Continue reading »]]> Heard on NPR’s “All Things Considered” on January 5, 2012 –

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I’m Melissa Block.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

And I’m Robert Siegel. Seaports up and down the Atlantic Coast are engaged in a race. In 2014, when expansion of the Panama Canal is complete, a new generation of super large cargo ships will begin calling on the East Coast. Miami, Savannah, New York and other cities are vying for the new business and the race is to deepen their ports and expand their facilities to accommodate these new ships.

But as NPR’s Greg Allen reports from Miami, some of the cities are running into significant challenges.

GREG ALLEN, BYLINE: In Miami, dredging is a hot topic. Plans are underway to deepen the port to 50 feet. Some see it as a great business opportunity. To others, it’s a threat to the environment. The CEO of Miami’s port, Bill Johnson, is one of those who’s excited.

BILL JOHNSON: We are the only port south of Norfolk, Virginia, the only port south of Virginia that has full approval from the U.S. Congress to go to that depth. It is the game changer.

ALLEN: After 2014 when expansion of the Panama Canal is complete, ports on the gulf and the East Coast will see more so-called post-Panamax vessels: ships that carry two or three times the load of standard freighters. Miami expects to be ready if it gets the green light to begin dredging its port, but it recently hit a snag.

Environmental groups concerned about how the dredging would affect Biscayne Bay filed a petition with state regulators that, for now, has put the project on hold.

DAN KIPNIS: We’re going to lose the bait. We won’t survive it.

ALLEN: Dan Kipnis is a former charter boat captain, now an environmental activist who’s long worked on Biscayne Bay. He grew up here on nearby Palm Island and was active in efforts in the ’70s and ’80s to restore the health of the bay. Today, the water is cleaner than in decades past and the bay is a busy place.

Along with the cargo ships, it’s one of the world’s busiest ports for cruise ships. There are also sail boats, kayaks and jet skis and Kipnis says excellent fishing.

KIPNIS: I will catch you groupers that weigh 12 pounds and hog snappers and Spanish mackerel and it’s just amazing the amount of life we’ve got here, forgetting crabs and shrimp and all that.

ALLEN: Kipnis has joined with Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper and the Tropical Audubon Society in asking Florida to make sure the port dredging project won’t damage the bay.

In most ports, dredging means digging and pumping mud, sand and other material from the bottom of a river or a bay, but in Miami, the bottom of Biscayne Bay isn’t mud, but limestone. To make the shipping channel wider and deeper, the Army Corps of Engineers wants to conduct nearly two years of underwater blasting.

Kipnis is worried about the amount of sediment the dredging will put into the bay’s crystal clear water.

KIPNIS: If you lift all the silt up year in and year out for two years and get it in suspension, you’re going to kill the grass beds. When you kill the grass beds, there’s no filtration. There’s nothing to hold the sediment that’s there down any more.

JOHNSON: So we’re not about killing manatees. We’re not about polluting the bay. We’re about doing things that are right and working to ensure that it’s done right.

ALLEN: At a recent port presentation, CEO Bill Johnson said he’s willing to work with environmental groups and make sure the dredging is done in a way that addresses their concerns.

Miami is not the only city where port dredging plans are controversial. In Georgia, a plan to dredge Savannah’s port has riled up both environmentalists and politicians. Environmental groups are concerned about some of the same sediment issues raised in Miami.

Regulators in South Carolina, just across the Savannah River, at first moved to block the dredging, but then South Carolina governor Nikki Haley intervened. In part because of her help, Georgia was able to negotiate a deal with South Carolina regulators that allows the dredging to go forward, but some in the state felt that Haley was unfairly helping the competition.

South Carolina is working to expand Charleston and its other ports to accommodate the new post-Panamax ships. At a news conference, Haley said there will be enough business for ports in both states.

GOVERNOR NIKKI HALEY: Those Panamax ships are coming through Charleston and it is going to be so vibrant and so strong that the overflow is going to go to Jasper and Jasper is going to be a great port. Without question, the ports are the best thing we’ve got going. It’s an opportunity waiting to happen.

