Virginia DRPT News

Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) recently celebrated the grand opening of their new maintenance and operations facility. The facility was designed and constructed to achieve the US Green Building Council’s LEED Certification and houses a variety of CAT’s functions and employees. The site includes an administration and operations building, maintenance shop, fuel island and vehicle wash building.

The deadline to submit videos, photos and testimonials of the benefits of transportation as part of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Tell Our Story initiative is September 1. These testimonials will be used to raise awareness of the importance of funding transit. While on APTA’s Web site, you can view the national public transportation petition which urges Congress to increase funding for public transportation.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) recently adopted the Fiscal Years 2011-2016 Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP), moving forward $7.8 billion in essential rail, transit, transportation demand management, bicycle, pedestrian and highway projects. The program includes $2.1 billion for rail and transit improvements, and focuses on funding deficits on projects under way, maximizing the use of federal funds, funding projects already under way and those with new phases starting in fiscal year 2011, and funding deficient bridges and pavements.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently published the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Major Capital Investment Projects (New Starts and Small Starts) in the Federal Register. The FTA has scheduled outreach sessions to discuss the information included in the ANPRM on New Starts and Small Starts and to answer any questions.

A meeting has been scheduled to provide a time for the public to learn more about the Virginia Beach Transit Extension Study, which is evaluating a potential extension of The Tide light rail transit system in Norfolk to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The meeting will take place on June 30 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center.

Public hearings to review and comment on the Tier II Draft Environmental Impact Statement which covers the portion of the Southeast High Speed Rail (SEHSR) corridor between Richmond, VA, and Raleigh, NC, will begin July 13, 2010. Eight hearings have been scheduled in Virginia and North Carolina.

Comments on potential state sources of intercity passenger rail operating funding are due Friday, July 2. Public comments will help the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) evaluate potential sources of funding and provide recommendations as requested in SJ63, adopted during the 2010 Virginia General Assembly session.

The Capital Beltway HOT Lanes Project partners recently broke ground on the future site of the HOT Lanes Operations Center. The Capital Beltway HOT Lanes Project will bring new technology to I-495 that will help reduce congestion along the corridor. The High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes will be free for buses, carpools (HOV-3), motorcycles and emergency vehicles, and drivers with fewer than three occupants can choose to pay to access the lanes. The HOT Lanes will open in December 2012.

On Monday, the Senate unanimously passed the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010. The legislation requires all agencies to establish telework policies, designate a Telework Managing Officer and ensure that telework is part of the agency’s continuity of operations planning. A companion bill has not been introduced in the House.

U.S. Senators Dodd, Durbin, Schumer, Menendez, Lautenberg and Brown recently introduced the ‘Public Transportation Preservation Act of 2010,’ which authorizes $2 billion in funds for emergency transit operating assistance. Reduced state and local funding resources have led to fare increases and service cuts for transit operators across the country. If the legislation is passed, transit operators could use the funds to reduce fare increases and restore services that were cut after January 2009, or to prevent future service cuts or fare increases through September 2011.

This week is National Bike to Work Week, and as the culminating event commuters are encouraged to leave their cars at home tomorrow and bike to work. Events are being organized around the state as part of the celebration to remind commuters about the various transportation choices available in Virginia. Biking safety and commuting tips are available on VDOT’s Web site.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) has posted the Working Draft Fiscal Years 2011-2016 Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP) for public review in advance of four public hearings to solicit public comments about essential rail, transit, transportation demand management, bicycle, pedestrian and highway projects. Public hearings will be held in Richmond, Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Salem prior to the CTB’s June 16 meeting, during which the Board will vote on the proposed program.

The new Amtrak Virginia train on the Lynchburg route has exceeded its annual performance targets in the first six months of operation. March 2010 data indicates that the train now exceeds the annual ridership goal of 51,000 with 55,025 passengers, and exceeds the annual revenue goal of $2,580,000 by generating $2,839,448 in revenue. The route provides a daily one-seat ride as far north as Boston from Lynchburg in the I-81/Route 29 corridor.

On May 19, Telework!VA and Telework Exchange will host Unlock Gridlock 2010, a free educational and networking event focused on promoting alternative commuting options to Virginia organizations. At the event, which will be held at the Gannett/USA Today Corporate Headquarters in McLean, Virginia, industry experts will discuss how to implement and expand organizational telework programs to boost Virginia businesses’ productivity and bottom-line performance. The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

On June 9 and 10 in Charlottesville, Virginia, DRPT will host a National Transit Institute course that will present a structured approach for planning, implementing, and evaluating rural transit projects to help ensure that agency needs and expectations are met. The course will benefit transit professionals, state DOT staff, and regional planners involved in planning and implementing technology-based applications for rural transit operations.

The National Transit Institute will sponsor a course on June 29 and 30 in Baltimore, Maryland, that will provide an overview of the risk review process for transit capital projects as outlined by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Oversight Guidance documents. Participants in the course should have general knowledge of transit systems and common design issues, a basic understanding of the FTA New Starts development process, and experience with standard project metrics. While the course is designed for capital projects larger than $300 million, the content of this course can be applied to small and medium projects.