The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Monarchs,

What is the chances of getting a light rail route to or by campus?

(12-17-2015 03:18 PM)40smokingcannon Wrote:  Monarchs,

What is the chances of getting a light rail route to or by campus?

Very little chance anytime soon unless money starts growing on trees. Norfolk really screwed the pooch not starting out with that route. Now they have a train to nowhere that is a financial disaster... worst in the country... and probably hasn't taken a single car off the road.

(12-17-2015 03:24 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(12-17-2015 03:18 PM)40smokingcannon Wrote:  Monarchs,

What is the chances of getting a light rail route to or by campus?

Very little chance anytime soon unless money starts growing on trees. Norfolk really screwed the pooch not starting out with that route. Now they have a train to nowhere that is a financial disaster... worst in the country... and probably hasn't taken a single car off the road.

Except maybe those that ran into or were run into by the train.

(12-17-2015 03:18 PM)40smokingcannon Wrote:  Monarchs,

What is the chances of getting a light rail route to or by campus?

There is a study underway.

There are two extensions being considered (among others) that would impact ODU.

One would go down Granby and cut across 35th to ODU before going to the base.

The other would continue down Granby to the 564 interchange/base. Both would allow students to use the rail, with the former being optimum for ODUs needs.

(12-17-2015 03:18 PM)40smokingcannon Wrote:  Monarchs,

What is the chances of getting a light rail route to or by campus?

The chances are pretty high I think. Once the rail is extended into Virginia Beach there should be some more demand. I know that Norfolk is working on it right now, and that getting Light Rail to ODU and the Navy base is a priority for them.

Now, how long it'll actually take? It probably (and unfortunately) won't be rolling through ODU until the early 2020's. Hopefully it can get there sooner. I know I would've loved to have it when I lived on campus.

It'sgoing to happen, but early 2020's may be a little optimistic. I would guess more late 2020's.

We're going to attach it to the Maglev!

Just kidding. Although ODU does need to figure out what to do with the worlds most expensive umbrella. If they can't get a cart to run on the tracks then do something else with it. It's embarrassing how many times we've tried and failed to get it running

(12-17-2015 05:30 PM)Old Dominion Wrote:  It'sgoing to happen, but early 2020's may be a little optimistic. I would guess more late 2020's.

I'm not even sure about that. Where is the money going to come from? That stretch will be many times more expensive and time consuming on construction than the original stretch that had the rail infrastructure and right of way alrady in place for most of it. They'll have to get a giant pork barrell gift from Washington to have even a remote chance of executing. To even be considered for that gift, Virginia Beach will have to build and show a lot more success than Norfolk. VB building is probable, but financial success is questionable. The line will not serve the vast majority of Virginia Beach's population and I just don't see a whole lot of downtown Norfolk residents using it to go to Town Center when they have substitutes for everything there in walking distance. I'm thinking late 2020s is best case scenerio to even get the funding and mid 2030s before there will realistically be a chance of actually having a working train going through campus.

Your take on this is self defeating. You complain that the thing is losing money, and as such should not be expanded, yet it is a taking the financial losses because it is just a starter line that doesn't go anywhere since it has yet to be expanded.

And if you think it is a financial disaster take a walk around Downtown Norfolk on a Saturday afternoon. The place is booming compared to where it was just five years ago. Thanks largely to things like light rail making it an attractive place for young people with some money to live.

(12-18-2015 10:42 AM)Monarchblue Wrote:  Your take on this is self defeating. You complain that the thing is losing money, and as such should not be expanded, yet it is a taking the financial losses because it is just a starter line that doesn't go anywhere since it has yet to be expanded.

It was a bad strategy. The thing is a disaster however you look at it. It could be a solid short distance mover of people taking cars off the secondary roads. There are very few places in HR with the population density to use this efficiently and the starter line avoided all of them. And let's be clear, I never said it shouldn't be expanded. I think it should be expanded through Ghent and ODU to NOB, which has the population density to actually have an impact. I just don't see it happening anytime soon. I see it being expanded to Town Center and I see that as being a likely disaster.

If you look at it as a direct money maker, then it is always going to look like a failure, but the reality is that the influx of money that comes as a byproduct is where the profit is. The opportunity that it provides for redevelopment is also worth noting. 5 years ago there were about 1500 people living downtown. By the end of 2016 there will be over 6000 people living there with no slowing in the trend. Also nearly every storefront on Granby Street has, or is in the process of being upgraded to higher end restaurants, replacing all of the questionable places that were there before. Now that Granby is mostly upgraded, City Hall/ Main St is next, with the new hotel, the Waterside District, Slover Library, the repurposing of Selden Arcade, and the New Luxury Apartments planned. Light Rail as part of a renaissance in Downtown Norfolk has been an economic windfall.