ALLEN: That’s the message you can hear in New Orleans, Baltimore and other ports along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. So far, only one port, Norfolk, is deep enough to accommodate the new super large ships.

By 2014, a handful of other cities hope to be ready, but there’s a lot of work to be done before then. In New York, the port is deep enough, but there’s another problem. It’s the Bayonne Bridge, which is currently too low to allow the new container-laden ships to pass. To fix that, the Port Authority is planning to raise the bridge by 64 feet, a job that will take more than $1 billion and five years to complete.

Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

Continue reading »]]> In case you missed it from the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization E-Newsletter…

By: Sam Belfield, Senior Transportation Engineer

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) is seeking the participation of commuters travelling to/from all military installations in Hampton Roads in a transportation survey.

The HRTPO is collecting information about the commuting experience of military personnel (active-duty, civilians, contractors, reservists and others) travelling to/from the region’s military bases.  The survey was developed by the HRTPO, in concert with the Commands from the region’s military installations and various transportation stakeholders. It is designed to identify and determine the challenges local military personnel and military-related commuters routinely face during their daily commutes.

The survey can be found on the homepage of the HRTPO’s website (http://www.hrtpo.org) and takes about 5-10 minutes to complete, depending upon web connection speeds. Click on the HRTPO Military Commuter Survey button below, or visit, http://www.hrtpo.org/MilitaryCommuterSurvey.asp

Survey collection is currently underway and will be open to military commuters from November 8, 2011 until February 20, 2012.  The survey results will be summarized and passed on to the HRTPO board, local transit agencies, local governments, VDOT, and other decision-makers in an effort to improve military travel in our region.

Continue reading »]]>

Join the Hampton Roads Global Commerce Council (HRGCC) and special guest speaker Joe Dorto, President and CEO of Virginia International Terminals, for the Annual State of the Port Address.

WHERE:  Town Point Club, World Trade Center (101 W. Main Street, 3^rd floor), Norfolk, VA

WHEN: Wednesday, January 18, 2012; 11:30 a.m. registration, 12:00 p.m. luncheon

 NOTE:  Online registration is not available because of the limited number of seats remaining available — please email president@hrgcc.org to reserve seats now.

The Hampton Roads Global Commerce Council (HRGCC), previously known as the Hampton Roads Foreign Commerce Club, is a non-profit organization founded in Hampton Roads in the early 1950s by local business leaders who were engaged in international commerce.

HRGCC is dedicated to promoting the international commerce of the United States in general, and that of the port of Hampton Roads in particular. The Council’s primary mission is to bring together and serve the industries in Hampton Roads associated with national and international commerce, particularly the trucking, shipping, rail and air transport industries, through education, information-sharing, and networking opportunities. The Council meets these goals through a variety of breakfast, luncheon, and after-work meetings where members and guests have an opportunity to hear from and meet political, industry, and community leaders, as well as the Annual “State of the Port” Address given in January by the President of Virginia International Terminals, scholarships, and the Commerce Builder Award. For more information on HRGCC, visit t www.hrgcc.org.

Continue reading »]]> Speaking to more than 700 hundred industry and transportation agency professionals during the 2011 Governor’s Transportation Conference in Norfolk, Governor Bob McDonnell outlined his transportation policy and funding plans for the upcoming 2012 General Assembly Session. The governor called for changes in laws governing the allocation of future surpluses to transportation, dedicating portions of revenue growth attributable to transportation infrastructure projects to transportation, increasing the portion of sales tax dedicated to transportation, the establishment of an Interstate 85 Connector Economic Development and Promotion Zone to encourage businesses to invest in Virginia and ship through Virginia ports, and the advancement of Virginia’s commercial space flight programs. The governor’s new proposals follow the successful passage of his 2011 transportation agenda, which put the most new funding into roads and rail in the state in 25 years.

