Hampton Roads ranked 42nd in the nation for exporting goods in 2008, according to a report from a Washington, D.C. think tank.

By Bill Cresenzo, Inside Business, Posted: July 30, 2010

The report, from the Brookings Institution, measures the export output for 100 metro areas in the U.S. It says that Hampton Roads had $6.72 billon in exports, most of it transportation equipment, which made up 38.8 percent of exports out of the area.

The report measures exported goods and services – 8 .7 percent of exports were made up of services, such as management consulting and architectural and medical services.

“Hampton Roads has great export potential,” said Emilia Israte, a senior research analyst with Brookings. “Coming out of the recession, the country needs to focus more on exports as part of the recovery. People in charge of local economic development in Hampton Roads have to focus on exports and have to create an export strategy… government has to create the framework that allows businesses to flourish and export more.”

Hampton Roads has seen significant growth in exports since 2003, Israte said. Exports have grown 11.3 percent each year, compared to the national average of 9.2 percent annually.

On March 11, President Obama issued an executive order creating the National Export Initiative. “A critical component of stimulating economic growth in the United States is ensuring that U.S. businesses can actively participate in international markets by increasing their exports of goods, services and agricultural products,” the order says. “Improved export performance will, in turn, create good high-paying jobs.”

Obama created an Export Promotion Cabinet and wants to double exports over the next five years, through new programs that help first-time and existing exporters.

“The first question is what can we do to encourage more export-related business in Hampton Roads,” Israte said. “It is about identifying your exporters in the area and figuring out how you can help them export more.”

Hampton Roads does not have a governmental agency that specifically targets exporters. The Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance (HREDA), funded by both public and private money, works to bring business to the Hampton Roads area.

“Exports are not really part of our mission that we have here as a regional economic development group,” said Thomas Clemmons, vice president of the alliance.”We work exclusively to attract new business.”

The report said that U.S. exports supported 11.8 million jobs in the U.S. in 2008, and that four metro areas doubled their real value of exports between 2003 and 2008.

New York topped the list, exporting $85.16 in exports, mostly chemicals. Los Angeles came in second with $78.54 billion in exports, mostly computers.

Richmond came in 55th, with $4.95 billion in exports, mostly chemicals.

Graphs and economic impact data provide by the Virginia Port Authority:

• The Port of Virginia is an Economic Engine for the Commonwealth
  • 343,000 Port and Port-Related Jobs Statewide
  • $41 Billion in Business Revenues
  • $1.2 Billion in State and Local Taxes
• Increased Port Growth Results in More Jobs and Revenues for the Commonwealth

Source: 2006 Economic Impact Study by William & Mary Mason School of Business (Download complete report)

From Joe Turner, Editor of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission’s (HRPDC) HR Review and the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization’s (HRTPO) Crossings

This is it.

This is the final paper edition of Hampton Roads Review. As someone who in college participated in the transition of the student newspaper from cut and paste to on-screen computer layouts, it was evident then that a day would come when electronic communications would eclipse print. I just didn’t realize that I would be shepherding such a transition for a publication with a history that is as old as I am. It is an honor to do so, and I am confident that what we have planned for the future electronic Hampton Roads Review will do justice to this publication’s legacy.

In this last print issue, HRPDC staff continues to examine and provide a local view of issues that are receiving national attention. Regional efforts toward greater energy efficiency are discussed on Page four. Keeping with energy, there are discussions in Virginia regarding alternative energy sources, and it’s not offshore wind or drilling. An update on the potential of mining uranium in the Commonwealth is provided on Page eight.

‘Tis the Season; Hurricane Season, that is. Our Emergency Management planners are encouraging everyone to get prepared and participate in the upcoming National Preparedness Month, Page 11. In addition, our staff recently participated in a tabletop exercise for the region’s Chief Administrative Officers regarding decision making during a catastrophic event, using a Category 3 hurricane as the event, Page 12.

Click on HR Review cover graphic for a PDF file of the Summer 2010 issue.

Just as the HRPDC’s Hampton Roads Review ends its printed run, so too does CROSSINGS. While not as steeped in tradition, this publication has been well received and noted for the amount of information contained on its pages. The move to electronic format shouldn’t change that. If anything, it should provide the same information and more…with greater frequency.

As this is the final printed edition, HRTPO staff wanted to make it memorable and has stuffed this edition full of information. There are updates on the results of the most recent General Assembly’s action with regard to transportation, Page 18. Numerous hot topic items are also represented. Want to know what’s transpiring with regard to High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail. Check out Page 16. What about the Project Prioritization tool? It’s about to get its first use as part of the 2034 Long-Range Transportation Planning process, see Page 9.