Vice President Tim Kaine will throw some Treasury lard our way and all of Hampton Roads' problems will be solved.

(12-18-2015 11:23 AM)bigblueodu Wrote:  Vice President Tim Kaine will throw some Treasury lard our way and all of Hampton Roads' problems will be solved.

Everything in life is easier when you're spending someone else's money and there is no accountability.

(12-18-2015 11:13 AM)Monarchblue Wrote:  If you look at it as a direct money maker, then it is always going to look like a failure, but the reality is that the influx of money that comes as a byproduct is where the profit is. The opportunity that it provides for redevelopment is also worth noting. 5 years ago there were about 1500 people living downtown. By the end of 2016 there will be over 6000 people living there with no slowing in the trend. Also nearly every storefront on Granby Street has, or is in the process of being upgraded to higher end restaurants, replacing all of the questionable places that were there before. Now that Granby is mostly upgraded, City Hall/ Main St is next, with the new hotel, the Waterside District, Slover Library, the repurposing of Selden Arcade, and the New Luxury Apartments planned. Light Rail as part of a renaissance in Downtown Norfolk has been an economic windfall.

I admit that while I lived in Downtown Norfolk from '05-'07 and really haven't been back much. I hope it doesn't go bust. It seemes back then that the number of condos and apartments were optimal. I really can't speak to what is there today, what the cities tax receipts look like, what the city's overall population looks like, or what not. You do make a valid point that more than the light rail performance needs to be looked at. In my experience, however, when looking at redevelopment schemes, usually one neighborhood's feast is another's famine.

What I think Norfolk is trying to do is diversify their economic base, along with trying to keep Millennials and other young groups in the city. By investing in these projects, Norfolk hopes to attract more young people and businesses and create a larger tax base without expanding the borders of the city. (I will say I've been pondering a move to downtown from the Ghent area recently).

Also, I would like to turn your attention to HRT Transit Development Plan, especially page 60, which shows the vision plan for HRT in the near and far future (the couple of pages before and after give context to the map).

(http://www.gohrt.com/public-records/Plan...lution.pdf)

I think that this system fully built out is a boon not only to Norfolk, but the whole of Hampton Roads. It'd connect our disparate cities in a way not seen before. Cost is definitely a big concern, but I hope that the benefits from such a system would be able to outweigh them.

(12-18-2015 12:40 PM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  What I think Norfolk is trying to do is diversify their economic base, along with trying to keep Millennials and other young groups in the city. By investing in these projects, Norfolk hopes to attract more young people and businesses and create a larger tax base without expanding the borders of the city. (I will say I've been pondering a move to downtown from the Ghent area recently).

Also, I would like to turn your attention to HRT Transit Development Plan, especially page 60, which shows the vision plan for HRT in the near and far future (the couple of pages before and after give context to the map).

(http://www.gohrt.com/public-records/Plan...lution.pdf)

I think that this system fully built out is a boon not only to Norfolk, but the whole of Hampton Roads. It'd connect our disparate cities in a way not seen before. Cost is definitely a big concern, but I hope that the benefits from such a system would be able to outweigh them.

The problem is, referring to page 60, until "G" is completed, and it will be by far the most expensive, I don't think there is any meaningful impact on easing traffic.

I can certainly see, from your perspective, why that would be the priority, but for most of us on this side, travel to the Peninsula is not the most pressing traffic issue we run into on a regular basis. Easing traffic on 264 and at the tunnels is a much bigger problem for us. I am not sure this solves that either, but I would think the Peninsula connection is far less pressing from this side.

(12-18-2015 10:06 AM)MonGNARch Wrote:  Although ODU does need to figure out what to do with the worlds most expensive AND THINNEST umbrella.

FIFY

There is another option besides the light rail.
It is very expensive and will only serve a specific area.

In 15-20 years it is very easy to imagine that Uber, Tesla, and other companies will have their battery powered automated cars on the road and that they will be in large numbers.

I can imagine that in that time frame, more and more people will be opting to NOT own their car and use a sort of ride share system. Some of which have already started to take place in specific markets.

So, want to put this question out there.

Do you think it would be wiser to use the tax money to build up the infrastructure to support a "Johnny cab" next work, that will cover the entire region of HR, or continue to put money into a light rail system, who's leadership has a history of bait and switch tactics, deceit, and running over budget.

I don't have a problem with light rail. I used it when I lived in San Diego, and didn't need a car saving me hundreds a month.

I, however see the future in a different path than continuing to build dedicated rail network augmented by buses.