“Transportation and economic development and prosperity are inextricably linked,” said Governor McDonnell. “Whether it’s the infrastructure needed to move people and goods, or certain transportation-related industries poised for major growth and job creation, we must continue to make progress in improving our transportation networks if Virginia is to remain economically competitive. During my administration, we have made much progress, but we still have much more to do. That is why I am following up on last year’s historic $4 billion transportation funding package with an aggressive transportation program to continue to get Virginia out of gridlock and spur our economic recovery through job creation, forward-thinking investments, and promotion of Virginia’s resources to attract additional private-sector development.”

Virginia has made significant advances in transportation under the McDonnell administration. These include, among others:

• A historic investment in transportation of $4 billion over the next three years, done without raising taxes. This is the biggest infusion of new funding for transportation in Virginia in 25 years.
• Reopening 19 closed rest areas and developing innovative new partnerships with the private sector to offset rest area maintenance and operating costs
• Completing four audits of transportation agencies resulting in the identification of more than $1.4 billion in unspent transportation funds and a more streamlined project development process to expedite construction and maintenance work
• Creating the Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships
• Developing  a new multimodal strategic plan that focuses on supporting economic opportunity, improving planning and implementation processes, and a renewed emphasis on customer satisfaction
  • Working with the Federal Highway Administration to move forward with tolling Interstate 95
  • Recent signings of major public-private transportation agreements including;
  • The Downtown-Midtown Tunnel/MLK Extension Project
  • The I-95 HOT Lanes Project
  • The Pound Connector and Doe Branch sections of Coalfields Expressway
  • The next eight-mile phase of Route 58 improvements along the 36-mile corridor between Hillsville and Stuart
    • Advancing the I-85 Connector, a new interstate-style Route 460 between Petersburg and Suffolk

“While the governor’s transportation package, which passed with broad bi-partisan support this year, set the framework for investing $4 billion over three years—the largest investment in decades—Virginia must continue its focus on transportation to ensure future generations can depend upon our transportation network to move the goods and services necessary to keep the Commonwealth thriving,” said Secretary of Transportation Sean T. Connaughton. “It is all about investing in our transportation network now to create jobs and help Virginia recover from the struggling economy. Last year’s legislation enabled us to accelerate the issuance of $1.8 billion in previously authorized transportation bonds at a time when VDOT is seeing near historically low interest rates, and the Commonwealth Transportation Board will issue $1.1 billion in federally backed direct GARVEE bonds to better leverage our federal transportation dollars to support major congestion reducing PPTA projects. The newly created Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank will help leverage other local and private-sector capital for transportation projects through the issuance of low interest rate loans. Because of these efforts, nearly 900 project phases are moving forward and thousands of jobs have been supported in Virginia.”

An independent economic analysis by Chmura Economics showed that once fully implemented, last year’s transportation package would grow the Virginia economy by over $13 billion and sustain an additional 104,000 jobs. This year’s package will build upon that impact. 

2012 Transportation Plan Highlights

 The governor’s proposed transportation plan for 2012 includes the following revenue-enhancements and policies to promote transportation investment:

• Increasing transportation’s share of year-end surpluses to 75 percent. This measure will provide transportation with additional revenues without jeopardizing other key areas of need. Over the past 2 years, $100 million in surplus has been sent to transportation.
• Authorizing the Commonwealth Transportation Board to implement a version of tax-increment financing. When the state funds a major new piece of transportation infrastructure, transportation should receive a portion of the growth in state tax revenues that result from economic development surrounding the project. These revenues will be reinvested in additional projects that can help spur additional development. 
• Increasing the dedicated transportation allocation of the sales tax from .5 percent to .75 percent over the next 8 years. During the upcoming budget, increasing the dedicated sales tax percentage to .55 percent generating over $110 million in new transportation funding going to maintenance
• Proposing that the first 1 percent in revenue growth over 5 percent each year be dedicated to transportation
• Expanding VDOT’s Revenue Sharing Program to include maintenance. Currently, the state will match local money dollar-for-dollar on capital improvements within a locality.  Enabling maintenance projects to be eligible for this program will help make our maintenance dollars go farther. 
• Legislation to restructure and fund the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority and turn it into a true independent agency to develop the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport into the number one commercial space flight facility in the nation
• Legislation to promote the Port of Virginia by eliminating some of the bureaucratic processes with which the Virginia Port Authority must comply and creating the I-85 Connector Economic Development and Promotion Zone, wherein companies shipping goods through the port or engaged in maritime commerce can operate income tax free for their first two years in operation

