The Tide Light Rail System in Norfolk Virginia is gaining popularity and helps promote economic development there. I bet having a similar rail system would do very well in Richmond Virginia!
yes! even though Richmond is getting the BRT on Broad Street but I think if would be better the city would bring back streetcar and/or some form of light/commuter rail
@@OregonTransitFan buses are less efficient by every metric and more expensive with upkeep and infrastructure over time. Rail is king and always will be
If the city of Norfolk were to build a line from downtown that goes past Old Dominion University, the Naval War College on Hampton Boulevard right up to the Main Gate of the Naval Base which is the largest Navy base in the United States, there would be a lot of riders on that line consisting of ODU students, active duty Navy & some of their dependents, many base workers as well.
Excellent video quality. Very high tech, sleek looking trains. I added this to my playlist "Subways, El's, Light Rail and commuter rail around the world."
People talk about quiet but places like Denver.. Charlotte.. San Francisco are all not that "New York busy".. been there too and are quiet as well. Want busy go to Hong Kong..London or Paris..NYC.
Where are the city's pedestrians? Those sidewalks look completely deserted. Doesn't anyone walk anywhere? I've lived in Seattle and San Francisco and besides having multi-modal transportation systems, they also have lots of people walking everywhere at all hours of the day. On the basis of these images, Norfolk is a pretty dead city.
Noe Berengena I live in Boston, but I am from the norfolk area. The problem is people prefer to live in suburbs than walkable areas. Also, VA doesn't have the best zoning practices. Hopefully having the light rail will put more people and less cars on the street.
I’m from this area too and now live in DC so yes walking is not something they are used too. I hope the rail system catches on. I rode it and loved it . They really need to extend all the way to oceanfront.
Why isn't the LRV moving as fast as the cars? Do they have to observe a lower speed limit? That would defeat the purpose of light rail, to attract people out of their cars or at least present a viable alternative to driving.
What is so interesting is that there are so many success stories from cities around the country that have Light Rail and yet Virginia Beach VA a city with a half million people do not want Light Rail. They prefer autos. With the traffic problems the city is currently facing one would think city leaders would look at Light Rail as an option. Kansas City, Honolulu, Minneapolis, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Boston, and others are moving forward and benefiting from Light Rail. What is going on in southeastern VA?
J Farrow I live in Virginia Beach, and I will agree that the traffic is horrible in this area, but I plan to vote against light rail (it's on the ballot tomorow). Even with state funding the estimates say we are going to have to fund $80 million of the costs locally for a 3.5 mile extension to the tide. Personally I would rather see the old rail that runs through town converted to a ped/cycle path.
No one suggest that this light rail will be an answer to the immediate traffic problem, This is the first step. If nothing is done now. I fear that in 10 years traffic in VB traffic problems will be a hindrance and obstacle to growth and development in the city.
That's a fair point. I will agree with you that we have an infrastructure problem. I don't think VB was ever really designed with an understanding that it would be this densely populated, let alone 10 years from now. We are at an awkward phase where everything in this town is a little too far to be "walkable", but the roads are so packed that driving isn't a great option either.
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It is a train to NOWHERE. Continually empty like the city buses.
This area is too car dependent and unfortunately for most people the bus stops are often so far away you have to drive to get to them so why not drive the whole way Outside of the ferry to Portsmouth i don't really use HRT services myself which is a shame because i really hate driving especially around here
These "trains" are the first (maybe only) leg of a more ambitious plan to link the regional area. Right now it only runs from the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital area, East to the Norfolk/Virginia Beach border. I believe they say it is approximately 7 miles long. There were plans to extend it to the Virginia Beach ocean front but there is a lot of opposition from Beach residents. There was a plan to extend the line North towards Old Dominion University and the Norfolk Naval base as well as a link towards the Southern cities of Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Suffolk but there isn't any political support for it. I've used it to avoid the parking garages in downtown Norfolk. It works but it will not pay for itself.
This LRT would've been way more useful in richmond than it is in Norfolk tbh. I live in norfolk now and I'm usually 1 of the 5 people who actually use the rail daily and yes the downtown is usually dead unless there is big festival in waterside like the Caribbean fest
stopping stopping stopping stopping thats not how to sell it, I'd bet in Chicago you could film the train zooming past traffic jams on the interstates there.
daaaahua. but living in Norfolk everyday and seeing how empty the cars are is all one has to do. Not to mention paying attention to the news and seeing all the millions lost and stolen from this venture.
