(The following story by Deirdre Fernandes appeared on The Virginian-Pilot website on November 9.)
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — City leaders are looking at Norfolk’s progress on light rail and reconsidering their opposition to extending the line to the resort city.
Several Virginia Beach City Council members said they are interested in reopening discussions with residents about bringing The Tide line to Town Center and the Oceanfront. The move is a shift in thinking in a city where light rail has been the third rail of politics since voters defeated a proposal in 1999.
“A lot of things have changed since the referendum,” said Councilman John Uhrin, who represents the Oceanfront. “We now have destinations along the route … We have Town Center and Granby Street . I think it’s time to have those discussions again.”
Uhrin and Councilman Jim Wood said they want to hold meetings starting early next year to gauge the public’s interest in light rail and have asked Hampton Roads Transit officials to provide information and give an update on Norfolk’s plan.
“I would say that it’s on the table, but in a very preliminary manner,” Wood said.
HRT’s plan originally called for a $1 billion light rail line to run from Norfolk to the Oceanfront with a stop at the Norfolk Naval Base. But the plan lacked support from many Oceanfront business leaders, and voters in November 1999 rejected plans to study light rail by a 12-percentage point margin. A week later, the Virginia Beach City Council pulled out of regional discussions on light rail and has rarely discussed the issue in public.
That left Norfolk officials to pursue the transportation system on their own. In September, Norfolk’s $232.1 million starter line received $128 million in federal transit money and HRT awarded the first construction contract Thursday. The Norfolk line will end at Newtown Road, on Virginia Beach’s border.
Norfolk City Councilman W. Randy Wright, a light rail advocate, said he has been meeting with Beach officials and Town Center business leaders in recent months encouraging them to get on board.
“I think it’s to the advantage of both cities to extend the light rail line,” Wright said. “You’d be able to connect the two financial hubs of the cities. … Town Center and downtown Norfolk.”
Last weekend, during their annual retreat, Virginia Beach City Council members started talking about light rail again.
“I think Norfolk has done the heavy lifting,” Uhrin said. “From my understanding … The first leg is definitely the most challenging one to get funded and get on the ground. After that, extensions to that node would be easier.”
Councilman Louis Jones said he supports holding public meetings about mass transportation but thinks Virginia Beach should hold off committing to light rail until Norfolk’s system is a proven financial success.
Jones said he also wants some guarantee from Norfolk that any rail system would connect to the naval base. That would help base workers who commute from Virginia Beach and ensure the city a certain number of riders, Jones said.
Any light rail extension to Virginia Beach is contingent on the purchase of land from Norfolk Southern Corp.
City attorneys and Norfolk Southern officials have been negotiating for a 10-mile stretch of right-of-way for four years and are still millions of dollars apart. Norfolk Southern is asking for about $40 million, City Attorney Les Lilley said during the retreat.
The state’s Department of Taxation assessed Norfolk Southern’s land in Virginia Beach at $6.4 million this year.
Beach officials said they would be pleased with a per-mile deal similar to the one Norfolk has worked out with the railroad company. Norfolk will pay $5 million for a five-mile segment and extend a discounted parking plan to the company at a city garage. The parking discount is worth $2.6 million.
Beach council members said acquiring the property is a priority this year, whether they go with light rail or another form of public transportation.