The governor will announce additional proposals and more detail of this year’s transportation package over the next month leading up to 2012 General Assembly session.

Photo credit:  VA Dept. of Transportation on Flickr

Continue reading »]]> By Bob Chase, president of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, for a publication of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, The Virginia Newsletter-November 2011

When a politician proclaims, “We must learn to live within our means,” heads often nod in accord. Who can disagree with such an obvious statement, particularly in these difficult economic times? But relying only on the limited resources currently in Virginia’s transportation program translates literally into learning to live with poorly maintained and inadequate roads and more congestion.

It’s been nearly 25 years since Virginia last invested new, long-term funds in transportation. Ronald Reagan was president, the average cost of a new home was $92,000, the average new car $10,000, postage stamps were 24 cents and gasoline was 89 cents per gallon. Since then Virginia has added more than 1.5 million licensed drivers, 2 million people and 2.9 million registered vehicles, but no new long-term transportation dollars.

The central question is whether Virginia can afford to continue to operate its transportation system on limited existing revenue streams and still be considered the best place to do business and raise a family. Or will retaining its attractiveness require investing additional resources that are available statewide and within its regional economies to improve its transportation network? The facts show that living within our existing transportation system will cost Virginia its economic competitiveness.

Download the entire article (PDF).

Continue reading »]]> Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has entered into a comprehensive agreement with Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) to build a new Midtown Tunnel, rehabilitate the existing Midtown Tunnel as well as the Downtown Tunnels, and extend the Martin Luther King Freeway.

“Virginia is recognized as a national leader in leveraging limited public dollars to attract significant private-sector investment and innovation, making complex transportation projects possible,” said Governor McDonnell. “By partnering with the private sector, Virginia can advance construction of a second Midtown Tunnel and make other improvements that are critical to the mobility, safety and the economy of the Hampton Roads region.”

The comprehensive agreement has been under negotiation for almost five months between VDOT, ERC and the new Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships (OTP3). ERC is a joint venture between Skanska Infrastructure Development and Macquarie Group. The agreement was signed by VDOT Commissioner Greg Whirley under Virginia’s Public-Private Transportation Act. It authorizes construction to begin in 2012, pending financial close early next year.

“The Midtown Tunnel project has been at the top of the region’s priorities for many years,” said Transportation Secretary Sean T. Connaughton. “The state’s use of a public-private partnership structure will enable VDOT to attract approximately $1.7 billion in private investment to a project that yields tangible long-term benefits to the region and the state.”

Under the comprehensive agreement VDOT will maintain ownership of the infrastructure and will oversee ERC’s activities. ERC will finance, build, operate and maintain the facilities for a 58-year concession period. ERC will also assume risk of delivering the project on a performance-based, fixed-price, fixed-date contract, protecting users and taxpayers from cost overruns and delays.

“Building a new Midtown Tunnel and the MLK Extension will increase capacity and provide for a more systematic flow of traffic, saving the average round-trip user about 30 minutes a day once the project is completed,” said Whirley. “Other benefits include additional evacuation capacity as well as the creation of hundreds of jobs in Hampton Roads.”

