By Mike Kimbrel, Principal Transportation Engineer

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) has produced the Draft Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) for fiscal year 2013, which begins on July 1, 2012.  The UPWP describes transportation planning work to be performed for the Hampton Roads metropolitan planning area by the HRTPO, the local public transportation operators (Hampton Roads Transit and Williamsburg Area Transit Authority), and the Virginia Department of Transportation. 

To review and comment on the draft UPWP, please follow this link to the public notices on the HRTPO website: http://hrtpo.org/TPO_PubNotice.asp.  The deadline for comments on the draft UPWP is March 16, 2012.

Pavithra Parthasarathi, Principal Transportation Engineer

The non-motorized transportation network in the Hampton Roads region, consisting of sidewalks, bikeways and trails, plays an important role in ensuring the mobility and accessibility of the residents.  To enhance the efficiency and performance of the current system, the HRTPO staff is currently undertaking a broad research scan of bike and pedestrian plans from regions across the United States and worldwide. 

The objective of this scan is to investigate best practices in bike and pedestrian planning in various areas such as: facility and network development/management, regional bicycle and pedestrian plan development as well as implementation strategies to educate, fund, and develop the regional non-motorized network.

The research scan will be expanded to develop a comprehensive inventory of existing non-motorized facilities in the Hampton Roads region.  The development of the inventory will also include an objective analysis of the existing facilities and an understanding of the users of the system.  The broad review and subsequent analyses will help develop multi-modal strategies for a safe, efficient and sustainable transportation system.

By Benito O. Pérez
HRTPO Transportation Engineer

Many people in Hampton Roads are reliant on the car for their livelihood. Whether it is to go to work, to shop, or to run to the beach in the summer, the majority of people in Hampton Roads rely on the auto to get them there. In fact, in 2010, 80.9% of Hampton Roads residents relied on the auto to get to work. This represents a 2.5% increase since 2000 (Source: US Census Bureau).
 
There are various modes of public transportation available as alternatives to the car in the Hampton Roads region. Public transportation in Hampton Roads includes:

From this array of transit services available in Hampton Roads, there are approximately 1.6 million passenger trips monthly across the regional public transportation system in 2010 (Source: National Transit Database).

As part of a larger national study, Bradley Lane of the University of Texas at El Paso conducted research exploring the relationship between fuel prices and transit ridership. Lane notes in his research, ‘[For] every 10 percent increase in fuel costs led to an increase in bus ridership of up to 4 percent, and a spike in rail travel of up to 8 percent. These results suggest a "significant untapped potential" for transit ridership.’

Evaluating fuel prices and transit ridership trends in Hampton Roads from January 2005 through October 2011, similar results to the Lane study can be found. As fuel prices rose 129% between January 2005 and July 2008, transit ridership increased 50%. Similarly, as fuel prices dropped 60% between July and December 2008, transit ridership decreased 20% in the same period.

Source: Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database
Source: AAA Fuel Gauge Report

As per Eric Jaffe's reporting in The Atlantic, Lane's analysis revealed two key relationships between gas prices and transit ridership. The first is what he calls an elasticity, which is essentially a behavioral response to an event. In this case the event is a change in gas prices, and the response is a shift in transit ridership. The second is what he calls a "lagged effect." That means that some elasticities — such as switching your commute from car to train — don't appear until several months after the initial change in fuel cost.

By: Keith Nichols
Senior Transportation Engineer

With water being such a prominent part of the Hampton Roads landscape, bridges are a critical part of the regional transportation system.  There are over 1,200 bridges in Hampton Roads, ranging from small culverts to some of the longest bridges in the world. 

Of these 1,214 bridges in Hampton Roads, 77 are classified as structurally deficient.  Structurally deficient bridges are structures with elements that need to be monitored and/or repaired, and eventually need to be rehabilitated or replaced.  It should be noted, however, that structurally deficient bridges are not necessarily unsafe, and bridge inspectors will close or place weight limits on any bridge that is unsafe.

Examples of prominent structurally deficient bridges in Hampton Roads include the Gilmerton Bridge, Lesner Bridge, Denbigh Boulevard Bridge over I-64 in Newport News, Churchland Bridge, and a segment of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

In addition, another 271 bridges in Hampton Roads are classified as functionally obsolete.  Functionally obsolete bridges are structures that were built to standards that are no longer used today, and have narrow lanes, low vertical clearances, difficult approaches, or may occasionally be flooded.

VDOT has made improving bridges a priority, both in Hampton Roads and throughout the Commonwealth.  A total of 27 bridge projects in Hampton Roads are included in the current Six-Year Improvement Program, with a total of $339 million in allocations.  Many structurally deficient bridge projects are funded, including the Gilmerton Bridge, Lesner Bridge, and Denbigh Boulevard Bridge over I-64.

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization completed a thorough study of bridges in 2008.  This study is available at the HRTPO website at http://hrtpo.org/Documents/Reports/2008/RegionalBridgeStudyFinalReport.pdf.

Structurally Deficient and Functionally Obsolete Bridges in Hampton Roads

ITS Virginia (ITSVA) “serves as a forum and network for its public and private sector members to share information, ideas and experiences” concerning Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), i.e. “technologies that improve the safety, security and efficiency of the surface transportation system” in Virginia.

