VIRGINIA BEACH
Hampton Roads Transit President Michael Townes will brief the City Council today on a $5.7 million feasibility and environmental study that will investigate bringing light rail to Virginia Beach and the Norfolk Naval Station.
The meeting is at 4 p.m. at City Hall.
The study is expected to take 12 to 18 months.
The City Council has decided to spend $10 million to buy the old Norfolk Southern rail corridor for a possible light rail route.
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Laugh
That's funny Mike, I don't see you using light rail much. I wonder what you mean by act on your behalf. Light rail for VB is a liability not an asset.
What do you suppose was the original intention of paragraph A?
Isn't transportation the State's responsibility?
Quote it all next time
Well thanks VBPolitics for quoting from the Charter. Perhaps next time you will post the entire paragraph, which does not support your contention, and subsequent sections which also provide other provisions that do not support you point. That said, one would expect that just like in many other cities around the nation that have incorporated light rail in their menu of transportation assets, the Federal government has paid a large percentage of that cost and I would assume that as an extension of an existing system, our route would be no different. Afterall, we are one metropolitan region of 1.6 million citizens bound together in one market. We all elect our members of city council and expect them to make decisions in the public interest. Government by referendum is an abdication of responsibility by elected officials, and my hope is that our elected officials will act on our behalf as we evaluate their performance at election time.
Nice
Yes, I'm aware that there are ways around the law and its intention to require politicians to seek the voters (stake holders) consent before creating debt on their behalf. Interesting that a regional authority has the power to spend my fair cities money and create debt without the voters having a say. This sounds very similar to the HRTA taxation with out representation issue. There may or may not be a cause of action here but the principle is the same and it's wrong.
Do the right thing and give the public a voice before you proceed.
Bonds
Per Federal law, the bonds for Virginia Beach light rail would be issued by the TDCHR, not the City of Virginia Beach. Therefore, the statute you cite wouldn't apply.
TIDE EXP TRAINS
Express trains - and buses, as well - benefit riders in several ways. Obviously, Express/Limited Stop Express vehicles tend to provide a faster ride than that offered by local [multi-stop] trains/buses over the same or a similar routing. Further, there is a separation of short from long-haul passengers, which translates to providing more seats for riders traveling upon local trains/buses. If the TIDE eventually reaches the VB Oceanfront, and patronage reaches a point where peak-hour EXP trips would enhance the service, schedules could easily be adjusted whereby an EXP train would leave immediately ahead of a local run. For example, an EXP trip could depart Harbor Park Station [after serving all downtown Norfolk stops] at 5:05P and operate non-stop to VB Town Center [VBTC], thence revert to either a Local or Limited Stop EXP run to the VB Oceanfront. In its wake, a Local run would depart Harbor Park Station at 5:07P, and make all-stops to either VBTC, or the Oceanfront. Reverse for in-bound AM/PM peak periods EXP runs.
Passing lanes?
You don't need a passing lane! The Tide is double tracked. One side could be on express while the other could be on local.
Oh, I see
So, both tracks will run in the same direction and all the trains will pile up at the destination end.
Or, each track could carry a single train running back and forth, so the waiting time would be the time it takes for a train to complete its cycle.
That explains it all.
tracker...
Please forgive us if we expect our elected leaders to listen to us! Please forgive us if we want our elected leaders to make decisions based upon sound priciples. Please forgive us if we want our elected leaders to remember that they are not infallible. Please forgive us if we expect our elected leaders to be accountable to the people who put them there in the first place. What's wrong with a referendum???? Nothing if you aren't afraid of the outcome.
Pshaw, Who cares
VB has ways around the law. They have developers to satisfy, they can't let state statue stand in their way. Puppet mayor will just have his buds do it, and let some scapegoat take the fall (election flyer ring a bell?).
Republic of Mike
§ 6.05:1. AUTHORITY FOR ISSUANCE OF BONDS.
A. No bonds of the city shall be issued until their issuance shall have been authorized by an ordinance adopted by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of all members of the council and approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the qualified voters of the city voting on the question at an election called and held for the purpose and in the manner provided by law for submitting any question or proposition to the voters.