The key components of the project include:

• Doubling the capacity of the Midtown Tunnel by building an additional two-lane tunnel near the existing one under the Elizabeth River
• Increasing transit service between Portsmouth and Norfolk
• Rehabilitating the existing Midtown Tunnel and both of the Downtown Tunnels
• Extending the Martin Luther King Freeway from London Boulevard to I-264, with an interchange at High Street
• Modifying the interchange at Brambleton Avenue/Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk

 Financing and tolls:

• The comprehensive agreement was signed for a value of $2.1 billion. This includes total project costs such as financing, designing, building, maintaining and operating the tunnels and the MLK extension. 
• VDOT’s contribution is $362 million specifically designated to lower the tolls. VDOT’s contribution is reduced due to lower interest rates.
• ERC will provide financing through a $422 million TIFIA loan, and approximately $1.3 billion through equity, debt and revenue from operations.
• Project will be financed through tolls, initially ranging from $1.59 to $1.84 per car for the tunnels and $.50 for the Martin Luther King Freeway extension for tunnel users and $1 for non-tunnel users.
• Tolls will be collected electronically using E-ZPass, eliminating the need for toll booths.

“Signing of the comprehensive agreement represents a significant milestone for the project and brings us one step closer to the delivery of these much-needed transportation improvements,” said Christopher Leslie, Chief Executive Officer, Macquarie Infrastructure Partners. “I’m pleased with the strong partnership formed between VDOT and ERC to design and deliver a quality project for the communities of Hampton Roads. We look forward to achieving financial close early in 2012.”

“Our partnership with the Commonwealth will deliver this nationally significant project responsibly, economically, and expeditiously,” said Karl Reichelt, Executive Vice President of Skanska Infrastructure Development, co-developer of ERC. “And importantly, it will improve quality of life for the region by opening new channels for economic development, travel and enhanced safety response.”

For additional information visit: Downtown Tunnel/Midtown Tunnel/MLK Extension: www.midtowntunnel.org; Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships: www.vappta.org

More on how we got here with the Midtown Tunnel.

Continue reading »]]> “The Federal Government’s Role in Virginia’s Economic Prosperity” is the theme of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce‘s 2nd Annual Economic Summit slated for Thursday, December 1, 2011, at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. More than 500 of Virginia’s business and government leaders will assemble to discuss the role that the federal government plays in our state’s economic prosperity.

The summit, co-hosted by Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, features high profile speakers:

• Former Virginia Governor George Allen on “Policy Presentation on the Federal Government’s Role in Virginia’s Economic Prosperity”
• Congressman J. Randy Forbes, Chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, on “The Future of US Defense Spending”
• Dr. Stephen Fuller, Director, Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, on “Current Economic Impact of Federal Spending & A Look to the Future”
• U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood on “The Future of Transportation Funding in America”
• Former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine on “Policy Presentation on the Federal Government’s Role in Virginia’s Economic Prosperity”

Registration is required.

Continue reading »]]> From December 7 to 9, 2011, the Norfolk Waterside Marriott will host the annual Governor’s Transportation Conference. 

This event will truly be a “who’s who” of the Virginia transportation industry with representatives from all modes – road, rail, air and marine – in attendance.  With Norfolk as the host city, the Virginia Port Authority is playing a significant role in this event.

The preliminary agenda includes:

• A River Tour of APMT Terminals, the Midtown Tunnel, and Jordan Bridge Projects aboard the “Carrie B”
• “RIDE the TIDE!” – Norfolk Light Rail Tour
• Opening Remarks by The Honorable Sean T. Connaughton, Secretary of Transportation, Commonwealth of Virginia
• Opening Guest Speaker, Victor M. Mendez, Federal Highway Administrator
• Panel: Projects of Statewide and Regional Significance moderated by Secretary Connaughton
• Panel: Launching the Future from Virginia’s Commercial Spaceport (MARS) moderated by Dr. Billie M. Reed, Executive Director, Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority

For more information and to register, visit http://www.vatransconf.org 

Continue reading »]]> The Hampton Roads Norfolk Airport Task Force recently hosted Michael Boyd, President of Boyd Group International, Inc., a well known expert in futurist aviation issues. (Click on photos for Flickr credits)

Norfolk International Airport ‘well served,’ expert says

By Debbie Messina for The Virginian-Pilot, posted November 11, 2011  

In today’s shrinking airline industry, the value of an airport should be measured not by the number of passengers but instead by its connections to hub and international gateways, an aviation expert said Thursday.

