The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Light rail won't be operational until May, yet many local residents already want it extended.
A recent survey of local attitudes found that more than 91 percent of respondents want to see light rail go beyond Norfolk's 7.4-mile starter line.
Nearly 63 percent want to see it go to Virginia Beach, and close to 47 percent want it at Norfolk International Airport. Other desired destinations: Chesapeake, 40 percent; Newport News, 38 percent; Hampton, 37 percent; and Norfolk Naval Base, 36 percent.
The survey was conducted by Old Dominion University's Social Science and Research Center and released earlier this month. Nearly 700 telephone interviews with Hampton Roads residents were conducted over the summer. The results were weighted to accurately reflect the region's demographic characteristics.
While 6 percent said they use public transit now, about 44 percent said they would be more likely to be riders once light rail starts running.
Norfolk and Hampton Roads Transit officials have worked out a way to provide ample parking at the Military Highway light-rail station.
Two years ago, HRT said it would likely only be able to offer limited, temporary parking after an office building was developed on some of the land identified for a park-and-ride lot.
Of the 11 light-rail stations, the Military Highway station is projected to be the fourth-busiest, with 760 daily passengers. Federal ridership formulas indicate 232 spaces are needed. The lot must also include a bay for connections to HRT buses.
The latest plan includes all 232 parking spaces and a bus area.
HRT and the city worked out a land deal that involves purchasing one of Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc.'s parking lots and using adjacent undeveloped Virginia Department of Transportation property for parking.
HRT spokesman Tom Holden said construction of the park-and-ride lots is expected to start in February.
The costs are covered in the project's $338 million budget.
HRT received federal transit enhancement grants totaling nearly $2.4 million for signs at light-rail stations and bus stops.
About $464,000 will pay for informational signs at every light-rail station showing the route and transit connections. The signs will be manufactured and installed in time for the May opening.
An additional $1.9 million will cover replacing 3,400 bus-stop signs and adding informational signs at every major bus transfer center. Installation will start in July and will be phased in over 18 months.
"We have long felt the system signs were outdated and conveyed minimal useful information to our customers," Holden said.
Signs will have a consistent appearance so they're easily recognized as an HRT service.
HRT staged a light-rail emergency training drill Tuesday in coordination with fire, rescue and police responders.
The drill was conducted along the light-rail tracks near the Sewell s Point freight line. It was one in a series of tests that will be occurring over the next several months.
"A lot of training is going on to ensure a smooth response in the event of an emergency," Holden said.
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com
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Norfolk's Light Rail project - a pact of lies, new survey needed
DEC 2010 Update: Now that VDOT has released their report exposing all of the lies and fraud involved with HRT, the TDCHR, and the City of Norfolk in rgeard to their tiny 7.4 mile light rail project, a prudent thing to do is discount the results of this survey and conduct a new survey and determine what citizens think about their tax funds being spent on light rail? Facts have changed since this outdated survey was conducted.
hmmm...
haven't read all the comments, but the approach i have is if they're going to continue cramming traffic into three lanes on the 64 when there are five available (HOV), which in itself is pretty stupid considering, then a light rail will actually help to free up traffic on the roads. if we follow DC's metro then this could be a pretty good system in another 10-20 years that really helps to deal with future traffic challenges. they have to start somewhere. i only wish they would have done this underground, but there is still that chance in the future. i still would like to see accountability for the taxes we pay for roads to see what the real picture is of how our pertinent tax money is being spent...
Money for noth'in ... and their checks for free ....
Only 30.4% of the people surveys said they lived in VA Beach, yet 62.9% of the respondents said they wanted light rail extended into Va Beach! It is very easy for people that aren't stuck paying the bill to support extending light rail into a city they don't live in and therefore they will not have THEIR taxes raised to pay for it!
ODU state of the region report - today @ VBTA meeting
Dr. Koch from ODU presented the newest "State of the Region" to the members of the VBTA this morning. There was a great deal of important information presented. The details included a quote from HRT's CEO/President, Phil Shucet. Mr. Shucet informed Dr. Koch that only 10% of the operating costs of Norfolk's light rail line will be recovered from the fares being charged. So ... this means that if the plan is for HRT to charge $1.50 to ride the Tide then it will cost users $3 a day to ride back and forth to work. $3 is 10% of $30. Apparently each seat for each trip from one end of the tiny 7-mile rail line to the other will cost $30. Local taxpayers will pay $30 for each empty seat, and $27 for each seat with a person sitting in it! FOLKS, HRT IS PLANNING FOR LOCAL TAXPAYERS TO PAY 90% OF THE COST FOR EACH RIDE ON THE TIDE! Gee, no wonder those that plan to ride the Tide support it - someone else is paying for their rides.
Who funded this worthless survey
A couple of questions:
1) Who were the authors of this survey?
2) Couldnt they at least find a spokesperson that wanted to be quoted for this groundbreaking work?
3) Who funded said survey? As usual it will be interesting to follow the $$$$$. Was it the taxpayers or Will "Champagne" Sessoms and the usual suspects?
A few facts:
1) LRT is over budget by $100 million of our tax $$.
2 Proponents admit it will have little or no effect on congestion.
3) Fares collected based on an "honor" system. No turnstiles or tokens.
4) Phil Shucet "Great Saviour" is being paid $40,000.00 a month, Townes was given a $300,000.00 golden parachute to just disappear. Neither one has ever built or operated a Light Rail System.
LRT=Heavy Taxes
I think you answered your
I think you answered your own question. I believe Christopher Newport College conducted the same survey once before polling only about 500 people about whether to support light rail and I believe their answer was 62% in favor. Same scenerio.. 500 people polled represent the views of all of Tidewater. I think in the case of VB, instead of light rail equals heavy taxes.... light rail equals bankruptcy. Except for the developers pushing this train wreck.
dear lee & duppy...
I am not asking for a disertation of the finer intricacies of how to sample a segment of a population. Besides neither of you know anymore about how to sample a population than I do. Math is math and it is simple.
Quit making excuses! That is what children do.
We have approximately 1,600,000 in the Hampton roads area. (Source-VP advertising online)
They sampled "nearly 700". (700/1,600,000=.0004375).
That translates to 0.04375% of the population that was surveyed.
Not even 1/2 of 1% of the population was surveyed! Not exactly a scientific approach is it?
It is a valid sample. Aside
It is a valid sample. Aside from our obvious differences, it is.
differences abound...
...What I am asking is how can anyone (ODU in this case) claim that sampling 700 out of 1,600,000 people is a fair portion? My argument is you can skew a survey one way or the other by how you word a question or by not asking another.
Of course you can and that
Of course you can and that would be the fault of the researcher. But I do not see this to be the case here. Again, when using the word "skew" in stats it does not mean what you think it does. Skew is an uneven balance away from the center.