166 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

From Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 10/7/03:

VIRGINIA BEACH -- Four years ago, the City Council was so miffed over the prospect of light rail that it put its anger in writing.

One week after voters rejected a proposed light-rail train line in a referendum, the council withdrew its funding for the project and forbid regional officials from even studying the idea.

Get the full story here.

[NickG]

From the Virginian-Pilot:

VIRGINIA BEACH — As the city continues negotiating to buy 11.7 miles of old rail line from Norfolk Southern Corp., the City Council turned its attention Tuesday to possible uses for that land.

While a light-rail system still remains a remote possibility, the council expressed strong interest in a new breed of mass transportation: Bus Rapid Transit or BRT.

The full story is here.

[KevinKorell]

From the some undisclosed location in Virginia's Virginian-Pilot, 3/20/04:

Norfolk Southern Railway Co. has taken the first formal step toward abandoning the 13.7-mile rail line that runs from near downtown Norfolk to Birdneck Road in Virginia Beach parallel to Interstate 264.

The complete article appears here.

[KevinKorell]

From Metro Magazine, 5/27/04:

Virginia Beach (Va.) officials are considering a $33 million bus rapid transit (BRT) system for the resort area.

Note that neither the current rubber-tired trolley replicas nor the proposed BRT have anything to do with rail. Virginia Beach voted not to be included in a potential LRT line that would have connected a hub in Norfolk with Virginia Beach. The story is here.

[KevinKorell]

From Hampton Roads, VA Virginian-Pilot, 8/13/04:

Plans to bring light rail to Norfolk suffered a blow Thursday when Norfolk Southern Corp. ended negotiations to sell its Norfolk-Virginia Beach rail corridor to Hampton Roads Transit, saying the agency’s offer was too low to be taken seriously.

The full story is here.

[KevinKorell]

Editorial from Hampton Roads, VA Virginian-Pilot, 8/24/04:

Virginia Beach and Norfolk, longtime rivals that they are, can’t seem to make regional cooperation work — even when they try hard.

Entire editorial is here.

[KevinKorell]

From Metro Magazine, 12/7/04:

Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner is expected to announce this Friday that $15 million in state money has been allotted for a bus rapid transit (BRT) project in Virginia Beach.

Full article is here.

That means no streetcars running up and down the beachfront as once envisioned, and no light rail line between Virginia Beach and Norfolk, which would have made perfect sense and could have been a gold mine.

[KevinKorell]

From Hampton Roads, VA Virginian-Pilot, 12/20/04:

If the General Assembly decides to give Virginia Beach millions of dollars for a new public transportation system at the Oceanfront, it will also help determine the future of light rail in Hampton Roads.

The entire story is here.

[Sloan]

Virginia Beach wants a light rail connection now that gas prices are climbing!
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[Sloan]

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