And Norfolk International Airport “is very well served,” Michael Boyd, president of Boyd Group International Inc., told a gathering of business and community leaders of the Hampton Roads Norfolk Airport Task Force.

Norfolk has direct connections to 10 airline hubs, with six hub connections to Asia. It’s more important to get international business leaders here than to get local families to Orlando on the cheap, he said.

“Do not tell me you don’t have good service,” he said. “You have an enormous amount of quality service.”

Norfolk’s passenger counts through September are down 4.5 percent compared with last year. While counts nationally are up 2.3 percent, fewer people are flying than did in 2008.

Boyd said there are “no gaping service gaps” in Norfolk. Instead, airlines are cutting capacity.

Comparing the first half of this year with airline schedules for the same period next year, there will be 2.6 percent fewer departing flights and 1.2 percent fewer seats. Boyd said that closely mirrors the national trend.

He predicted, however, that Delta Air Lines might eliminate direct service to Cincinnati. He said there are limited opportunities to serve new markets from Norfolk. One possibility is Frontier Airlines to Denver, but that airline is now for sale and has scaled back service out of Newport News just a year after launching it.

Boyd said it’s likely some small to midsize airports will close within 10 years as the industry continues to contract – including Toledo, Ohio; Champaign, Ill.; and Brownsville, Texas. But Norfolk and Newport News/Williamsburg International are not on that list.

Newport News/Williamsburg, however, does face challenges with the loss of AirTran Airways service, which will be eliminated in March in a merger with Southwest Airlines. AirTran accounts for about 45 percent of passenger traffic at the Peninsula airport. Those passengers, he said, will use other airlines out of Newport News, or travel to Norfolk or Richmond.

He expects Norfolk will pick up about a quarter of that business, or about 50,000 passengers each year.

As for fares, he said, “You’re not out of whack,” but warned that ticket prices are rising. The average fare for Norfolk is $224; Newport News, $186; and Richmond, $211.

Airline analyst: Hampton Roads airports strong players in weakened industry

By Jon Cawley for the Daily Press, posted November 10, 2011

Airline passengers — already stung by drastic changes in the industry — should expect more of the same (or worse) in coming years.

That was the not-so-happy picture painted Thursday morning by Michael Boyd, a long-time airline industry consultant and commentator who spoke to about 50 people gathered at the Norfolk Airport Hilton for a seminar sponsored by the Hampton Roads Norfolk Airport Task Force.

But Boyd’s statements weren’t all doom and gloom. He had high remarks regarding the Newport News-Williamsburg and Norfolk international airports as well.

Boyd indicated the airline industry has already reached a plateau and is expected to further decline in coming years as carrier consolidation into a handful of global conglomerates continues and fuel costs continue to pose a persistent challenge. Passengers can expect fewer available flights, less competition and higher fares going forward. At one point, Boyd even compared the industry to the ill-fated Titanic.

“The physical realities have changed,” Boyd said, while standing in front of a PowerPoint slide depicting the sinking ship. “No amount of voodoo can change that.”

Of the customer experience, Boyd predicted, in three years, it will be “your worst nightmare — just like it is today.

“Going through an airport is like a minimum security prison — you better not make a mistake or you will be punished,” he continued.

Even with fewer flights on the horizon, Boyd said passengers shouldn’t expect reliability to increase due to an antiquated air traffic control system. On average, only about 60 percent of flights currently arrive on time at their destinations, he said.

But in regards to Norfolk International, Boyd said there is “an enormous amount of quality service here” and he projected the south side airport could pick up as many as 50,000 passengers when AirTran ceases its Newport News operation as part of a merger with Southwest Airlines.

“Newport News still has good service to New York — it’s called Norfolk,” he said. “Norfolk will be the dominant carrier in the region, the airlines have made the decision.”

