Fire boss or no light rail, says Beach Councilman
By Brian Kirwin | Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 | PolicyGlenn Davis, Virginia Beach City Councilman, launched a resolution that if anyone wants light rail in Virginia Beach, the boss of Hampton Roads Transit’s got to go (Virginian-Pilot has the story and the resolution).
Norfolk’s light rail is already 47% over budget, and more and more Beach Council members are voicing displeasure. Davis’ resolution says light rail stays out of Virginia Beach if Michael Townes is still running the show.
Townes says he ain’t going nowhere (what is it with these appointed folks? These lifelong bureaucrats think the taxpayers work for them.)
Townes says he will not resign and his board wants him to stay. He also blames Norfolk officials for the cost overruns that have made his 232 million dollar project into a 340 million dollar project.
If Davis’ resolution passes, Townes can have his light rail to nowhere so that the good citizens of Newtown Road can commute to Eastern Virginia Medical Center while everyone else drives to Town Center and the Oceanfront. Light rail will be as empty as a MoveOn.Org rally for Glenn Nye.
The question that must be asked is “In the private sector, would anyone with a 47% cost overrun who kept it from his board still have a job the next morning?”
VB Council will vote on the resolution Tuesday. It will then be up to the HRT Board to decide if they want to end light rail at the Norfolk border and continue their transit experiment without the participation of the largest populated city in Virginia.
Or will they let Light Rail go the way of Waterside?
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The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
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21 Responses to "Fire boss or no light rail, says Beach Councilman"
This resolution is more of a political statement than a solution. There are many more aspects to successful mass transit administration than the oversight of a new test construction project. Townes has received accolades for his administration of multi-city mass transit efforts.
The forwarding of this resolution is significant data that should be included in the EIS. If the Virginia Beach City Council has any reservation that HRT can execute the light rail project as defined and studied, the the result of study is worthless.
Since the Board is equally represented by locality, how much sympathy will board members from other than Virginia Beach and Norfolk have for Virginia Beach’s resolution?
Why does Davis always get out in front of these extreme Light Rail resolutions? Where are Jones and Woods?
Wally,
I am going to attempt to approach this from a moderate viewpoint. I am in favor of light rail (it can relieve congestion) as long as it can be done effectively.
As a citizen of Virginia Beach, how can I judge just what will be the costs of extending light rail into my city are if the estimates seem only to be narrowed to convince me they are affordable? But then when the checks need to be written, the costs have ballooned.
I do not think it is wrong for the citizens to be presented with accurate estimates of the costs when they go to the polls and vote for or against. I do not want to decide how I vote based on estimates that are grossly exaggerated on how affordable they are.
It seems to me that we have a national average of expense per mile for light rail. Our efforts to date exceed this average and this includes a made to order right of way which has very little value unless it is converted to light rail.
For all of the years of haggling, hundreds of barrels of editorial ink and countless trees that have been slaughtered for paper to promote and wax political on the light rail system, where are the results? Where is the leadership? Why wasn’t light rail a candidate for a “shovel ready” Stimulus Plan project? This proposal from Davis is peeling back this rotton onion and finally outing the problems. I knew we were in trouble when they tore up the railroad tracks along Norfolk Av. and converted the space to a bike path.
I think it’s a stroke of brilliance by Wood, Davis and Sessoms. To appear like they’re willing to not pursue light rail (which they are not) they rightfully call for Townes to step down or no deal. Townes has proven to provide little leadership in holding the line, regardless of his futile attempts to deflect the blame.
Light rail will be a reality in Virginia Beach. Those who know my personal opinions know that I am firmly behind the idea. While subsidized transportation cannot pay for itself, no one ever claimed that it should. However, TOD (Transit Oriented Development) covers the bill and then some. Look at the explosion of projects in Norfolk directly on the light rail line, before it’s even finished. Imagine the possibilities for Virginia Beach with light rail running through the city. Billions in new development and more importantly, tax revenues.
I’ve been waiting way too long for this topic to come up!
I certainly agree that light rail transit at the Beach in the I-264 corridor is essential as no significant road building will occur in Virginia for perhaps a decade. We need capacity in this corridor to link all the major employment centers from the Medical Complex, to downtown, Harbor Park/NSU, to Military Circle, to Town Center, and then to the Oceanfront. Then, the system can expand to ODU, the Naval Base, and the airport.
As others have said, the potential for conversion of current light industrial property uses along the ROW to multi use commercial and residential communities all along the route in the Beach will offer a tremendous stimulus to the increase in the tax base.
We need light rail, and we should explore a different arrangement than Norfolk with HRT. We should handle project management ourselves so that the flow of information to our Council and our citizens is direct.
Well Mr. D.J. Spiker, Republican
Thanks for bringing up TOD. I want you to do a little research and ascertain the political ramifications of TOD, light rail, and urbanization. Then determine the effect of gentrification would have on a population shift to outlining areas. I’ll give your first hint, Charlotte, NC. Then if you aren’t satisfied with that example, I’ll list cities, one by one where the political shift has been turned over to Democrats. I sure the DNC will appreciate your destroying the pockets of Republican strengths.
Now you know where Mr. (Tax and Spend) Barrett is coming from, the left side of things.
Wally seems to forget that the General Assembly passed support for the extension of light rail to the Beach, and pledged its financial support. Delegate Bob Tata (R) was the sponsor, and in the republican majority House of Delegates, the bill passed 99-1.
