funds to fix bridges that need repair, or would the plan have reduced commuter traffic congestion; instead, it would INCREASE congestion at the MMMBT! Like I said, the MPO's 6 projects you and your business lobby keep pushing doesn't solve the transportation needs that our citizens - and I - know exist. Your plan is mostly about expanding the Port and more development, both residential and economic.

Yes, Reid is correct; the referendum failed yet 78% of our citizens now acknowledge that our transportation system is getting worse and 77% say they would pay more in taxes and fees to fix it. The effect of the failed referendum, and the failed special session this year, and the lack of resolve by the Legislature is evident everyday as we drive on roads that need repair, bridges that have serious degradation, as we witness the closure of bridges and the imminent abandonment of the Jordan Bridge, and wait in two and three light cycle delays at local intersections. Soon, VDOT will cease all funding of local construction projects, and even maintenance funds will be cut further. How bad does our system have to get for our Legislature to accept their responsibility to act? Must the Lesner bridge be closed? Must the delay at the tunnels and bridges last hours vice minutes? Must another major industry leave town? I guess we will find out.

That 2002 vote would've paid for all the major road projects in this region, no tolls required. Now, even with more taxes than the 2002 referendum would have provided, most if not all the projects will need tolls as part of their funding. So basically, sooner or later, we'll have to pay a lot more than we would have if it had passed.

Now with all that in mind, if I was someone who actively campaigned against that referendum, I'd try and keep quiet about that. But that's me, I don't enjoy looking like a fool.