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- Peninsula Rapid Transit Project
Purpose and Goals of Public Involvement Committee
July 2005
The Public Involvement Committee (PIC) serves as an Advisory Committee for the Peninsula Rapid Transit Project, similar to that of the Steering and Technical Committees.
Purpose
The purpose of the Public Involvement Committee is to encourage information sharing between Hampton Roads Transit and the community through its leaders on the PIC throughout the study process. Keeping the public informed and involved requires a structured approach in which information is distributed, opportunities for feedback are provided and public concerns are addressed.
Committee Responsibilities
As a representative of the Public Involvement Committee, members are asked to attend quarterly meetings to receive updates on each phase and to share this information with the community. Committee members will provide HRT with feedback from the communities they represent including any concerns, comments and issues that arise regarding the Peninsula Rapid Transit Project (PRTP).
Goal
The primary goal of the Public Involvement Committee is to share their understanding of the Peninsula Rapid Transit Project with the community and to encourage the community's involvement in the study process. The PIC will also help the Cities of Hampton and Newport News as well as Hampton Roads Transit, to understand the community's concerns about the project and gain support from the community as the study proceeds through each phase.
If your community would like to be represented on the PIC or for further information on the PIC, please contact Marie Arnt at HRT at 757-222-6000 or e-mail at marnt@hrtransit.org.
- Members (and Alternates) of the Public Involvement Committee
| Hampton | |
| Aberdeen Gardens Historic & Civic Association | Samuel Daniel & Roosevelt Wilson |
| Buckroe Civic Association | Marie B. Collins |
| Colonial Acres Homeowners Association | Mary Mackin |
| Crystal Lake Condominiums | Alberta W. Reid |
| Downtown Hampton Development Partnership | Kevin Steele (Dr.) & Steve Hussel |
| Elizabeth Lake Estates Civic Association | John Inman, Olive Johnston & Joe Obeck |
| Garden Village | Veronica Davis |
| Lincoln Park Resident Council | Stephanie Balarabe |
| Northampton Civic Association | Karen Duncan & Butch Heath |
| Olde Wythe Neighborhood Association | Mike McHenry |
| Park Place Community Awareness Association | Denna Sheppard |
| Riverdale Regional Civic Association | Paul Peterson & Frank Westerman |
| Tyler/Seldendale Community | Cristine Ausink & Larry Penn |
| Newport News | |
| Community Leadership & Investment Corp (CLIC) | Vernice Gatiling & Valerie Parker |
| East End Community Association | Frances Jones-Forson & Queenie Thomas |
| Villages of Kiln Creek Owners Association | Lynn H. Prestage |
- Meetings Schedule
PIC Meeting Minutes June 20,2005
PIC Meeting Minutes October 24,2005
Upcoming meetings TBD
- Hampton Roads Peninsula Rapid Transit Project (PRTP) Status
Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) are undertaking to provide improved transit service to the Peninsula region of Hampton Roads and connect major activity centers and points of interest. Major activity centers served by the corridor, either directly or by direct feeder bus service, include Ft. Eustis, Patrick Henry Mall, Oyster Point, Hampton Coliseum Convention Center, Newport News Shipyard, and downtown Newport News.
Hampton Roads is currently described as the area of southeastern Virginia that is made up of seven incorporated cities and surrounding counties. The 1.5 million people living in Hampton Roads generate an average of 493,000 person trips per week. As the cities and suburbs from continue to grow, the need for various modes of transportation will increase. Improved public transportation will not only facilitate movement for the people who live and work in the area, but will also encourage continued economic development for this fast-growing region, including the $1.6 billion dollar regional tourism impact in 2004 which is expected to continue a rising trend begun in 2000.
