NORFOLK
The light-rail station that will serve Norfolk State University will be moved farther away from campus, a change that ends months of controversy that began when school officials raised concerns about safety.
The change, approved Thursday by Hampton Roads Transit’s board, will cost an additional $1.45 million. However, it’s not certain where the extra money will come from.
Any cost overruns are the city’s responsibility. However, there may be enough contingency money in the project’s budget to cover it, said Stanley A. Stein, Norfolk’s assistant city manager. He added that the city and HRT are working to identify additional funding, which could also cover cost overruns.
“We don’t know yet in definitive terms if this is something the city is going to pay for,” Stein said.
HRT and the city are in the midst of building the $232.1 million starter rail line, which is due to open in early 2010. Part of the 7.4-mile route runs adjacent to NSU and includes an elevated section over Brambleton Avenue.
The new NSU location will be on the west side of Brambleton and not the east side. It costs more because it will extend over Brambleton Avenue, requiring heavier-duty material and more complicated construction, HRT Vice President Jayne Whitney said. The station could not be moved beyond Brambleton because of a bend in the track, she said.
NSU officials requested the change because they feared for students’ security with a mass-transit stop so close to campus. Michael Townes, HRT CEO and president, said the request was accommodated because “they’re a partner in this project.”
NSU officials could not be reached for comment Thursday. Several other issues raised by NSU, including parking, have not yet been resolved.
Stein said the relocation also will help accelerate the city’s plans to redevelop that side of Brambleton Avenue. The City Council recently appropriated $2.5 million to purchase property there.
However, the new site poses a different kind of safety worry, said Corey Hill, chief of public transportation for the state.
Students will now have to cross busy Brambleton Avenue to get to class. Hill said he fears they will dash across six lanes of traffic instead of walking a block to the nearest intersection.
The city is already looking at ways to address the concern, Councilman W. Randy Wright said.
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com
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Total Failure
This project is a total failure and a waste of money. How many buses can be run for 225 million? True leadership at HRT does not exist. We all know what is coming next, a heated/AC moving walkway with music over Brambleton Ave. The President of Norfolk State should be forced to resign. Norfolk, if you relect any of your Council members, you deserve what you get.
As a graduating Senior from
As a graduating Senior from NSU, I can say that this is nothing more than just another example of the University's lack of sound judgement and total disregard for what is in the best interest of the students. ODU has always had a relationship with HRT on behalf it its students who live off campus, but NSU offers no type of commuter-based transportation contract. The newest "concerns" over security are not based on any student surveying or polling. The "concerns" are those of the President, and no one else. The city and HRT should ignore NSU. If they dont want to be part of the city, don't allow them to be.
hmmm...
i notice nsu sure has been a problem child with this light rail.
wonder what their overall problem is...
norfolk' bridge
to nowhere. Where is Sara Palin when we need her. HA, as if we need HER!
safety?
During the light rail issue when VB voters rejected light rail, VB was accused of being racist for supposedly not wanting black folks from Norfolk invading the suburbs via the light rail. Now we see a majority black university expressing "security" concerns over access to their domain. The riders would be the same. Is NSU being racist?
Hey Why not?
Whats a couple of million more? At nearly fifty million a mile it seems like a bargain to me. Try asking Senator Lucas if some of her investors want some of this! Mayor Holley from Portsmouth should jump at this deal! This whole thing is going to be one of the biggest fiasco's the area has ever seen. It's your government at work Norfolk ---- be proud!
In the future ...
students will be among the riders extensively using the light rail, because the line has been extended to Virginia Beach and up to the Naval Station. Someone needs to be held accountable as to the location of the station. You can bet in the future when the rail is extended up Hampton Blvd; there will be a station on ODU's campus! C'mon, someone needs to apply some common sense and foresight!
1.45 million?
No problem. The gas tax to help fund TRT/HRT/whoevertheyarenow will just go from 5 cents per gallon to 6, or 10, or 20... well, you get the picture. You and I ARE going to subsidize this fiasco for a long time. Oops, I mean forever.
Revenue
Free parking @ Military Circle + LR stop on campus == less parking decals sold!
Opportunity for NSU Lost
Having a rail transit station is a great opportunity for many businesses or institutions. A university can reduce the number of parking spaces it has to develop and enjoy a reduction in congestion on and near campus. Now they want the LR station moved to the opposite side of Brambleton for the sake of SAFETY??! Seems that the original location would have been far safer from a pedestrian safety point of view. Also, I feel that large parking lots feel much less safe at night than a well-lit, monitored transit station. So if light rail transit is too unsafe for a college campus, will NSU next ask HRT to stop driving buses anywhere near campus?
