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January 2010 Newsletter
Virginia's New Secretary of Transportation
On December 22, Governor Bob McDonnell named The Honorable Sean Connaughton as Transportation Secretary.
Mr. Connaughton is a resident of Prince William County, where he served the citizens while on the Board of Supervisors as chairman for seven years, from 1999 until he resigned in 2006 to take over the Maritime Administration, where he earned the distinction of "best federal transportation policy leaders."
Statements made by the Administration list Connaughton's immediate top priorities as searching for a transportation commissioner, finding $9 million to reopen 18 highway rest stops closed because of budget cuts and finding ways to streamline the department.
The Virginia Transit Association (VTA) will be meeting with the new Secretary shortly to discuss transit issues.
VTA Welcomes Hon. Thelma Drake, New DRPT Director
The announcement of Thelma Drake as Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation was made in early January by Governor McDonnell.
A resident of Norfolk, Virginia, Mrs. Drake represented the Second Congressional District for two terms in the House of Representatives. Her Congressional committee assignments included House Armed Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Resources, and Education and Workforce. An advocate of public transportation and alternative energies, Mrs. Drake was instrumental in obtaining critical federal funding for the Norfolk light rail line now under construction in Norfolk.
Mrs. Drake served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1997-2004. She served as chairman of the Virginia Housing Commission and was a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission. She served on various committees including General Laws; Corporations, Insurance and Banking; Finance; and Transportation.
Three Outstanding Public Servants to Retire
VTA thanks Charles "Chip" Badger, Michael Townes and John Catoe for their service in Virginia and wish them the best!
Public transportation in Virginia has benefited immeasurably from Charles "Chip" Badger's long, steady and committed service. Chip Badger retired as Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) this month; his last day was January 14. He has worked for the Commonwealth of Virginia for 38 years, and with DRPT since its inception in 1992—a total of 18 years. During that time, he helped to nurture tremendous growth in transit operations across the state. We appreciate his support of VTA over the years and his invaluable service to the transit community.
Michael Townes, CEO of Hampton Roads Transit, announced that he will step away from administrative operations as of January 31 but will continue to work with HRT on a contract basis to secure added federal and state funds for light rail and then retire from HRT in September 2010. Michael's vision, tenacity and hard work has been a force behind several significant “firsts”: The Norfolk light rail line, now under construction, is one of the first systems ever to be constructed in a city the size of Norfolk and the creation of HRT is the first voluntary consolidation of two transit systems in the nation. Michael has been an active leader of VTA for many years and president of APTA from 2008-2009. On January 13, he received the coveted Sharon D. Banks Award for his innovative leadership (see article, this issue).
John Catoe, General Manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), gave notice on January 14 that he will resign effective April 2. It was under his leadership that WMATA sustained record daily ridership, an unprecedented 17 hours of rush-hour service on its rail lines and ran more than 20 bus priority corridors during the 56th Presidential inauguration in January 2009. He was named the nation’s top public transportation manager in 2009 by the American Public Transportation Association (see article, this issue). During his management of WMATA, he emphasized the importance of top‐down leadership, accountability and direct communication with employees while stressing the need to strengthen the culture of safety and focus on operations and customer service. John was an active supporter of VTA and APTA; he was chairman of Leadership APTA and co-chair of the Legislative Committee’s Reauthorization Task Force.
The transit community is very grateful for their outstanding service and we will miss them. I know we all wish them the very best as they begin the next phase of their journeys!
Mayor of Blacksburg Elected VTA VP
The Honorable Ron Rordam, Mayor of Blacksburg, was elected Vice President of VTA at its November 17 Board meeting.
Mayor Rordam was first elected to Town Council in 1996. He served as Vice Mayor for six years, was elected Mayor in 2006, and re-elected Mayor in 2009. He has served on many committees, including the Mayor's Task Force on Climate Protection and Sustainability, the Smartway Bus Committee, the Loop Trail Committee and the Executive Committee of the Virginia Municipal League.
He has been a strong transit advocate at the local level and the relationship between Blacksburg and Virginia Tech is a strong model for providing excellent transit service to meet both community and university needs.
VTA Meets with Governor's Transition Team
VTA transit system members braved the elements on that blustery Monday morning in December when most were snowed in, to meet with members of the Governor's Transportation Transition subcommittee and discuss systems' priorities for the upcoming session.
