Naval Station Norfolk Transit Extension Study January 7, 2015 1
Naval Station Norfolk is Hampton Roads Region s largest employer with approximately 60-70,000 jobs and employees from the entire Region Higher Employment Higher Distribution Source: U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics 2
Local Corridor Planning The study will include defining the Purpose and Need and Reasonable Alternatives for detailed analysis in a future Environmental Impact Statement compliant with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Federal Transit Administration regulations. 3
Public / Stakeholder Meetings ^ Pretlow Public Library Granby High School Norview Community Center Old Dominion University ^ Blair Middle School KROC Tidewater Center Community ^ College ^ Norfolk Marriott Waterside Norview High School Norfolk Airport Hilton Holiday Inn Greenwich Road
Public Developed Purpose And Need To provide improved transit service, possibly in the form of a light rail extension, from The Tide light rail system to, and possibly onto, Naval Station Norfolk in order to: 1. Develop Transit Connections to Many Points Within Norfolk 2. Address Heavy Traffic and Congestion 3. Reduce Travel Time 4. Increase Park and Ride Locations 5. Provide Better Interconnectivity of Transit Modes 6. Consider for Future Light Rail System Expansion 5
Public Identified Key Connection Points and Potential Corridors Top activity centers ODU Norfolk Int l Airport Ghent/21 st Street Wards Corner Janaf 6
Segments For Further Study 7
Conceptual Corridors with Stations for Further Study 8
Resiliency Considerations 9
Light Rail Transit (LRT) Pros Travel time reliability with dedicated right-of-way Improved mobility options Opportunities for transitoriented development The Tide, Norfolk, Virginia Cons Higher capital costs than bus rapid transit or streetcar Requires more infrastructure than bus rapid transit 10
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) RTA HealthLine, Cleveland, Ohio Pros Lower capital costs per mile than LRT May have faster timeline for project construction and operation Cons Perceived public opinion that BRT operates similar to fixed route buses Often has lower ridership when compared with light rail transit 11
Streetcar Pros More passenger capacity standard buses Similar economic development opportunities to LRT Can operate in tightly constrained urban settings better than LRT Cons Mixed traffic scenario and lower operating speeds can slow travel times Sun Link Streetcar, Tucson, Arizona Not practical as commuter option for longer travel corridors 12
Separate Corridors with Technology Choices and Phasing Options These figures illustrate possible representations of conceptual transportation corridors. No Corridor has been selected for advanced study at this time. 13
Entire Circuit as a Single Technology System These figures illustrate possible representations of conceptual transportation corridors. No Corridor has been selected for advanced study at this time. 14
Combinations of Corridors, Technologies, and Phasings These figures illustrate possible representations of conceptual transportation corridors. No Corridor has been selected for advanced study at this time. 15
NSNTES Corridor Analysis - Next Steps Corridor Planning - Phase 3 Completed technical data analysis (October 2014) Present analysis to the public and Norfolk City Council (November/December 2014) City Staff will review data and present recommendation to Council (Early 2015) Norfolk Council selection of preferred corridor(s) for additional analysis (Spring 2015) Environmental Impact Study and Early Design Draft Environmental Impact Statement projected to begin in mid 2015 (Funded) Final EIS, ROD, and Engineering (Unfunded) Project Final Design and Construction Pending Record of Decision and identification of funding Potential design and construction window between 2020 to 2025 16
Regional Vision Plan Provides a Conceptual Blueprint for Connectivity Unconstrained by Funding Virginia Beach extension study entering FEIS /PE in 2015 Norfolk extension study entering DEIS in 2015 Peninsula and Chesapeake considering extension studies in 2015 and beyond 17
Thank You 18