Beach in talks to buy right of way for light rail

Posted to: News Virginia Beach
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By Aaron Applegate
The Virginian-Pilot
© January 14, 2009

VIRGINIA BEACH

The City Council met in closed session Tuesday afternoon to talk about the city's negotiations with Norfolk Southern Corp. to buy the 10.6-mile railroad corridor identified as the likely route for light rail.

After the hour-long meeting, which included several other topics, Mayor Will Sessoms and other council members declined to comment.

Sessoms said on Jan. 5 after his swearing-in that he hoped to announce a deal for the land within two weeks.

The 66-foot swath of land runs from Newtown Road to near the Oceanfront, roughly paralleling Interstate 264.

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It is up to the Mayor to keep his promises

Submitted by Reid_Greenmun on Thu, 01/15/2009 at 8:18 am.

Henry, It is up to the Mayor to keep his promises. SAince he made the promise then he will have to work to acquire the number of votes needed to keep his promise. I trust he has the political will to lead the Council and do the right thing; that being to ask the citizens if they wish to spend their money paying for LRT in their city. I appreciate your comments here, but the point I made that you seemed to have overlooked was the matter of who should pay for LRT? LRT has many advocates (TOD developers, transit riders, transit firms, HRT, regionalists, etc.), but are they willing to pay for the cost of what they advocate? Or are they planning on passing on millions of annual costs to every taxpayer in our city?

What Reid Misses On

Submitted by HenryR on Wed, 01/14/2009 at 5:02 pm.

First, Norfolk already has a Federal grant to cover it's first two years of Operations & Maintenace of light rail. Second, it's case is stregthened if Virginia Beach gets in - which is the primary reason Norfolk wants Virginia Beach in.

There is nothing elaborate about the feeder bus system in Norfolk's FEIS, nor does Virginia Beach's have to be either. Virginia Beach could do feeder service with a fleet of 24-40 hybrid buses, which cost under $500,000 each.

As for a referendum, Mayor Sessoms would need 5 additional votes to punt to referendum. Reid, where are those 5 votes?

Mayor Sessoms promised a new referendum on Light Rail

Submitted by Reid_Greenmun on Wed, 01/14/2009 at 7:23 am.

During his campaign for Mayor Will Sessoms promised he would hold a referendum on Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Virginia Beach and he would honor the results of the referendum. The issue for many taxpayers in not if the proposed rail line to run along the NS ROW to the oceanfront is a good alternative mode for transit, but rather who will be paying for it? HRT has already made it clear that an elaborate and expensive "feeder" bus system will be required. Historically fares on buses and LRT are kept articially low and the real costs for the operation and maintenance for the LRT and it's "feeder" bus system are passed onto those that don't - or can't - use the new mass transit. TOD developers will benefit, but they aren't usually targeted to pay for LRT either. Folks, LRT will cost Beach taxpayers at least $8M-$10M a year to subsidize. Can we afford that new reoccuring annual expense with a budget huge shortfall and a bad economy?