Al Harf (PRTC), John McGlennon (Williamsburg Area Transit and Immediate Past President of VTA) and James Toscano (Hampton Roads Transit) shared transit concerns with the group. The subcommittee, led by former Secretary of Transportation, Whitt Clement, was extremely open to VTA discussions and particularly receptive to our message of the dwindling "pie" due to increased rail and expanded services. During the hour-long meeting, subcommittee members heard compelling arguments for flexibility in operating versus capital spending, along with undeniable figures providing evidence of transit's positive impact on the economy.
Earlier in the month, VTA Executive Director, Linda McMinimy, along with Joe Alexander (URS-Washington Division), Tom Biesiadny (Fairfax Connector), Randy Wright (HRT) and Al Harf (PRTC) met with Committee chairs, Thelma Drake and Tom Davis, providing them an overview of transit's role in keeping Virginia mobile, its impact on the economy and the critical need for funding in order to continue.
Be sure to check the VTA website during this General Assembly session for important updates and alerts regarding transit funding and bills of interest.
Legislative Update
For the full text of the VTA Legislative Priorities document, click here.
Click here for the list of legislation VTA is monitoring this session.
January 13 January 18 January 22 February 1 February 16 February 21 February 25 March 3 March 8 March 9 March 13 April 21 |
General Assembly convened Joint session; address by Governor Bob McDonnell Deadline for introduction of legislation Transportation Choices Legislative Reception Crossover Each house's budget committees present budgets Each house to approve its own version of the budget Each house acts on the other house’s budget/appoint conferees Deadline for committee action Budget bill conference committee to complete work General Assembly adjourns Reconvened (veto) session |
Transportation Choices Legislative Reception
Secretary of Transportation, Sean Connaughton, and DRPT Director, Thelma Drake, to be Guests of Honor
Be sure to call your legislators to encourage their attendance!
VTA is finalizing preparations for the Transportation Choices Legislative Reception—this year, a DOWN HOME barbeque catered by Buz and Ned's, a notable Richmond BBQ institution and gastronomic delight, showcased on the Food Network channel.
The legislative reception is one of VTA's most important events held with legislators. It serves to build the Association’s relationship with our leaders, increasing the visibility of public transportation and building awareness for needed transit projects.
Virginia Systems Bring Home Awards
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) held its annual conference in Orlando this past October, and many Virginia transit systems returned home with impressive awards.
WMATA General Manager, John Catoe, was named the nation’s top public transportation manager in 2009—the last time WMATA was honored with this award was 20 years ago! The annual Outstanding Public Transportation Manager Award goes to the top manager in North America who has made outstanding contributions to public transportation and means that he is the best of the best. From day one, John Catoe focused on creating a corporate culture of safety, operations and customer service—all of which led to his award.
The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company (GLTC) received the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award in its size. The award honors an APTA public transportation member who has demonstrated achievement in efficiency and effectiveness. Criteria for the award included verifiable data for three consecutive years (2006, 2007 and 2008) for fixed route services and demand response/paratransit services. It considers safety, operations, customer service, financial management, attendance, employee costs, minority and women advancement, marketing, policy, administration and community relations in its determination of the award.
GRTC Transit System won First Place in each of the following three categories at the Adwheel Awards: “Transittalk.com Print” was awarded First Place in the Print, Advertisement Advocacy/Awareness category; “GRTC Transit System 2008 Annual Report” was awarded First Place in the Print, Annual Report category; and “Transittalk.com viral video” was awarded First Place in the Electronic, Video Presentation category.
In addition to APTA awards, Michael S. Townes, President and CEO of Hampton Roads Transit, has been selected as the recipient of the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) 2010 Sharon D. Banks Award for Innovative Leadership in Transportation. A long-time public transportation leader, he was cited for his service-oriented approach to addressing the mobility needs of people throughout the community, no matter what their economic or social background; his strong commitment to internal and external customer service; his contributions to the development of future transit professionals; and his persistent efforts to promote diversity and minority advancement. Townes has been active in TRB for 20 years. He chaired the TRB Executive Committee in 2004, and is a past chair of the Transit Cooperative Research Program Oversight and Project Selection Committee. He also is a former chair of the American Public Transportation Association’s Executive Committee.