In addition to the hot topics, staff continues to work more traditional items. Two corridor studies for roads in Suffolk were recently completed, Page 12. Staff has been researching regional land use planning initiatives across the US and outside the country in hopes of finding strategies that could aid in the development of a regional land use map for application in various modes of transportation planning in the Hampton Roads region, see Page 7. Finally, as it is hurricane season, staff has provided a reminder about evacuation routes should a hurricane threaten the region, see Page 13.

I’ll end my note with a final reminder to sign-up for our e-communications so you will not miss the first issue of the new electronic CROSSINGS (http://HRTPO.org) or the first issue of the new electronic Hampton Roads Review (sign up at http://HRPDCVA.gov).

As always, contact me with any comments or suggestions.

Click on Crossings cover graphic for a PDF of the Summer 2010 issue.

Save the Hampton Roads Film Office

Photo credit: Federal Transportation Administration

Subject: “On The Bus” – Accessing Opportunities through an effective Transportation System

With an anticipated turn-out of up to two hundred participants – a mix of public bus riders and advocates, EHR will launch a regional transportation campaign at this meeting in order to build partnerships with Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) and other transit organizations.

Empower Hampton Roads, a regional coalition of faith communities, is committed to working with all citizens of Hampton Roads to achieve equal access to a healthy and affordable lifestyle through active participation in the process of making communities more viable.  Having reliable and affordable transportation is essential to all residents in our cities.  Transportation is what connects a region and provides access to so many other essential aspects of life.  It is especially important to working class and low-income families.  For many folks who struggle daily with difficult circumstances, riding a public bus is their only affordable alternative.  They too have a continuous need to go to daily jobs, to medical appointments, to adult classes, to grocery stores, etc., and back home again. Everyone wants and needs a method of transportation that works for them. In short, it must be user friendly!

The Transportation Taskforce of EHR has worked since January 2010 to insure that the public bus system works for those who need it most. Photo credit: Michael Ragsdale, blogger at Ideas for Hampton Roads Transit

• Do bus routes currently go to major employment and shopping centers?
• Do buses run often enough, plus early and late enough?
• Do bus routes adequately serve low-income neighborhoods?
• Are current fares cost prohibitive?  Do buses arrive at stops on time as scheduled?
• Do buses reach all the typical places where people need to go?
• Are more stops needed on some routes?  Why is there no shelter at my bus stop?
• Do policies adequately support taking bicycles on buses?
• How will people’s voices be heard as plans are created and implemented?

The program will feature citizens fighting for better bus service and insisting upon participation in the decision-making process for what is built where – and for whom!  In other words, a basic moral question is:  Who benefits – or loses?

EHR asks the citizens of Hampton Roads to make a difference by taking the next steps:

1. Gather more stories: Talk with people in your church and neighborhood who ride buses.
2. Sign up bus riders and church members to come to this public event…and bring a friend!
3. Ask your pastor to announce this event during worship; announce it yourself everywhere.
4. Put announcements in church bulletins on Sundays – July 18.
5. Lastly, be sure to come to Hampton University on Thursday, July 22, 7:00 pm.

How we build our transportation system is a reflection of what we value. We are the people we have been waiting for!

For more information, visit http://EmpowerHR.org or contact event organizer, Angela Saxton at (757) 401-8398 or angelasax@yahoo.com.

The Southeast Virginia Tourism Alliance (SEVTA), Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce (HRCC), Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance (HREDA), and Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce (VPCC) have announced that Southwest Airlines will feature Hampton Roads in the September 2010 issue of its award‐winning in-flight magazine, Spirit.

Consisting of 20+ pages, “Meet Hampton Roads” – as an in-depth feature – will take a comprehensive look at the economic drivers and industry sectors that shape the lifestyles and business landscape of the region and highlight local economic development initiatives with specific focus on the tourism industry, education and healthcare resources, real estate and technology. Unique characteristics of Hampton Roads that heighten the quality of life here will also be featured, such as award-winning attractions, numerous dining and shopping options, festivals and special events.

This is an ideal opportunity to showcase the unique combination of culture, business and lifestyle that make America’s First Region, in the Heart of the Mid‐Atlantic, one of the nation’s most viable and vibrant places to visit, live, work, and prosper.

It is phenomenal editorial coverage for our area. Support for this effort may be made through the submission of story ideas or through the purchase of advertising space in the publication. By taking advantage of the promotional potential of this feature, we can differentiate the region and its unique competitive advantages and help answer the question: “Where (and What) is Hampton Roads?”