On May 4 and 5, ITSVA held its Annual Conference in Richmond.  Conference sessions included:

Active Traffic Management Around the World: Lessons for Virginia

Port Improvement Projects

Active Transportation and Demand Management

Two reports from eastern Virginia were presented to the group:

HRTPO Efforts & Initiatives, by Robert B. Case, HRTPO staff

Eastern Region Activities, by Dwayne Cook, VDOT

At the Options for Considering Operational Improvements in the Planning Process session, HRTPO staff learned how to calculate a “buffer index” (95th percentile travel time divided by average travel time) which staff can use to measure travel time reliability on Hampton Roads’ interstates and major arterials.

by Stephanie Shealey
Transportation Engineer

During the April 5th Hampton Roads Transportation Operations (HRTO) subcommittee meeting, Roemer Alfelor (FHWA) briefed the committee members on the FHWA Road Weather Management Program. The purpose of the briefing was to introduce the member localities to the Clarus Initiative, and explain how local Traffic Management Centers (TMC's) can support the initiative and use the data it collects.

The Clarus Initiative (www.clarusinitiative.org) aims to reduce the impact of adverse weather conditions on roadway users. Part of this initiative, the Clarus System (www.clarus-system.com) compiles weather stations across the US and Canada so that local users can monitor not only the weather in their area, but also the weather patterns that are moving towards them, allowing local governments to be prepared to respond to any inclement weather.

Currently, there are two VDOT weather stations in Hampton Roads that are attached to the Clarus system, and the City of Hampton has several roadway weather stations in its own system.

Dale M. Stith
Transportation Planner

On March 17, 2011, the HRTPO Board unanimously approved a fiscally-constrained prioritized List of Projects and Studies to include in the region’s next 2034

Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).  This action

represents an unprecedented 18 months of focused dialogue and regional cooperation to develop and approve an objective analysis of critically needed transportation improvements.    Furthermore, this is also the first time a formalized process for prioritizing transportation projects was used as input to rank regionally significant projects.

Projects and studies recommended for the LRTP must be fiscally-constrained per federal regulations.  The HRTPO must be able to demonstrate that reasonable funding exists to cover the costs associated with each recommended project in the LRTP.  In the face of scarce funding resources, HRTPO staff had the challenging task of evaluating over 150 candidate transportation projects that were submitted by transportation stakeholders and concerned citizens from across the region.  The price tag for these projects totals approximately $30 Billion.  Combining revenue sources from federal, state, the Governor’s Transportation Funding Proposal, local, and private investment, the region can expect slightly over $5 Billion in the next 20 years to invest in new transportation projects.  HRTPO staff utilized the Prioritization Tool to help rank projects based on their technical merits and regional benefits.  High-ranking projects were then selected based on funding sources available.

In spite of the limited funding resources, the HRTPO staff identified funding for approximately 50 projects and studies for the 2034 LRTP.  These projects range from widening roadways to relieve congestion including I-64 on the Peninsula, replacing and repairing critical bridges, improving interchanges and intersections, reinstating and enhancing passenger rail service, developing passenger rail stations, and adding new roadways for increased connectivity such as the I-564 Intermodal Connector as well as adding another tube to the Midtown Tunnel.  The approved list also includes several studies that will evaluate the benefits and impacts of major regional projects such as US Route 460, widening I-64 from Hampton Roads to Richmond, Patriots Crossing, widening the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, Southeastern Parkway and Greenbelt, High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail, and the Virginia Beach Transit Extension.

For more information about the approved List of Projects and Studies for the 2034 LRTP, please visit the HRTPO website at www.hrtpo.org.

As printed in AASHTO.org

Washington, D.C. -- New specifications for diesel-electric locomotives were approved today by the Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee, the next step in a national effort to make it easier, faster, and cheaper to build and purchase rail cars and other equipment for America's emerging high-speed and intercity passenger rail program. Any state using federal funds for its passenger rail program must use equipment that meets these specifications.

"Rail cars and locomotives that can be used by all the states will reduce costs while increasing the efficiency of procurement and manufacturing," said Bill Bronte, chairman of the Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee's Executive Board and rail director for the California Department of Transportation. "Standard specs will also enable states to pool their equipment purchases and therefore generate more demand for manufacturers. This is fundamental to building and sustaining our own American-based manufacturing capability for passenger rail, and will generate investment and create jobs here in the U.S."

The committee is a collaboration of states, FRA, Amtrak, rail equipment manufacturers and suppliers and was created by Congress to develop specifications and procurement strategies for America's next generation of passenger rail cars and equipment. During today's meeting, held in Washington D.C., the committee approved the specifications for diesel-electric locomotives.

In February 2011, the group approved single-level, stand-alone corridor passenger cars; in August 2010, the Board approved specifications for bi-level coach, dining, baggage, and business class rail cars. Members of the Executive Board include 11 state departments of transportation, the FRA, and Amtrak.

"Taken together, these actions will advance the ability for domestic manufacturers to gear up and really get to work on American-made train sets," Bronte said.

Amtrak Vice President Stephen Gardner said recently America's intercity passenger railroad also plans to use the standard specs, as applicable, to purchase new cars or locomotives for Amtrak's national system, adding that Amtrak's involvement would help "create as big a buy as you can to get economies of scale."

The specs are developed through a rigorous multi-stage process. The specification is developed initially by a Technical Subcommittee, which includes widespread participation by industry as well as Amtrak, the FRA, and the states. Following reviews for technical adequacy and other factors, the Executive Board considers the proposals for final action.

The Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee was created under the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA). The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) acts as the secretariat for the Board as well as providing a broad range of support services for the Committee as a whole.

Specifications and additional information on the Committee (also referred to as the Section 305 Committee from the PRIIA legislation) is at http://www.highspeed-rail.org/Pages/Section305Committee.aspx.