Light rail exceeded all ridership projections when it opened last month, so giddy city officials pleased with its success want to begin the process of extending it to Norfolk Naval Station.

The City Council unanimously asked City Manager Marcus Jones this week to begin planning an extension of The Tide to the base. They also requested that he move ahead with plans to hire a transportation czar to oversee Norfolk's transportation projects.

Mayor Paul Fraim and Councilman Barclay C. Winn said the city can't wait on Virginia Beach to determine if and when it might want light rail.

"Whatever Virginia Beach decides to do, they will do it in their own good time, Fraim said. "We can't do anything to influence their decision. So we ought to move forward with our own planning."

Virginia Beach has been mulling proposals to extend The Tide to Town Center and the Lynnhaven area, but Hampton Roads Transit, which built and operates Norfolk's light-rail line, suspended a study on the issue for a year in April.

Virginia Beach City Council has been split on light rail, which has drawn vociferous opposition from taxpayer groups. The council won't make a decision until 2013 at the earliest.

Norfolk's $318.5 million, 7.4-mile light-rail line, which runs from downtown to the Virginia Beach border, is drawing about 5,140 riders per day, nearly double the projected daily ridership of 2,920.

During their annual retreat in Smithfield this week, council members discussed three proposed extensions to the Navy base:

• Beginning at the Medical Center/Fort Norfolk Station, Fraim suggested extending The Tide around West Ghent and over the Elizabeth River to 26th Street, then up Hampton Boulevard past Old Dominion University to the base.

• A proposal from Councilman Paul R. Riddick would begin downtown and use the city's right of way on Granby Street to extend through Wards Corner to the base.

• A long-studied extension from the Newtown Road Station on the Virginia Beach border, parallel to Interstate 64 to the Navy base.

Councilman Tommy Smigiel suggested building light rail in the HOV lanes on the interstate, which would reduce land-acquisition costs. He also recommended the city reach out to residents.

"We need their input," he said.

HRT officials said even if the process started today, it could be seven years before construction began on another spur of light rail.

Norfolk has two funding options, said Tom Holden, HRT's public affairs manager. It could seek to split the cost with the state or, as with The Tide, it could seek federal and state funding.

If the city and state partnered, the application process would shrink by years, but the cost to the city would increase. Council members said that option isn't feasible.

The federal government paid for about half the cost of The Tide, and is also subsidizing daily operations. But the application process is much longer - it took 11 years for The Tide to be approved and built. The proposal would also need an endorsement from the region's Transportation Planning Organization.

Councilwoman Theresa Whibley said the Navy has to have a seat at the table. "This goes beyond traffic concerns to military readiness and other issues," she said.

Jones said he hopes to soon hire a transportation director. In addition to light rail, the staffer would also oversee the new Midtown Tunnel and all other transportation projects in the city.

Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com

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Comment deleted

Submitted by admin (staffer) on Tue, 10/11/2011 at 8:22 pm.

Comment removed for rules violation. Reason: Personal attack, name calling

Comment deleted

Submitted by admin (staffer) on Tue, 10/11/2011 at 9:48 pm.

Comment removed for rules violation. Reason: Personal attack, name calling

VaBch is narcissistic

Submitted by abismo02 on Tue, 10/04/2011 at 9:52 am.

Just say it, VB; you don't want Norfolk's 'east of St. Pauls Blvd' population to have ready access to your totalitarian city. I live in Ghent and would spend plenty of money at the oceanfront given the opportunity to use convenient public transportation.

Try riding a bike to the train, then from the train to work instead of talking on your cell phone while driving on an overcrowded interstate highway.

for alan

Submitted by keithb64840 on Sat, 10/01/2011 at 9:43 pm.

to continue his phony indignation while his business skills are evident for all to see.

30.96 million vans needed to carry less than two million people per day according to alan.

Actually

Submitted by HokieFan2001 on Tue, 10/11/2011 at 9:40 pm.

Alan already pointed out that he made an error - do you think that it's productive to keep bashing him over the head with it? You're really not helping your case here.

My business skills may or may not be questionable.

Submitted by AlanB on Sat, 10/01/2011 at 11:54 pm.

What isn't questionable is that we can't trust you not to make things up.

Keep hiding Keith, keep trying to divert attention from the fact that you've lied. Keep trying to spin things Keith! But the proof is right above. You can't show me that I said what you claimed I said.

Here's all that matters; On Tue, 09/27/2011 at 6:02 pm. you wrote: "Alan says that van pooling can carry approx ten times the number of riders as light rail (51,600 vs 5140 in this article) for approx 1/6 of the capital costs ($51 million vs $318.5 million in this article)."

That is a lie! I never said that. You cannot point to any post where I made that claim.

Prove me wrong Keith; prove that you didn't say the above.

Why won't you respond to your lie Keith?

i have responded

Submitted by keithb64840 on Sun, 10/02/2011 at 8:16 am.

to your partial quotes where you take my comments out of context.

Mike Barrett is a known busissman and avid supporter of light rail.

Would Mike hire a business associate that would figure that it takes 30.96 million vans to give rides to under two million people per day?

Would Mike have that "modicum of intelligence"?

Yet another lie by Keith

Submitted by AlanB on Sun, 10/02/2011 at 10:05 am.

You haven't responded to this:

On Tue, 09/27/2011 at 6:02 pm. you wrote: "Alan says that van pooling can carry approx ten times the number of riders as light rail (51,600 vs 5140 in this article) for approx 1/6 of the capital costs ($51 million vs $318.5 million in this article)."

That is a lie! I never said that. You cannot point to any post where I made that claim.

Prove me wrong Keith; prove that you didn't say the above.

Please show me where I said that. I'm taking nothing out of context; that is a direct quote from your post. Please show me where I said that or give up the subterfuge and admit to your lie!

alan, you still have not

Submitted by keithb64840 on Sun, 10/02/2011 at 7:47 pm.

given credit to the individual who gave you the corrected figures for ridership and vans needed.

You know, the individual with a "modicum of intelligence" who figured out that van pooling does not need 30.96 million vans to give less than 2 million people a ride each day.

I didn't give you credit

Submitted by AlanB on Mon, 10/03/2011 at 5:04 pm.

I didn't give you credit because as I pointed out, not only was I in error, so were you. Can't give credit to someone for providing correct figures when they've provided incorrect figures.

However, unlike you, I did acknowledge my mistake even as I corrected your mistake. I did so one page back, depending on what sorting order you've chosen, in a post dated: Thu, 09/29/2011 at 6:21 pm.

You however continue to refuse to own up to your own errors and your lies about what I said. I made one error; you've made one yourself and on two occasions within this story/blog you've claimed that I said something that I never said. Time to fess up!