According to materials provided by Southwest Airlines, they are the number one domestic airline with over 11 million monthly passengers and the market leader in and out of Norfolk International Airport. Spirit Magazine has a measured monthly readership of 3.2 million, making this a powerful venue for promoting our area’s businesses, schools, and organizations. Southwest Airlines Spirit readers are sophisticated, upscale consumers and business leaders who fly regularly. This feature will put Hampton Roads front and center, reaching higher-tier business leaders and corporate decision-makers who are directly responsible for their companies’ purchasing, expansion and relocation to new areas. Spirit readers are nearly five times more likely to be C-Level leadership than the average U.S. consumer. Plus, airline customers are the most active leisure travelers who will bring tourism dollars to our market.

In addition to being featured in the September issue, which will be available in the seat-back pockets on all aircraft in the Southwest fleet, “Meet Hampton Roads” will also be available for one year on Spirit Magazine’s website, spiritmag.com.

This is a strong opportunity to present Hampton Roads to a broad national and international audience. Editorial questions or suggestions may be submitted to destinationpubs@paceco.com. For questions about advertising with the feature, please contact Chris Denby with Spirit Magazine and the Destination Publishing Group at chris.denby@paceco.com. Magazine staff is teaming with local writers for this effort.

This fall the Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot will jointly deliver “Bridges Between Us” to the region, featuring the logic, lure and limits of interdependence in Hampton Roads.

Through the lives of real families living here in different communities of Hampton Roads, this special section will explore how we work, play, commute and how our economic fortunes are intertwined.

Hampton Roads is a community of 17 different localities, each with its own challenges and locally elected government. But is’ also a region that shares common challenges and opportunities, from our jammed roads and bridges to natural resources that have made us a port and military town. The importance of that inter-connection has long been controversial.

This special all-color, up to 48-page tabloid special section with glossy cover will be inserted into both papers on Sunday, September 19^th. It will reach over 700,000 adults in Hampton Roads, i.e. three-fourths of all adults in Hampton Roads.

Bridges have long been used to connect communities in Hampton Roads. And now “Bridges Between Us” will help connect citizens and infuse an awareness of the importance of our region and its Vision of the future.

For questions, call Orestes Baez at (757) 247-4671 or email at obaez@dailypress.com.

This year’s issue features the City of Hampton’s 400th Anniversary celebration, a quick start guide for new arrivals to the region and nine fully updated Business Section pages on “Regional Vision, Global Impact” revolving around economic development, employment opportunities and transportation (see pages 46-54).

Hampton Roads is one of the best places to raise a family. It’s good for business, too. If you want to learn more, click on the cover page for a down-loadable copy. Or, to order your full-color, glossy “coffee table copy,” visit Darden Publishing at http://DardenPublishing.net.

Comments and updated data sources are always welcome. Please contact this year’s Associate Editor for the Business Section:  Missy Schmidt at Missy@HRP.org.

Envision Transportation:

The Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement (HRCCE), in partnership with the City of Virginia Beach has started a new public conversation about transportation possibilities and their far-reaching impacts.

This year-long project combines the power of visual imagery, new means of information distribution, and the extraordinary value of involving the community in imagining its transportation future.

During the process, citizens will have opportunities to outline future choices and express their preferences.

Visit the website, Envision Transportation to:

• LEARN
  • About various modes of transportation – Bicycles, Light Rail, Bus Transit, Intercity Rail, Autos, Walkability, Low-speed vehicles;
  • About related consideration of transportation – Funding, Environment, Land Use, Special Needs, Transit Oriented Development, Culture;
  • About other cities and agencies – What best practices are being used by other cities? What are our local agencies and what do they do? and to
• PARTICIPATE
  • Join the forum – Dialogue with others regarding various transportation topics. These discussions will be used as part of the final report;
  • Post images and videos – Share your worst and best pictures and videos of transportation concerns;
  • Use transportation toolbox – Check out and use innovative web tools that are related to transportation issues;
  • Register for e-Notices – Keep informed of meetings and website updates regarding this project.

In late March (after nearly a year of work), excavators still were a few hundred feet from the south end of Norfolk Southern’s Big Sandy 1, a 2,627-foot railroad tunnel burrowed through a hill that sits along the Big Sandy River separating West Virginia from Kentucky.

Their task: to carve a higher clearance in the ceiling of the tunnel, making it big enough to handle rail cars loaded with cargo containers stacked two-high, doubling the railroad’s capacity and giving shippers more bang for their buck.