Despite that, Boyd also suggested Newport News “is not going away” and Allegiant Air’s decision to start Peninsula service was indicative of “a white glove financial audit of the airport.”

“If you have Allegiant, it means you have one of the most efficient airports in America,” he said.

Another problem for Newport News may be the sale of Frontier Airlines that currently operates popular non-stop, seasonal flights to Denver. Boyd didn’t offer specifics, but he suggested purchase proposals currently being floated are less than realistic.

“I’ve seen plans that contained some fruitcake stuff,” he said. “But they’re coming out of the woodwork here.”

After the meeting, Ken Spirito, executive director of the Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport, said much of Boyd’s presentation was not a surprise and the Peninsula Airport Commission understands the need to find a new carrier to serve the New York and Boston markets.

“We’re certainly going to be a lot better off moving forward with airlines like Allegiant, and Frontier, and Delta/US Air in our market when AirTran leaves in March,” Spirito said. “We know New York and Boston are top markets in both the Newport News area and the south side and having the potential loss of those markets when AirTran leaves certainly is a priority of the Peninsula Airport Commission to find an airline that will effectively replace that service. Connectivity through the hubs — Atlanta, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Denver — will continue to grow as there are fewer options to connect.”

Wayne Shank, executive director of Norfolk International Airport, said most of what is going on in the airline industry is out of the control of airport operators who have no say regarding carrier consolidations, departure volume, seating capacity, ticket prices or air traffic control policies.

“Airport operators in this environment have their hands full,” Shank said. Those who complain, “need to be realistic in their expectations.

“We (Norfolk’s airport) competes with Newport News, but the region in general has benefited from having two airports in the area… because when you compete, the end product is great for everybody.”

Continue reading »]]> Emerging trends in transit-oriented development (TOD) was the subject of a recent talk by Tom Clark of Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation to a group of over 200 citizens. Jointly hosted by Virginia Beach Vision and the Hampton Roads Association for Commercial Real Estate, these, and other, organizations are seeking information from comparable regions as Hampton Roads make decisions on transit investments.

Download the presentation.

If Metro Denver learned nothing else to share with others, said Clark, it was that transit should be a part of an overall economic development strategy. Growth and development management controls sprawl and saves the private sector billions in infrastructure costs.

“The nine-county Metro Denver region (with 75% of the state’s gross product),” said Clark, “had the largest voter approved transportation expansion in history, and it included a sales tax increase.”

During previous recessions – “a terrible thing to waste,” according to Clark – the Metro Denver solution was to increase tourism and agricultural exports and to “build something really cool!” Infrastructure projects such as the iconic mountain-styled Denver International Airport, Mile High Stadium, Coors Field, and venues for the Colorado Avalanche (NHL hockey) and Denver Nuggets (NBA basketball) teams were the results of previous strategies.

Metro Denver transit planners learned from their mistakes. For example, the first light rail line went through a coal yard, and retail was bypassed. The second line, known as T-Rex, opened in 2006 with expanded highways and light rail in a design-build concept. Such highway-rail adjacency was the “best advertisement” for drivers to abandon their cars for public transit.

When TOD has failed elsewhere, according to Clark, it was due to development forced into undesirable areas rather than connecting existing employment centers as Denver has. Refurbished housing in communities has been another positive by-product of Denver’s TOD planning.

Public safety and security is very important to citizens. Some neighborhoods said they did not want stations due to fear of crime, so they did not get them. Now they are clamoring for stations and will have to pay for their own.

Clark was adamant in sharing Denver’s most important “lessons learned” with Hampton Roads, “think corridors rather than city boundaries and plan together.”

Some surprises came about from public transit in Metro Denver. Consumers prefer electric light rail to commuter rail or bus rapid transit; the perception is that it is a new technology. Wealthy people moved – and downsized – to be closer to stations and recreational users of light rail were not expected.

“We had a dream. We built to the dream but we are still growing. So dream your dream and then build for 50 years beyond that,” added Clark.