Congratulations to our impressive transit systems for their outstanding achievements!
New: Legislative Alerts on VTA Website
VTA has added another tool on our website in order to broaden our base: The Legislative Alert page. While our transit and business members are already included and should expect to see alerts automatically, other advocates of transit can sign up on VTA's home page to receive important information and alerts about contacting legislators regarding important votes during the upcoming legislative session.
FREE Transit Webinar Series
Want to learn more about important topics such as exceptional customer service for transit systems but can't afford the time spent away from the office and the costs involved going to training workshops?
VTA has received great reviews on its first two webinars and is developing three (3) future webinars tentatively scheduled for:
Feb 17-Providing Exceptional Customer Service
April 14-Advancing Community Conversation on Transit
June 23-Embracing A Shared Vision With our TDM Partners
These webinars are for all VTA members, including transit system and business/associate members as well as other interested individuals. All you need to do is register using the link provided in the e-mail notification you receive. If you have not received these notifications in the past, please contact Patricia Villa to be added to the list.
Since the webinars are recorded, you still have a chance to view the first two. Interested parties can download the webinar from the VTA website and view it at their convenience.
The first webinar, which attracted 60 registrants, TRANSIT SUSTAINABILITY: How to get started and keep going” was held on September 22. VTA secured the following three presenters:
–Perry Weinberg, Environmental Affairs & Sustainability Officer, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA
–Tom Fitzwater, AICP, Environmental Programs and Resources Manager, Santa Clara VTA, CA
–Scott Demharter, Director of Energy Management and Sustainability, Hampton Roads Transit, VA.
The second, with 67 registrants, Measuring and Reporting Your Real Impact was aired December 15, with the following presenters:
–Christine Evanko, Project Director, Southeastern Institute of Research (SIR), Richmond, VA
–Glen Weisbrod, President, Economic Development Research Group (EDR), Boston, MA
–Arlee Reno, Senior Vice President, Cambridge Systematics, Bethesda, MA
–Steve Del Giudice, Transit Bureau Chief, Arlington Transit (ART), Arlington, VA
Stay tuned for our notice that will kick off a webinar on Providing Exceptional Customer Service—or CHECK BACK TO OUR WEBSITE SOON!
Good News from our Transit Systems
Blacksburg—
Blacksburg Expands
At a time when many systems are looking for ways to save money, and in some extreme situations reduce service, Blacksburg Transit is planning to expand. The service expansion in the Christiansburg market was already underway before the fuel prices soared, and the economy took a downturn; since then interest in expanding public transportation has skyrocketed.
In an effort to promote the future service and to involve residents in the planning process, a survey was sent to every household in Christiansburg. Over 30 percent have been returned, well on the way to meeting a 40 percent return rate. Ultimately, the responses from the surveys will be used to plan the future routes and stops. The expanded bus service, which was scheduled to begin in late 2009, will provide an important connection between residential neighborhoods, businesses, schools, shopping, employment, and government services.
The survey was paid for by planning funds provided by the Montgomery County Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Charlottesville Transit Service—
Website Gets Upgrade
Charlottesville Transit Service (CTS) has completely revised its website at charlottesville.org/transit. CTS Marketing Coordinator Kristen Gleason initiated the update in response to passenger feedback. Based on user comments and a self-assessment of the CTS website, CTS has established a user-friendly format that makes information more readily accessible to users. The site is set up to provide quick delivery of rider tools that will turn those who access CTS online into passengers. The revised home page simplifies and reorganizes menu choices into readily searchable sections, with links that place real-time bus information; facts on routes, schedules, and fares and trip planning literally at riders’ fingertips. For new riders especially, the How to Ride section provides important basics on reading transit maps, schedules and bus stop signage that was not previously available on the website. By improving the flow of data online, CTS is enhancing our customers’ transit experience—part of ongoing efforts to improve transit access in the Charlottesville area.
Fairfax Connector—
Tysons Connector: Free Midday Shuttle
As of November 23, a new lunchtime shuttle service called Tysons Connector started circulating throughout the Tysons Corner core business district, providing free rides to those who live, work, shop, dine or visit there. Tysons Connector buses operates at 10-minute intervals between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Two routes — Tysons Connector 1 and 2—serve major employers, residential communities and businesses along the routes, as well as Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria malls.