It is one of 28 tunnels that form the centerpiece of what Norfolk Southern calls “the Heartland Corridor,” a sort of Northwest Passage for double-stack rail traffic between Hampton Roads and the Midwest that will shave 230 miles and about a day of transit time from existing routes.

Combined with the port’s 50-foot channels and ready access to the open sea, it’s anticipated to have a magnetic effect on East Coast container traffic.

The Heartland Corridor Route; click on graphic from The Virginian-Pilot above for larger view.

The taller tunnels will make Hampton Roads “much more competitive with the other ports,” said Bob Billingsley, Norfolk Southern’s director of structural projects, who has been overseeing the tunnel work. “That’s the only reason we’re doing it. That’s what it’s all about.”

For the past three years, working in the wee hours to avoid disrupting rail traffic, Billingsley’s crews have been raising the roofs on tunnels in West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky, enabling them to handle the 20-foot, 3 -inch-high container trains that have had to go around the mountains, through Pennsylvania and Tennessee, because the tunnels were too small.

The railroad plans to start running the double-stack trains in September.

“It’s the biggest engineering undertaking we’ve had in the last 100 years – one of the biggest in modern railroad history, anyway,” Billingsley said.

Each of the tunnels – 23 of them in West Virginia, four in Virginia and one in Kentucky – has presented a unique puzzle, a slightly different configuration of rock and soil. The tunnels, built around 1905, have stood at 19.5 feet from track to ceiling. They need to be an average of 1.5 feet taller, including a 9-inch cushion, to accommodate the double-stack trains.

In five tunnels, the answer was simple: lower the track bed. In five others, the crew cut “notches” where the walls met the ceilings, allowing enough room for the corners of the containers. In one case, a bypass was built to skip the tunnel altogether; in another, the tunnel requires more extensive work.

In Big Sandy 1, as in 15 other tunnels, it meant taking out “the whole crown of the tunnel, from about 9 to 3 on a clock,” Billingsley said. Work in this tunnel began with the boring of hundreds of investigatory holes into the overhead liner, removing core samples and inserting a tiny camera that took photos of the rock and soil superstructure to assess its condition. The excavator then went to work, pecking out the curved tunnel roof, chunks at a time.

It’s the end of the day for this worker at Big Sandy 4 in West Virginia. “From 2 a.m. until the sun comes up, you’re just fighting to stay awake,” says Michael Parham, 29, a civil engineer from Tennessee. Photo credit: David B. Hollingsworth, The Virginian-Pilot

A series of 13.5-foot supporting “rock bolts” were drilled into the exposed new “roof” before it was sprayed with quick-set concrete from a miniature concrete-plant-on-rails. The work has been tough, tedious and dangerous.

Every day they must clear the tracks before the coal and freight trains resume running, which explains the early hours.

While the tunnel work is the heart of the Heartland Corridor, there are two other components – one in Hampton Roads, another in Columbus, Ohio – all financed through a public-private partnership drawing on federal, state and railroad funds.

The local link involved relocating Commonwealth Railway’s line that connects Suffolk to APM Terminals in Portsmouth – and, eventually, Craney Island, where the port plans to build a fourth state cargo terminal. The line is being shifted from populated areas of Churchland and Western Branch to the medians of Interstate 664 and Virginia’s State Route 164.

As the Heartland Corridor project came together, a series of events in the global shipping industry dovetailed with it:

• Labor strife and congestion had been frustrating shippers into West Coast ports, prompting them to look for ways to diversify their transit options, including using East Coast ports; and
• Plans were announced for an expansion of the Panama Canal, to be completed in 2014, which will allow larger vessels to work the “all-water” route from Asia to ports such as Hampton Roads.

Industry experts agree the project is a positive development for the port but aren’t so sure it will change Hampton Roads’ competitive position with ports such as New York/New Jersey.

Shippers themselves – major importers such as Target, Wal-Mart and Home Depot – decide how and where to route their cargo through U.S. ports.

Shipping lines present importers with a menu of options that can include going through West Coast ports and railing goods to Chicago – which for Asian cargo offers the fastest transit time – or going the all-water route through the Panama Canal to East Coast ports for distribution by rail and truck. The Heartland Corridor will put another option on the table. Key factors in the decision are typically focused on transit time, price and, increasingly, “carbon footprint.”

It takes about 18 days to get goods from Hong Kong to Columbus, Ohio, via West Coast ports, said William Weng, director of intermodal shipping for Shanghai-based China Shipping.