Erb may want to try to make this a partisan issue, but just like roads, some issues defy partisan politics because they are so essential to economic development and prosperity. Light rail is one of those issues, as successful cities anticipate the cost of energy and work to provide urban enclaves connected by public transit.
Why did Charlotte do the same? Downtown was a dead zone after 5:00 PM on workdays, no one there. Now it is vibrant. Cities can change.
True Mike but not completely accurate.
The pledge was for a study using allocated federal funds that were about to pass an option date.
As to the demographic shift in political strength I can understand your exuberance in describing it as vibrant.
Unfortunately for Charlotte, there areas at along the rail that have not attracted the development they anticipated. But as you well know, this all documented.
Well in 20 years when gas is over $20.00 a gallon it will be seen as a deal, with plenty of happy riders. Besides the original estimates were 100 million higher and were only lowered so we met federal matching criteria. I just want to know why will it stop 9 blocks short or the ocean front if it ever approved as is at the beach. If anything it will be Randy (Moses) Choo Choo Wright who will pay politically.
Wally,
What part of reality don’t you get? The Norfolk Southern ROW is a designated Urban Area in VB’s Comprehensive Plan. TOD is going to inevitably come there.
As for political ramifications, I’ve never bought Reid Greenmun’s conspiracy theories. (Then, no sane human being should.) You’re trying to tell us professionals will change their voting patterns based solely on the density of the neighborhood they live in? They’d largely still have the same interests.
Back on point, the Davis Resolution drives home the point I calculated when the overrun story first broke: the TDCHR can have either Townes or the Virginia Beach extension, but not both. Hard choice day is January 28.
Henry:
Reality? When is a plan reality? A plan is a plan and just that! And as for TOD, that hinges on the “T”. That “T” is Light Rail. To you suggest TOD without the “T”?
But back on point. Townes is not going to tender a resignation, nor should he. He is far from culpable in this fiasco. Moreover, he will not be fired.
Let me put this in a way Davis will understand. You have an Ace high flush and you’re going “all in”. Unfortunately, there are a pair showing so you don’t have “nuts”. That could be considered a bluff. Nuff said?
Wally,
Town Center has been doing fine without the “T” there yet.
What you (and apparently Townes) don’t get is that Janaury 28 is a battle, not the full war. The Davis Resolution is the de jure Declaration of War. While the Virginia Beach study may continue, LRT doesn’t happen in the end with Townes there. The war doesn’t necessarily have to be won January 28; there are another 3-4 years to do it.
OBTW Henry,
As to conspiracy theory and political shift in regard to TOD. There are irrefutable statistical data that support a leftward political shift as well as an increased crime rate within one-quarter mile of a light rail/metro stop. No conspiracy, just facts and risks to be mitigated.
First, light rail transit is proposed to terminate at the Beach at the Dome site; that is, two blocks from the oceanfront at 19th street. Light rail is a part of a strategic shift away from further expansion into Greenfields and an increase in multi use, high value development near the light rail system. With the cancellation of the I-264/64 interchange project, and the lack of funding for construction projects throughout the Commonwealth, Light Rail is our best option in this corridor.
Wally,
Seems to me that higher density development within a quarter mile of a light rail stop could explain the higher crime rate. More people equals more crime.
I can only witness to how many vehicles might be taken off the road by light rail. In traveling through other areas of our nation, I have noticed light rail stops with the bicycle racks filled to capacity and huge parking lots filled to overflowing with the overflow of parked vehicles expanding to where parking is illegal because the demand for the service is so high.
However, I think the destinations required for ample service should be provided prior to adding origination points. It is more important for Norfolk to add ODU and the Norfolk Naval Base as destination points before (or at least at the same time as) Virginia Beach adds points of origin.
The advantage to light rail is for commuters to have dependable transportation alternatives that do not have to compete with traffic delays on the roadways. If the destinations are not there, the traffic on the roadways will remain. What sailor going to work at the Navy Base wants to take light rail only to end up in downtown Norfolk?
Hello i just had a alert from my firewall when i opened your blog do you happen to know how come this occured? Could it be from your advertising or something? Thanks, really odd i hope it was harmless?
Little David:
You, make sense. With the spur to the Naval Base, I will agree that this is a people moving project. And I also agree that both endeavors chronologically coincide.
On the other hand, with three major east-west thoroughfares (264, Virginia Beach Blvd, and light rail) less than one mile of each other, I can’t envision many who would leave and park their automobile or motorcycle to go to downtown Norfolk, unless one worked there.
Some of the stations are being designed as simply neighborhood walk ups, others as park and ride, and others, like the convention center and perhaps the Dome site, as special entities. The study will of course assess the ridership, but clearly, with the Sentara/EVMS complex, downtown, Harbor Park/NSU/high speed rail station, military circle, Pembroke/Town Center, NAS Oceana, the convention center and the Dome, the potential ridership to work is significant. Then, the system can go to the Naval Base, ODU, and the airport. One step at a time.
While I support the project if we don’t build this to go to the Naval Base(NOB) in Norfolk, this thing is a waste of money. I see great success if we add the navy base route at the start.
I know the oceanfront wants theirs first but success of thousands of navy and civilian going to and from the base will support the entire light rail program. Experiance: I rode the Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) in Oakland, Ca decades ago and it was the best way to get to NAS Alameda(I also had to catch a bus out of Oakland to Alameda).
Think of building success: the navy base spur is the answer to all the questions. BTW: I’d fire him too!
William,
Rest assured that the Oceanfront and Navy base extensions are cojoined Siamese twins, one won’t happen without the other.
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