HRPTA Blog
-
William E. Harrell hired as Hampton Roads Transit’s new President & CEO
Source: HRT NORFOLK, VA – The Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads on Thursday selected William E. Harrell as the new president and CEO of Hampton Roads Transit. The vote was unanimous. Harrell, the city manager of Cheapeake, will replace Philip A. Shucet who was hired in February 2010 to help complete construction of The Tide light rail. After rail service began in August 2011, Shucet initiated a series of internal reforms to improve HRT’s overall management practices and make HRT a more publicly accountable organization. Shucet is returning to his private transportation consulting business. Harrell has served as Chesapeake’s [...]
-
Cheat The Tide and It Costs You $250. Not Worth It
Source: HRT Light rail freeloaders face fines NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – People who ride the Tide without a ticket are getting caught. Hampton Roads Transit told WAVY.com that so far this year 38 people have been caught. In 2011, 383 riders were caught without a ticket. The Tide started service in Aug. 2011. So far, it has exceeded original projections of 2,900 passengers a day. Riders who get caught without a ticket can be fined $250. Be Sociable, Share! Tweet
-
HRPTA Board of Directors Meeting Set for February 14, 2012
Below is the official press release announcing February 14th as HRPTA’s first Board meeting of 2012 on the Peninsula. You are cordially invited and we would love to see you there to talk public transportation in Hampton Roads. Hampton Roads Public Transportation Alliance HRPTA.COM @HRPTA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sylvia Hill, Program Committee Chair Phone: (757) 962-0134 Email: info@hrpta.com Date and Location for HRPTA’s February Board of Directors Meeting set for February 14th at Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center Newport News, January 23, 2011 – The Hampton Roads Public Transportation Alliance (HRPTA) has set a date for the February Board [...]
-
Road upgrades would float Navy’s boat, admiral says
Source: PilotOnline.com By Debbie Messina The Virginian-Pilot January 20, 2012 With more than 81,000 active-duty Navy sailors in Hampton Roads who rely on the transportation network to get to work, the commander of the Navy’s mid-Atlantic region told regional leaders Thursday that improvements must be made to reduce congestion and increase mobility. “In order to do what we need to do in this area, we need to have a reliable, efficient transportation system,” Rear Adm. T.G. Alexander told the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization. “We want to grow our presence here if the opportunity presents itself; we don’t want to [...]
-
Commonwealth Transportation Board withdraws $5 million in unused funds
Source: Daily Press CHESAPEAKE — The Commonwealth Transportation Board has withdrawn $5 million in funding for Hampton Roads transportation projects that wasn’t being used. Aubrey Layne, the Hampton Roads CTB representative, made the announcement Thursday at the monthly meeting of the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization. He said a total of $17 million was “de-allocated” statewide “for projects that are not moving forward.” “If the money is assigned, we have to use it,” Layne told the panel of local, state and federal officials who have purview over regional transportation planning. According to the CTB website, $4.9 million in matching funds [...]
-
An Act to amend and reenact § 15.2-4507 of the Code of Virginia, relating to membership of the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads
Approved March 24, 2011 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1. That § 15.2-4507 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows: § 15.2-4507. Members of transportation district commissions. A. Any transportation district commission created shall consist of the number of members the component governments shall from time to time agree upon, or as may otherwise be provided by law. The governing body of each participating county and city shall appoint from among its members the number of commissioners to which the county or city is entitled; however, for those commissions with powers as [...]
-
Requesting the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to study transit-related issues in the Commonwealth
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 297 Agreed to by the Senate, February 2, 2011 Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 22, 2011 WHEREAS, the mission of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is to improve the mobility of goods and people while expanding transportation choices in the Commonwealth; and WHEREAS, in the last six years alone, DRPT has started six new transit systems in 16 communities; and WHEREAS, DRPT has also been instrumental in implementing some of the largest transit projects in decades including the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project and the Norfolk Light Rail Project (the Tide), [...]
-
Public Transit Riders to See Taxes Increase More Than $550 in 2012
Source: American Public Transportation Association American Public Transportation Association Calls on Congress to Correct Bias That Favors Driving over Taking Public Transit Due to Congressional inaction during last month’s tax deliberations, the new year ushered in a tax increase to public transit riders. Currently, commuters who use public transit, commuter buses and van pools may see their annual commuting costs increase by more than $550 based on a bias in the tax code that benefits driving over taking public transit. In addition, the failure to extend the benefit has resulted in a tax liability increase for companies offering the benefit. [...]
-
U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Awards $186 Million to Illinois to Expand High-Speed Rail in the Midwest
Source: Federal Railroad Administration U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today awarded more than $186 million to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for a high-speed rail project that will reduce travel times and put Americans back to work this spring. “The Great Lakes-Midwest economic region is the world’s fifth largest economy by Gross Domestic Product, and nearly 100 million people live within 500 miles of each other,” said Secretary LaHood. “The Department of Transportation’s investment of more than $1 billion in the region’s high-speed rail service will reduce trip times and save travelers money, resulting in reduced congestion for the [...]
-
HRPTA Board of Directors Meeting Set for January 10, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sylvia Hill, Program Committee Chair Phone: (757) 962-0134 Email: info@hrpta.com Date and Location for HRPTA’s January Board of Directors Meeting set for January 10th at MacArthur Memorial Research Center Norfolk, January 2, 2011 – The Hampton Roads Public Transportation Alliance (HRPTA) has set a date for the January Board of Directors meeting for January 10th. The meeting will be held January 10, 2012 from 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM at the MacArthur Memorial Research Center, 198 Bank Street, Norfolk, VA 23510. HRPTA Board of Directors meetings are public events and the citizens of Hampton Roads are [...]
