(The following article by Debbie Messina was posted on the Virginian-Pilot website on February 8.)
NORFOLK, Va. — Federal transit officials are not giving the city’s proposed starter light rail line the thumbs up, yet they’re not giving it a thumbs down either.
For the second consecutive year, the Federal Transit Administration will not rate the $194.4 million project in its annual report to Congress, which will be released today. That report evaluates proposed transit projects and recommends the most promising .
The agency wants more information before deciding the fate of the proposed 71⁄2 -mile rail line from Eastern Virginia Medical Center through downtown to Kempsville Road.
Specifically, it’s taking a closer look at the estimated price tag as well as downtown parking availability and how that will affect ridership, said Michael Townes , president and CEO of Hampton Roads Transit said Monday .
Hampton Roads Transit has succeeded in reducing the project’s cost from $360 million to less than $200 million . Federal funds are expected to cover half the cost, with the state and city splitting the other half.
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The light rail line is projected to carry 10,000 people each weekday and is scheduled to open in mid-2008 .
“We’re still in the hunt,” Townes said. “In a positive sort of way, we have slightly confounded the FTA. We have excellent numbers, and they need to be certain they are real.”
The project’s cost per mile is about $26 million whereas many other light rail projects cost $35 million to $40 million , Townes said. In addition, projected parking shortages downtown helped drive the project’s cost-to- benefit ratio to well within the federal agency’s criteria.
The agency will study those numbers during the next several months, he said, and could change the project’s status.
The agency will not comment on any projects until after the report is issued, a spokeswoman said. “Some bigger cities are getting turned down,” said W. Randy Wright, a city councilman and Hampton Roads Transit commissioner. “The fact that we’re still in there, and they’re seeking additional clarifications is good.”
Hampton Roads Transit officials said the project ranks well in the other measures, including financial planning and land use.
Last year, the project got medium to medium-high ratings in those areas. Still, the Federal Transit Administration placed the Norfolk line in a “not rated” category because the line needed more work on its ridership forecast.
Although Hampton Roads Transit satisfied that issue, the agency now has new concerns. They primarily center around parking downtown and whether parking deficits projected by city parking studies are accurate. Hampton Roads Transit factored the parking shortage into its cost-effectiveness calculation.
Since the calculation was made, Wright said, several new development projects have been announced downtown that will create even more of a strain on parking.
Townes acknowledged that two years without a rating may raise questions about the project’s viability.
“The process is intended to be rigorous,” he said. “If you make it through to the other end, you know you’ve got a good project. The FTA is not going to waste money.”