In my opinion, decision-makers at NSU are either clueless or have some alterior motive.
Bad Decision
Being a graduate of NSU I was looking forward to be able to catch the train at the Newtown Rd. station and getting off at the station now being moved further away from campus to attend the football games and other events at NSU. And, as far as parking, less parking spaces would be needed if people did ride the train to the school for games and not have to try to find a place to park in the nearby neighborhoods. A very bad decision has been made.
Whaaaattttt???
NSU, a commuter school does not want a mass transit stop on campus? Just because the President's campus home was built facing the wrong direction, they want the project altered. Why, so that the guest attending the big donors party out back won't have to see the dregs washing in on the Tide? The solution...Let's just drop everyone off at the corner of Stab'em & Shoot'em, the ones that belong on campus will find their way back.
Access to higher education is the prize for surviving the trip across Brambleton Ave.
You have
got to be kidding me! Their concern was b/c of a mass transit station being in close proximity to the students? I'd be more concerned about the neighborhood surrounding the campus than that transit stop if I were them. Give me a break! What are college folks now? Little kids?
So making the students cross a brige further away from campus to get to the stop to take the rail is safer than having the station on campus to catch the train? Why not take the 1.45 million & pay security to man the present station?
A mind is a terrible thing to waste!
I don't get it.
Plenty of universities have metro type rail stations on or even in their campuses. It's a tremendous convenience for the students. If security is an issue or concern...make sure you have security personnel on-site.
Additional Funding
If HRT/Norfolk require additional funding for the ligt rail system.
Come to Portsmouth and let the Department of Permits and Inspections generate funding by sending out the "Flower Bed Police!" The Flower Bed Police will site every citizen with excessive weed growth in their flower beds and forward the funds to HRT/Norfolk.
Doggone right --"not in my backyard"
If this were ODU, Norfolk's crown jewel of education, no one would dare even SUGGEST running this train within earshot of THEIR president's house if it were located on campus. And forget the parties excuse --how about sleeping and plain old peace and quiet?! I guess the NSU president isn't entitled to that? And none of you posters would want it outside your door either, convenient or not. If adults don't want to safely cross the street at the crosswalk, shame on them. Most people who use commuter trains in large cities don't get off and walk steps to their destination. It may actually be several blocks. Most of the posters will never ride this train to NSU, so why do you care? Anything to save the city money and make NSU suck up the annoyance? Give me a break.
Who's In Control at NSU?
Obviously not the Board of Visitors (BOV)! The President, Carolyn Meyers, reports to the BOV, but ever since she's been there she's wined, cried and complained about not having power, and now that she obviously has it, her inexperience, incompetence, and lack of vision has caused a fatal mistake for NSU. I salute the previous administrations of Dr. Wilson and Dr. McDemmond to work with the City to advance the partnership between the City and the School. I only hope that Dr. Meyers’ selfishness and incompetence has not destroyed all that they have worked to achieve. The Governor should suspend all of the current BOV members' terms, appoint new persons that fully understand their role, and pay the President out of her contract to LEAVE! Maybe North Carolina College A&T will take her back...I DOUBT IT! Where there is NO vision...the people will perish. Unfortunately for NSU, the people are comprised of students, parents, alumni, donors, faculty and other supporters of the University. As a citizen of Norfolk and the Commonwealth, it is my tax dollars that help to defray the high cost of college tuition for the majority of NSU students, while I don't mind helping to raise the educati
Available Funding
I seem to remember an article not to long ago that had much funding attached to it to build a light rail (monorail) system that was to serve ODU and surrounding areas. Construction started but just the other day while passing through their campus I noticed dust and cobwebs(sp) hanging from the supporting structures. Maybe the city of Norfolk can get some of that "unspent"(sp) money to help NSU address the "safety" of their students? Maybe there is a monorail construction "bone yard" that has some of the materials that are required to modify the existing monorail path? Uhmmmm!
Does NSU have a choice?
They are a public college and not private property; do they receive money from the government? At the very least, this is a classic imminent domain case in which NSU wouldn't stand a snowball's chance. Their excuses about security are idiotic.
Then again, this train to nowhere is idiotic...
Decisions, Decisions, Decisison...
Come on over to Portsmouth and experience the decision making process that usually cost the taxpayer out the nose - We approved projects too before the money is even available to pay for it - just raise the property tax or the sewage or whatever - gouge the taxpayer!