I live in the area and speaking as a resident, it's been a complete failure. Taxes have gone up to support it while ridership levels remain among the nation's lowest. It has also complicated traffic patterns, especially downtown. And now, they want to extend it to Virginia Beach at a cost of around $100 million per mile. Complete waste of money.
Whine whine whine. You equate even a small urban light rail system as this as being too " big city " 😄...stick to your sprawl and crawl ways ...remain in the 1970s.
steven kelly Please, no need for name calling here. The fact you claim Im backwards thinking is ironic, as the technology shown here is pretty old. As you probably don’t know, streetcars were the most popular choice of transportation in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Buses came AFTER that, thus making them a newer more modern form of transportation. If you knew a thing or two about actual sprawl, you would see that light rail is built in areas with sprawl. They also add cars to the road since they encourage people to park and ride. Not buses since they can run through your neighborhood...
@@stevenkelly9731 I'd argue it's more bad city planning then anything the area so spread out and it's so car dependent that most roads don't even have sidewalks and the bus routes are often too far out of the way to walk to if there were sidewalks
The Tide Light Rail System in Norfolk Virginia is gaining popularity and helps promote economic development there. I bet having a similar rail system would do very well in Richmond Virginia!
yes! even though Richmond is getting the BRT on Broad Street but I think if would be better the city would bring back streetcar and/or some form of light/commuter rail
You'll realize why BRT is better than rail once it opens
tell me if theres speed way gas station in Richmond?
@@OregonTransitFan buses are less efficient by every metric and more expensive with upkeep and infrastructure over time. Rail is king and always will be
@@OregonTransitFan Clearly you have much to learn from Alan Fishler
I love those beautiful Siemens railcars.
The Carolinian Railfan there the Siemens S70
If the city of Norfolk were to build a line from downtown that
goes past Old Dominion University, the Naval War College on
Hampton Boulevard right up to the Main Gate of the Naval
Base which is the largest Navy base in the United States, there
would be a lot of riders on that line consisting of ODU students,
active duty Navy & some of their dependents, many base workers
as well.
Christopher O'Rourke isn't that in the engineering/planning phase now?
Excellent video quality. Very high tech, sleek looking trains. I added this to my playlist "Subways, El's, Light Rail and commuter rail around the world."
Thanks for the nice comment!
Excellent video, beautiful train! :)
I hear the're considering extending it to Virginia Beach.
Noe. Thats where the college is located. Trust me norfolk, is not a dead city people are in classes
I was on during low ridership hours. Earlier in the morning, I couldn't even get a seat.
why is the lightrail so slow, if it's normal then seattle's light rail is very fast
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing.
kjnn
Good video! Looks like it'd be a lot of fun to ride.
That is beautiful. looks a little like Baltimore's.
People talk about quiet but places like Denver.. Charlotte.. San Francisco are all not that "New York busy".. been there too and are quiet as well. Want busy go to Hong Kong..London or Paris..NYC.
Why didn't you sit up front where there was a window looking out?
Where are the city's pedestrians? Those sidewalks look completely deserted. Doesn't anyone walk anywhere? I've lived in Seattle and San Francisco and besides having multi-modal transportation systems, they also have lots of people walking everywhere at all hours of the day. On the basis of these images, Norfolk is a pretty dead city.
Noe Berengena I live in Boston, but I am from the norfolk area. The problem is people prefer to live in suburbs than walkable areas. Also, VA doesn't have the best zoning practices. Hopefully having the light rail will put more people and less cars on the street.
Old thinking fearful of diversity or change regressives. Conservitives and backward thinking regressives that's why.
I’m from this area too and now live in DC so yes walking is not something they are used too. I hope the rail system catches on. I rode it and loved it . They really need to extend all the way to oceanfront.
You have definitely never been to Overland Park or any other city built after the 40s
@@CreatorPolar What makes you think you know where I have been or what I have seen? I write articles on the subject of urban design.
Why isn't the LRV moving as fast as the cars? Do they have to observe a lower speed limit? That would defeat the purpose of light rail, to attract people out of their cars or at least present a viable alternative to driving.
great to see
Can we use this to site see. My wife and I Love Trains
Can you use this with Amtrak close by
What is so interesting is that there are so many success stories from cities around the country that have Light Rail and yet Virginia Beach VA a city with a half million people do not want Light Rail. They prefer autos. With the traffic problems the city is currently facing one would think city leaders would look at Light Rail as an option. Kansas City, Honolulu, Minneapolis, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Boston, and others are moving forward and benefiting from Light Rail. What is going on in southeastern VA?
