It Aint Heavy...It's My Lightrail?



Norfolk & Southern



     In the spring of 1898, the Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Southern Railroad, which operated the rail transit from Norfolk to the oceanfront, completed work on a new Currituck Division extending through the lesser end of Princess Anne County.  Within two years, the parent line was reorganized as part of the Norfolk and Southern and the branch came to be branded as the Munden Point Line. Munden Point Park over in the middle of Creeds is as distant as a city park can be, however the scenic stretch of land off Princess Anne Road along the North Landing River was once a lively diminutive railroad center.  In April of 1927, gracious living debuted in the city when what is now known locally as the “Old Cavalier” opened its doors. Approximately 13 months prior Mayor Tyler of Norfolk, who gained fame as being the first American to congratulate Charles Lindbergh for his transcontinental flight, spoke at the ground breaking of the hotel, later as Al Jolson and Soppie Tucker sent congratulatory telegrams to the property on its opening. The Norfolk & Western Railroad’s new gasoline powered train named, "The Cavalier”, commenced its maiden passage from Cleveland Ohio to Norfolk Virginia; its aphorism was, “The Cavalier to The Cavalier”. In no time at all, even more guests arrived to Virginia Beach from the Midwest in June of that year when a Norfolk & Western Pullman coach visualized nonstop travel from Chicago to the Cavalier’s private railroad station.  The world’s largest resort city, much like the rhythm portion of a Johnny Cash recording session, is no stranger to the cadence of a rail road locomotive.

            Over the last two decades we in the Tidewater area have faced new economic constraints. These regional restrictions have appeared in the guise of a needed third crossing to the Peninsula, aging passages through the Elizabeth River, congested interstate ramps, as well as the ever increasing gallon of gas and have led us to review the burden of our commuting Northern Virginia brethren as well as our love affair with independent personal transportation. Light rail transit (LRT) is a form of urban rail transportation; the term is typically used to refer to rail systems with rapid – transit style features that usually use electric cars operating mostly in private rights of way separated from other traffic but sometimes, if necessary, mixed with other traffic. After much study and discourse, the voters of the city of Virginia Beach rejected a referendum in November of 1999 that would connect downtown Norfolk to the oceanfront. Furthermore, the Virginia Beach City Council approved at the time a 10 year declaration disavowing furthering the cause of LRT within the city limits. Years march on, as years tend to do, and in the 12 ½ since, a “town center”, which is nowhere near the center of town has emerged, populations have increased, and an ever escalating amount of traffic seems to clog our roads. In addition, since the expiration of their declaration, the learned City Council unanimously voted to purchase the right-of-way on more or less 18 miles of track extending from the east side of Newtown Road to somewhere around the intersection of Birdneck Road and Norfolk Avenue, with the proviso that the cause of LRT be advanced. This purchase was funded with $10 million from tax payer money and an additional $30 million in matching funds. Make no mistake about it; The Tide will roll into the City of Virginia Beach. At this point, it is simply a matter of when and in what form that it will do so. With the limited parking in the resort and town center areas, the benefits to the city will be realized in higher tax revenues from increased retail and restaurant sales along future routes due to amplified pedestrian traffic as well as reduced vehicular traffic on city thoroughfares.

            In August of 2011 LRT began operating in Norfolk 1 year late and about $100 million over budget. Michael Townes, then HRT director, was asked to step down from the position while receiving a full severance package and his replacement was hired at a mere $40,000 per month, a deal that I would not dare attempt to negotiate with my employer, with a mandate to restore financial integrity to the system. In addition to delays and financial over runs, many businesses in the city of Norfolk were forced to close during the lengthy construction of the infrastructure for The Tide. As we at the beach move forward with the inevitable, it is expected to anticipate such delays and cost over runs. A quick search of any city in America which has instituted such a transit system will show that these cities have experienced setbacks and extra expenditures. It is with these thoughts in mind that our elected officials need to go about their work on this matter. Bringing LRT down existing tracks should not pose much of a logistical challenge for city planners. What will be of issue will be the final entry point of LRT into the resort area and what streets will have stops to allow for loading and off loading of riders. When contemplating these final questions the city, in order to observe propriety, will have the unfavorable task of determining where these stops will be, in front of whose businesses these riders will assemble, and furthermore which if any businesses will be forced to close during construction and for how long. Our Council and City Manager will do well to learn from the recklessness of our illustrious neighbors to the west. In the end we will all just have to remember; “it ain’t heavy…it’s my lightrail.”