The Peninsula Rail Transit Project (PRTP) will examine possible transit alternatives on the Peninsula between or within the cities of Newport News and Hampton. The project builds on the 1997 CSX Major Investment Study. The PRTP screened more than ten alignment alternatives and identified five alternatives for detailed evaluation. Following the selection of the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) from the five alternatives, segments of the LPA are being studied to determine their feasibility for implementation. These segments are known as Minimum Operable Segments (MOS). Once an MOS is selected, a federally required Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be prepared for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The DEIS, which is currently being produced, is a detailed examination of transportation and environmental impacts expected from a MOS. A Draft EIS should be ready for public review in the Fall of 2006. It will be circulated to all relevant governmental agencies and the general public for their comments and feedback. These comments will be addressed in a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). After acceptance of the FEIS by the FTA, they will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) which signals that the project can be fully designed and constructed. The system is expected to be operation in late 2010.
In all aspects of the PRTP, HRT and the FTA have committed themselves to community participation in seeking the best transit choice for the region. The choice will ultimately be based on several criteria including but not limited to construction costs and projected ridership levels. Critical to achieving appropriate community participation is the Public Involvement Committee. The primary objective of the PRTP public involvement program is to inform the community about the project and use their feedback to ensure they are being served by the project.
- Hampton Roads PRTP Technology & Alignment
POSSIBLE ROUTES
A1 - Newport News to Fort Eustis Boulevard (Red Line). The A1 alignment would be located totally within the City of Newport News. The alignment would begin at the City Hall Station and proceed northwesterly along Washington Avenue, turning north in the vicinity of the shipyard parking access road to Huntington Avenue. The alignment would continue along Huntington Avenue and join the CSX right-of-way in the vicinity of 71st Street and Warwick Boulevard. The alignment would then continue along the west side of the existing CSX railroad tracks to its northern terminus at Fort Eustis Boulevard.
A2 - Newport News City Hall to Hampton Coliseum/Convention Center/Mall (Green Line). The alignment would be located within the cities of Newport News and Hampton. The alignment would begin at the Newport News City Hall Station and the alignment would be the same as the A1 Alignment described above until it reaches the planned extension of Middle Ground Boulevard along the west side of the existing CSX tracks.
From this point, the alignment would then turn in a northeasterly direction along the south side of Middle Ground Boulevard to Fishing Point Drive, where it would turn to head in a southeasterly direction. From there, the alignment would travel through the Oyster Point area to cross J. Clyde Morris Boulevard and Harpersville Road before continuing on to Hampton Roads Center Parkway. Then the alignment would continue to travel in a southeasterly direction in the median of the Hampton Roads Center Parkway through the I-64 interchange to Coliseum Drive. At Coliseum Drive the alignment would turn to the south and continue along the west side of Coliseum Drive as it heads toward its terminus at the Hampton Coliseum and Convention Center.
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A3 - Mariners' Museum to Mary Immaculate Hospital via Jefferson Avenue (Yellow Line). The alignment would be totally located within the city of Newport News. The southern terminus would be at the Mariners' Museum near the intersection of J. Clyde Morris Boulevard and Warwick Boulevard. The alignment would follow J. Clyde Morris Boulevard easterly to Jefferson Avenue and turn north on Jefferson Avenue to Bland Boulevard. The alignment would turn east at Bland Boulevard and north at McManus Boulevard with a northern terminus at Mary Immaculate Hospital.
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POSSIBLE TECHNOLOGIES
For each of the possible alignments shown, there are 3 potential technologies (or a combination thereof) that may be used.
Light Rail Transit (LRT)
LRT is a system that operates primarily at grade. It receives electric power from a network of overhead wires called an Overhead Catenary System (OCS). LRT vehicles can operate in mixed traffic, which means on streets with cars and pedestrians, or in exclusive rights-of-way, with passengers boarding from raised platforms.
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Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU)
DMU is a technology similar to LRT except that the vehicles are powered by diesel engines. In the case of DMU, the substantial initial expense of an OCS is avoided. However, DMU is less flexible in terms of where it can run. DMU typically runs on or along existing railroad tracks instead of city streets because it requires more right-of-way due to larger turning radii than other modal options and its operation results in higher noise and vibration levels.
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Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
BRT combines the quality of rail transit with the flexibility of bus service. It can operate on ordinary streets, expressways, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, or exclusive rights-of-ways. Like rail transit, BRT makes use of intelligent transportation systems technology, priority for transit, clean and quiet vehicles, and rapid convenient fare collection.
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