Operated by Fairfax Connector, Tysons Connector makes it easy for Tysons-area employees, residents, and visitors to park their cars and hop on board the shuttle. New bus stop signs identify the locations where passengers can board along the routes. Since the service is free, passengers don’t have to use cash or SmarTrip cards to pay a fare.
To see the Tysons Connector route map and bus stop locations, and to see an image of the bus stop sign, visit the Fairfax Connector web site at www.fairfaxconnector.com.
The Tysons Connector midday shuttle routes are being implemented as a part of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Transportation Management Plan (TMP) which offers transportation options to those who travel in or around Tysons Corner during construction of Dulles Rail. The Tysons Connector is funded by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority's Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project TMP. It is part of the first of three phases of enhanced transit in Tysons Corner, accompanying the construction and operation of Dulles Rail.
GRTC Transit System—
New LEED Building for Transit System
GRTC Transit System is moving from where it has been for over 100 years.
Conceptual plans for the new facility date back to 2001, with construction starting in 2008. Actual moving began on December 4, 2009; all departments will be relocated by the end of January, 2010.
The new GRTC facility is cost effective, functional and aesthetically pleasing. It utilizes “green building” (LEED) practices. This building is unique in that LEED Silver Certification is unusual for transit facilities.
Hampton Roads Transit—
Hampton Roads Transit is on the move
Construction has begun on a new bus maintenance facility, which will replace the century-old complex, formerly used to maintain Norfolk’s old trolley streetcars. While the new facility is being built, about 500 operations, maintenance and administrative employees were relocated to a portion of the vacant Ford Plant in October. The new, state-of-the-art facility will feature a 63,000-square-foot vehicle maintenance facility with 20 bus bays, a central parts store room, major and minor rebuilds, a mechanics' training area and a 16,000 square foot room for dispatch. Phase two of the project calls for construction of a 36,000 square foot administrative building. Construction on phase one is expected to last 18 months.
Chesapeake seeks to study joining light-rail line
The Chesapeake City Council recently unanimously voted to pursue a federally funded study on the possibility of extending light rail service into the city. The Tide, as the starter light rail line will be called when it begins revenue service, is currently designed to run 7.4-miles from downtown Norfolk to the Norfolk-Virginia Beach border. There is currently a regional study underway that will look into possibly extending light rail into Virginia Beach and the Norfolk Naval Base. That study is set to be completed in 18 months.
PRTC—
New OmniRide Route Serves Tysons Corner
The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, PRTC, is now operating a new express commuter bus route to Tysons Corner from eastern Prince William County.
PRTC, which provides commuter and local bus services, started its OmniRide’s Tysons Express service on November 9, 2009. The service is funded entirely by Virginia Megaprojects – a partnership between Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the Virginia Department of Transportation – to help alleviate congestion during construction of the I-495 High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes and Dulles Metrorail projects. When the I-495 HOT lanes are completed in 2013, buses and HOV-3 vehicles will have reliable travel times on the Capital Beltway.
Half-Fares; Free Wi-Fi
PRTC is offering half-fares through mid-May and free Wi-Fi to entice people to give the new route a try and to build ridership. Patrons of OmniRide’s Tysons Express who use a SmarTrip card pay $2.40 per trip, and those using cash pay $3 per trip during this time.
Williamsburg Area Transit—
Williamsburg Area Transit Offers New Trolley Service
On September 29, over fifty stakeholders and friends of The Williamsburg Trolley turned out to celebrate the kickoff of The Williamsburg Trolley. The new trolley service will support commerce in the greater Williamsburg area. The new route has two trolleys leaving from the two extremes and they run the route in opposite directions at the same time. Since their start-up on September 20th, Williamsburg Transit has had 10,871 trolley riders, an average of 2172 per month.
Thomas Nelson Community College on Board
Thomas Nelson Community college (TNCC) students joined the College of William & Mary in WATA’s “flash the ID” program. As of October 1, there has been no charge to ride WAT buses and the Williamsburg Trolley for riders showing a valid TNCC student ID card. TNCC will reimburse WATA for each ride at a rate of $.75, which is half the fare of a daily all-day pass.
VTA's Annual Conference will be held June 10 -11, 2010 in Richmond, Virginia. Details to follow. Check our website for updates.
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