Va. Beach proposes framework for light-rail grant deal

Virginia Beach:

“State Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne told area business leaders Wednesday that Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms had agreed to the general terms for a state grant of $155 million for a light-rail extension into the city. Hours later, the city released a draft two-page proposal that lays the framework of an agreement between the parties. A city spokesman said it reflected Beach officials' understanding of the terms as discussed by Sessoms, Layne and staff members with the city and state.

The document begins by saying it is not intended to be an offer, acceptance or binding agreement ‘of any kind,’ and is only ‘a summary of the basic terms of a possible transaction.’ Council members discussed the proposal in a closed session Tuesday. If the state agrees to the terms, the council would eventually vote on any deal in public, Councilman Jim Wood said.

The proposal says extending light rail to Town Center is estimated to cost $290 million, and that the state would contribute 50 percent of the cost, up to $155 million. It says the city would not request any state money for evaluation of alternative transit technologies, an indirect reference to trains that operate by magnetic levitation.”

~ Writes Dave Forster, Kathy Adams & Philip Walzer of The Virginian-Pilot

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VDOT fast-tracking I-64 widening project, hoping to ease Hampton Roads traffic

Hampton Roads:

“On Tuesday Jim Utterback, Virginia Department of Transportation Hampton Roads District director, and consultant project manager Steven Chapin briefed James City County supervisors on the state of the $144 million Interstate 64 widening project at their monthly meeting.

With both Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne pushing the effort to alleviate congested traffic in Hampton Roads, the project is gathering steam. It will widen I-64 to six lanes from the Jefferson Avenue exit to just south of the Lee Hall exit, roughly 5.5 miles. The new 12-foot lanes will be added inside the existing east and westbound lanes, and the agency will widen six bridges along the route.

Utterback said the department issued a request for qualifications and has had five bidders respond. He told the James City supervisors the department hopes to issue request for proposals this summer ‘with the goal of awarding the contract this December.’ VDOT spokeswoman Jennifer Gwaltney said construction may begin in early 2015. VDOT officials estimate the project will be complete in Winter 2018.”

~ Writes Cathy Grimes the Daily Press

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Rural bridge is model for Richmond Dam Walk

Richmond:

“A majestic pedestrian bridge that brushes through the treetops of Cumberland and Prince Edward counties offers a panoramic preview of the potential of a low-slung walkway above the James River torrents in downtown Richmond.

High Bridge and Brown’s Island are both steeped in Civil War history. The former railroad bridge was a strategic battleground near the end of the Civil War. Brown’s Island was the site of an 1863 explosion that killed at least 41 people, mostly women and children, at a Confederate munitions factory.

High Bridge towers 125 feet above the Appomattox River valley, spanning nearly half a mile. The original wooden bridge, built in 1853, was replaced in 1914 with a steel structure. Two years ago, it was renovated and widened to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and horses, and incorporated into a 31-mile multiuse trail that runs through Cumberland, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties.

The Brown’s Island Dam Walk, only about 17 feet above the James River, would create a 1,600-foot span for pedestrians and cyclists from Brown’s Island to Manchester, as part of a 20-mile cycling network. It would be built above a former Virginia Power dam that is disconnected from a popular footbridge extending about 60 yards from Brown’s Island.”

~Writes Michael Paul Williams of the Richmond Times Dispatch

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Arlington Streetcar supporters: Election results won’t change momentum of project

Arlington County:

“Supporters of the Columbia Pike streetcar say the April 8 County Board special election will not derail their efforts. And they have the math on their side. Arlington Streetcar Now, which supports the planned five-mile line connecting Pentagon City west to Skyline, said it hopes new County Board member John Vihstadt will keep an open mind on the proposal. During the campaign, Vihstadt said his preference was for an upgraded bus network throughout the Columbia Pike corridor.

Vihstadt’s election ‘does not change any of the facts that have led the Arlington County Board to conclude on numerous occasions that the streetcar system is needed,’ Arlington Streetcar Now said in a statement the day after the election. ‘We hope . . . that he reviews with an open mind the voluminous data showing that the streetcar system would do far more to promote the community’s vision than the enhanced bus service that he has favored,’ the group said.