J Farrow I live in Virginia Beach, and I will agree that the traffic is horrible in this area, but I plan to vote against light rail (it's on the ballot tomorow). Even with state funding the estimates say we are going to have to fund $80 million of the costs locally for a 3.5 mile extension to the tide. Personally I would rather see the old rail that runs through town converted to a ped/cycle path.
No one suggest that this light rail will be an answer to the immediate traffic problem, This is the first step. If nothing is done now. I fear that in 10 years traffic in VB traffic problems will be a hindrance and obstacle to growth and development in the city.
That's a fair point. I will agree with you that we have an infrastructure problem. I don't think VB was ever really designed with an understanding that it would be this densely populated, let alone 10 years from now. We are at an awkward phase where everything in this town is a little too far to be "walkable", but the roads are so packed that driving isn't a great option either.
It is a train to NOWHERE. Continually empty like the city buses.
Colorado strong..it's relatively quiet in downtown Denver as well..but beautiful..I was just there.. very peaceful city.
This area is too car dependent and unfortunately for most people the bus stops are often so far away you have to drive to get to them so why not drive the whole way
Outside of the ferry to Portsmouth i don't really use HRT services myself which is a shame because i really hate driving especially around here
Do they run 24/7
Do these trains run through the entire city or just downtown?
These "trains" are the first (maybe only) leg of a more ambitious plan to link the regional area. Right now it only runs from the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital area, East to the Norfolk/Virginia Beach border. I believe they say it is approximately 7 miles long. There were plans to extend it to the Virginia Beach ocean front but there is a lot of opposition from Beach residents.
There was a plan to extend the line North towards Old Dominion University and the Norfolk Naval base as well as a link towards the Southern cities of Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Suffolk but there isn't any political support for it. I've used it to avoid the parking garages in downtown Norfolk. It works but it will not pay for itself.
want to view the ones in Santo a
sacramento california
want to view the ones in Santo a
This LRT would've been way more useful in richmond than it is in Norfolk tbh. I live in norfolk now and I'm usually 1 of the 5 people who actually use the rail daily and yes the downtown is usually dead unless there is big festival in waterside like the Caribbean fest
Where is everybody?
funny thing that they are in San Diego to.
stopping stopping stopping stopping thats not how to sell it, I'd bet in Chicago you could film the train zooming past traffic jams on the interstates there.
daaaahua. but living in Norfolk everyday and seeing how empty the cars are is all one has to do. Not to mention paying attention to the news and seeing all the millions lost and stolen from this venture.
It is similar to Houston Light Rail
Lot of money spent on these and few riders there... close to DC senators get big gifts
I live in the area and speaking as a resident, it's been a complete failure. Taxes have gone up to support it while ridership levels remain among the nation's lowest. It has also complicated traffic patterns, especially downtown. And now, they want to extend it to Virginia Beach at a cost of around $100 million per mile. Complete waste of money.
Translation: I don't use it, so it's a waste of money.
They needed to invest the money into buses, not rail
@@OregonTransitFan damn how backwards thinking can you hicks get.
Whine whine whine. You equate even a small urban light rail system as this as being too " big city " 😄...stick to your sprawl and crawl ways ...remain in the 1970s.
steven kelly Please, no need for name calling here. The fact you claim Im backwards thinking is ironic, as the technology shown here is pretty old. As you probably don’t know, streetcars were the most popular choice of transportation in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Buses came AFTER that, thus making them a newer more modern form of transportation. If you knew a thing or two about actual sprawl, you would see that light rail is built in areas with sprawl. They also add cars to the road since they encourage people to park and ride. Not buses since they can run through your neighborhood...
NOTICE HOW ALL THE TRAIN CARS ARE MOSTLY EMPTY.......... MONEY WELL WASTED
You can't take accurate usage data from a video for appropriate analysis of ridership volume.
Cars and mall minded stuck in the 70s car culture is the problem...regressive thinkers.
@@stevenkelly9731 I'd argue it's more bad city planning then anything the area so spread out and it's so car dependent that most roads don't even have sidewalks and the bus routes are often too far out of the way to walk to if there were sidewalks
Nmm
The boringist of them all!
Whites do not want blacks to go to the oceanfront. So to pay them back we should boycott it.
Tremone Thomas If blacks boycotted VA Beach , I'd go there all the time.