The Virginian-Pilot
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Transportation commissioners hate getting stuck in congestion at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel whiledriving back to their offices or homes after meetings.
The irony was not lost on Pat Woodbury, who chairs the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads, the governing board for Hampton Roads Transit.
Neither was the opportunity to make a statement.
The board - composed of city council members from each of Hampton Roads' seven largest cities - meets monthly, alternately in Norfolk and in Hampton. Meetings started at 1:30 p.m., which meant half the commission often had to fight tunnel traffic to get back to its side of the water about two hours later.
Now, meetings are starting at 1 p.m.
That gets commissioners back on the road before the rush-hour crush. But it also sets an example.
"One of the ways of solving transportation issues is having flexible schedules so we don't contribute to the congestion problem," Woodbury, a Newport News councilwoman, said.
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HRBT
Well gee whizz Pat. How about widening it. Add another tube or two. What a concept! Our delegation is held hostage by developers. There is also another way. There's this technology called teleconferencing. It is marvelous. Each member can gather in their respective conference rooms in Norfolk and Hampton. You can link up via the internet, see and talk to everyone in the room, view powerpoint slides, and exchange documents. All without leaving the office. Telecommuting! What a concept! Takes vehicles off the road. Amazing.
So how is it that a moribund boo-bird such as myself can find a solution to this problem? I should send Ms. Woodbury a bill.
Why not take the bus?
Makes sense since they run a bus company...at least you can read or sleep while the bus sits in traffic.
Suggestion
Why not have all the members meet at 1:30PM in Portsmouth, then travel as a convoy through the downtown and HRBT tunnels to meet in Newport News, after which they all must travel back to Portsmouth. No police escort allowed! (And, they should do it in their OWN cars, with no mileage reimbursement.)