Going through the Panama Canal to Norfolk and using the Heartland Corridor will take about a week longer, yet costs about $500 less per container, Weng said.

The decision comes down to time-sensitivity versus cost, he said. Goods such as computers, TVs, video games and some garments such as dresses are more time-sensitive, Weng said. Furniture, toys and household tools are not and would be candidates for the longer, cheaper route.

The Heartland Corridor’s improved link between two of the biggest transportation nodes in the nation – Hampton Roads and Columbus, Ohio – will give the port an edge as shippers continue to grow their mix of routing options.

Finishing the job means dealing with the unexpected. In Big Sandy 4, one of the last of the tunnels to be completed by early August , workers discovered an underground spring seeping 5 gallons of water a minute.

The biggest challenge has been operating within a tight 2 a.m.-to-noon window that allows two Norfolk Southern trains hauling time-sensitive freight for the United Parcel Service to stay on schedule. Even though the project is about speeding such freight through the mountains, progress is measured in feet.

Excerpts from an article by Robert McCabe, The Virginian-Pilot

Saturday, June 5, 2010, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (Check in: 9:00 am)
$25 per person (includes lunch)
City Center at Oyster Point (Main Level Conference Room), 700 Town Center Drive ~ Newport News, VA 23606

Neighborhood-based service organizations designed by people 50+ are sweeping the nation! From Boston to Berkeley, people 50+ are transforming their neighborhoods into supportive communities through the “Village Model.” While no two Villages are alike, most offer access to a range of services (from purchasing theater tickets to raking leaves) that make growing older in your community a breeze. Currently, there are over 50 Villages in operation, three in Virginia and many more communities are interested in starting one.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Neighborhood leaders, baby boomers, homeowners’ associations and volunteers in the Historic Triangle, Newport News, and Hampton area who wish to learn more about the Village Model and how this fits into the future direction of aging in our region. Speakers from pioneering communities such as Beacon Hill Village and Northern Virginia/DC Metro area villages will discuss their organizations and the services they offer.

SPONSORED BY:  Hampton Department of Human Services, Senior Services Coalition and Department of Human Services & the Newport News Task Force on Aging

For more information, call: 757-926-6005 or visit www.nngov.com/human-services.

Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia will host two public hearings on Thursday, June 17, to gain valuable community feedback to ensure it is providing the best possible services for the region’s seniors and caregivers. Two public hearings will be held:

• 10 a.m. at the Suffolk Health Department, third floor, 135 Hall Ave., Suffolk; and
• 1:30 p.m. in The Center for Aging Education Center, Room 115, of the Senior Services regional headquarters, Interstate Corporate Center, 6350 Center Drive, Building 5, Norfolk.

During the hearings, Senior Services will solicit feedback on its annual Area Plan for fiscal year 2011, which runs from Oct. 1, 2010 to Sept. 30, 2011. The Area Plan and Executive Summary will be available for review or downloading at www.ssseva.org from June 11 through June 30. Written comments also may be made by June 30 via Senior Services’ website or by mail to Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, Interstate Corporate Center, 6350 Center Drive, Building 5, Norfolk, VA 23502.

Updated annually, the plan describes the organization’s governance, management and service-delivery areas. It presents issues at hand, as well as recommended solutions. The Area Plan also addresses advocacy activities pursuant to one or more of the national purposes of the Older Americans Act. The Area Plan is then incorporated into the Virginia statewide plan for aging services.

Copies of the 2010-11 Area Plan and Executive Summary will be available for review June 11 through June 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, at the headquarters of Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, Interstate Corporate Center, 6350 Center Drive, Building 5, Norfolk, and at the offices in Franklin, Suffolk and Isle of Wight County as follows:

• Franklin – 100 W. 4th Ave., Franklin, VA 23851
• Suffolk – 1226 White Marsh Road, Suite 210, Suffolk, VA 23434
• Isle of Wight County – Mary Wells Community Center, 13036 Nike Park Road, Carrollton, VA 23314

“Older adults make up a growing segment of our community. So, it is becoming more and more important for seniors and their families to express their ideas and concerns,” said John Skirven, CEO of Senior Services. “The public hearings will provide another opportunity for talking about the needs in our community. We will use this information to refine our local area plan and prepare future action.”

About Senior Services -
A private, not-for-profit organization, Senior Services provides services for citizens in the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach, and in Isle of Wight and Southampton counties. The agency’s  headquarters and satellite offices offer everything from home-delivered meals for qualifying seniors to counseling for Medicare, Medicaid and long-term care insurance. For more information, contact Senior Services at (757) 461-9481 or www.ssseva.org.