Hampton Roads transit plan envisions ferries, rail, buses

A tunnel dedicated exclusively to light rail and a network of fast ferries are recommended to link South Hampton Roads and the Peninsula in a draft plan for expanding public transit in Hampton Roads.

Other ideas include streetcars, bus rapid transit and commuter rail.

Work is wrapping up on the Hampton Roads Regional Transit Vision Plan, a state-sponsored study that explores ways to improve mobility and connect communities by means other than automobiles.

Regional leaders will be briefed Wednesday at a meeting of the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization. A public meeting is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1 at Hampton Roads Transit, 1500 Monticello Ave. in Norfolk.

"We are probably in the final chapter or so in new highway construction," said Dwight Farmer, executive director of the planning organization. Once highway projects already identified are built, he said, "urban centers are going to see unprecedented investments in other modes."

It's a sign the region is maturing, he said. There are opportunities to expand highways in the urban area if leaders choose to double deck, like in some bigger cities. "It's a question of: Is that what we want to do or is it about new choices?" he said.

Farmer's agency initiated the idea, producing a broad transit plan nearly two years ago. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation committed $300,000 and worked with HRT to expand it.

The spine of the plan is light rail, which would connect to the other modes. Norfolk's $338 million, 7.4-mile starter line is scheduled to open in May.

"Light-rail extensions in Hampton Roads would change the way we travel, the way we work and ultimately the way we live in those corridors," Farmer said.

For the short term, by 2025, the plan proposes extending light rail to Virginia Beach along the former freight line and to Norfolk Naval Station running up the west side of the city. The estimated cost is $266 million to $464 million for the 4.5-mile Navy base line. No cost estimate is provided for the Beach line, which is under study.

Also in the near future, high-speed ferries from the Norfolk base and downtown Norfolk to Hampton and Newport News are envisioned.

In the long term, by 2035, the plan recommends a light-rail extension from Harbor Park in Norfolk to Greenbrier in Chesapeake, and a streetcar between Harbor Park and downtown Portsmouth.

Beyond 2035, light-rail extensions are envisioned from Norfolk Naval Station to Greenbrier. Downtown Portsmouth to Harbour View in Suffolk is planned as bus rapid transit.

Also in the extended plan are a light-rail tunnel between Norfolk Naval Station and downtown Newport News, two commuter rails from Harbor Park to downtown Suffolk and to Fentress in Chesapeake, more ferries between Norfolk and the Peninsula, and a ferry from Harbour View in Suffolk to the Peninsula.

The plan also calls for light rail and commuter rail on the Peninsula.

Courtney Ware, state rail department spokeswoman, said the study looked at land use and each city's comprehensive plans to decide what corridors could benefit from transit and what form of transit would best fit.

"We're establishing a broad vision of transit in the future so the public gets a sense there is a network of transit corridors in our region that are viable for future review... rather than isolated components," said Jayne Whitney, an HRT vice president.

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com