Getting Vihstadt to hop on board the streetcar plan likely will be a hard sell. The special election appears to have taken the form of a proxy referendum on big-ticket spending projects, with the Columbia Pike streetcar proposal front and center.”

~Writes Scott McCaffrey of Inside Nova

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Following one or both tracks to Virginia Beach?

Virginia Beach:

“Since proposals began landing on their desks last year, city officials have been weighing whether to extend traditional light rail into Virginia Beach or go with a magnetic levitation system, even though that technology is unproven. Now some officials are thinking, ‘Why not do both?’

A new idea favored by some city staff and council members would involve extending The Tide from Newtown Road to Town Center and creating a Union Station-like transportation hub there, while also moving forward with a magnetic-levitation, or maglev, pilot project at the Oceanfront. The hope is that, if maglev succeeded, it would eventually come to Town Center and branch out to the city’s naval bases, the Norfolk airport and Chesapeake.

Even though any concrete decision on a new mass transit system is far from being made, the dual approach is favored by Deputy City Manager Dave Hansen, Vice Mayor Louis Jones and At-Large Councilman Brad Martin. It’s helped along by the fact that American Maglev Technology and ACS Industrial Services, which are behind the maglev proposal, have offered to pay for the pilot project and, if it failed, remove the tracks.”

~ Writes Kathy Adams of the The Virginian-Pilot

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New Routes Studied for Harrisonburg Public Transit

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“The CSPDC and the Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation, along with the consultant team from Renaissance Planning Group have been coordinating a Harrisonburg Transit Study through the Harrisonburg Rockingham Metropolitan Planning Organization (HRMPO). The purpose of the Study is to examine a new route to Rockingham Memorial Hospital and to reconfigure existing routes to improve efficiency. Harrisonburg currently has five city lines and would like to add a sixth. Route 1 is the busiest bus line in the city and serves downtown, the James Madison University (JMU) campus and the south and eastern portions of the city, including the Valley Mall and frequently experiences delays. Route 2 serves Rockingham Memorial Hospital and covers from downtown Harrisonburg and the JMU campus throughout the east and south of the city.

Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation (HDPT) is proposing to add a new route which will be referred to as Route 0. This line will likely service both the Valley Mall and Rockingham Memorial Hospital covering downtown, JMU and along Port Republic Road. The existing Routes 1 and 2 will be reconfigured slightly, and all three lines will provide increased coverage throughout the city and surrounding neighborhoods. This spring HDPT will hold a public workshop to present the new route and take comments on the proposal. The Harrisonburg Transit Study is expected to be completed in June and approved changes to the transit system go into effect sometime in the late summer.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Job Posting: Transit Program Coordinator/Transportation Planner.

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“As a professional member of a regional planning staff this position would primarily be responsible for the planning and administration of a regional transit service program and performing transit planning work for the rural transportation program and two metropolitan planning organizations within the district. Duties include writing and administering grants through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit (DRPT) and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), providing oversight and project management of a contracted regional transit provider, developing and managing budgets for the public transit programs, conducting various planning studies related to transit, and managing a transportation demand management program for the region.  Effective knowledge of TDM strategies, FTA/DRPT operations, and MPO planning is desirable. Employee will also be required to provide staff support to advisory boards, councils, and committees.  Duties may include preparing reports and making presentations to elected officials, boards, committees, and outside organizations, including outreach and coordination to transit funding partners.  Applicants must possess the ability to carry out planning projects independently and to work well with local, state, and federal staff and the general public. Strong oral and written communication skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc. is required.  Master’s degree in planning or related field preferred, equivalent combination of education and work experience accepted. Local and/or regional planning experience and knowledge of FTA and DRPT grant programs a plus.  Salary:  $48,000-56,500 depending on qualifications.

To apply, send a resume with references to Bonnie S. Riedesel, Executive Director, Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, 112 MacTanly Place, Staunton, Virginia  24401 or bonnie@cspdc.org.  Position opened until filled.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC