• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Light-Rail Line Gets Push Forward in Norfolk

Posted on: Wednesday, 19 October 2005, 12:00 CDT

By Debbie Messina, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

Oct. 19--NORFOLK -- The city's proposed "starter" light-rail line has finally received the elusive Federal Transit Administration endorsement it has sought for years, which normally all but guarantees it will be built.

But, as with most things related to this project, there's a catch.

Several actions must be completed to retain the transit administration's recommended rating and to be eligible for federal funding.

The city must successfully negotiate the purchase of Norfolk Southern Corp.'s unused freight line for a segment of the light-rail corridor. It must also limit future parking spaces downtown to maintain a parking shortage and encourage transit use. And federal officials must finish a review of the project's capital costs to verify accuracy.

Mayor Paul D. Fraim said the rating "is more reason to be optimistic that the system will be built."

Almost every light-rail project endorsed by the agency has received federal funding and has been built, said Michael S. Townes, Hampton Roads Transit's president and chief executive officer. Only two projects, in Orlando, Fla., and Honolulu, were not built and that's because the cities withdrew their support.

HRT and city officials say meeting the transit administration's conditions will be no problem.

The city is "very close" to signing an agreement with Norfolk Southern for about five miles of track east of downtown, Fraim said. And, on Tuesday, the council adopted a new parking policy that limits the number of downtown parking spaces in the core business district, using a ratio of spaces per square feet of office space. It reflects the same parking ratio that will exist once the Trader building and the proposed Hilton hotel/conference center -- and their garages -- are built.

"Market forces are going to make that happen anyway," said City Councilman W. Randy Wright, who has championed light rail in Norfolk.

City leaders say they don't think the policy will discourage continued investment downtown because there's already a parking deficit.

"It makes good sense for the city as it gets more densely developed," Fraim said. "We want people to rely more on mass transit."

It's not clear yet if the policy is restrictive enough to satisfy the transit administration.

The 7.5-mile rail line would run from Eastern Virginia Medical Center through downtown to Kempsville Road. The line is projected to carry 6,500 to 12,000 riders a day.

The financing plan calls for the federal government to pay about half of the $203.7 million construction cost. The rest would be divided among the city, the state and a regional federal transportation fund.

It has taken more than two years to get the Federal Transit Administration rating. The agency rates projects on mobility improvements, operating efficiencies, cost effectiveness, land use patterns, environmental benefits and financing.

The Norfolk project got an overall rating of medium, although a couple of categories were rated high or medium-high. A project must receive at least a medium rating to receive federal funds.

"It's a hurdle that not many people thought we'd get over," Wright said.

"We know we have a region of major league magnitude, but that's not known in very many places," Townes said.

Light rail has had an uncertain history in Hampton Roads. A regional system was scuttled in 1999 when the Virginia Beach City Council pulled out, forcing transit planners to begin again with the Norfolk starter line.

Paul Griffo, a transit administration spokesman, said the recommended rating is "a snapshot in time," adding that the agency continues to evaluate the project. "Nothing is final until we get to that point we're ready to recommend the project for funding," Griffo said. Those recommendations generally come in February in the agency's annual report to Congress.

Fraim said it's significant that city officials and HRT were able to "bring a project of this scale to our city which is often overlooked for funding."

He said light rail has the potential to transform the city, promoting high-density development around the line and the stations that will boost Norfolk's finances.

By the end of the year, HRT hopes to get approval to start final design of the project.

Jayne Whitney, HRT's chief development officer, said the final design could take 18 months. Midway through that process, HRT will negotiate a federal funding agreement with the Federal Transit Administration. Construction would start in late 2007, and the line would begin carrying passengers in late 2008.

Townes said the transit administration's recommendation is a relief but also a vindication of the project.

"I feel we're on the verge of doing something very important for the community," he said.

-----

To see more of the The Virginian-Pilot, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.pilotonline.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Virginian-Pilot

More News in this Category