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Virginia is not good at much.

the way y'all talk about trains i don't think you really understand anything about trains.

Everytime he said underground, I winced. I know how unrealistic it is

Would be nice

Great video! Lived in Richmond my whole life. We are very angry at how things are handled. City Government is embezzling so much money that it's sickening.

I subbed, I hope you get to go to Europe to see one of the large cities' rail systems. I love seeing (especially Americans) first time use. If you one day make it to London, I'll buy you a pint, and tell you about all of the ghost stations!

I agree the Tide should go east to the Oceanfront. The problem is the city of Virginia Beach doesn't want it.

I stopped watching when you quoted some internet rando who calls himself "dragon fisting". 3 minutes in and it sounds like just another urban planning daydream about building a giant toy train at other peoples' expense. My guess is that Virginia Beach voters rejected it for a reason, and it's their town, after all.

Richmond is the city of 7 flushes. 7 cities upstream also dump their poop in the river

This small system reminds me of OnTrack up in Syracuse, NY. It has similar potential, if only the folks would get out of their own way. Edit: It should be pointed out, that any areas underground should be AWAY from waterfront spaces. It's ok for the line to be at grade or slightly elevated (16 feet for truck clearance) in these waterfront areas. The elevated structure can also be integrated into the local area with commercial and light industrial (think custom window fabricating etc) under the elevated spans. This would create a dual use corridor. Edit 2: The Siemens S700 electric light rail trains they have now work fine. No need to re-invent the wheel there, just run them as pairs, triples, or quads. Also, this system cannot be fully automated. The line does not meet the requirements for a fully automated transportation corridor. Typically light rail operators are pulled from the bus operator pool, and given the required additional training. These operators already know the rest of the system, and it means they don't need to relocate for the job if in the bus operator pool already.

Fun point - IIRC ridership was a lot higher when the service started (they were running close to 5,000 riders/day), largely because HRT "underpriced" the monthly passes they were offering to companies in Norfolk. So the low ridership is also partly an artifact of pricing policies. That being said, you've sort-of hit on a problem with The Tide that nobody really twigs: West of Harbor Park, it's a decent (if underbuilt) streetcar system that could/should probably be extended up to Norfolk Naval Station. East of Harbor Park, it's a half-baked commuter line. What should be done is the line west of Harbor Park should be extended, both to the east (to the Oceanfront) and to the south (heading into Chesapeake), but as a DMU-based commuter system. This /really/ shouldn't be that expensive - part of the issue with the light rail proposal was that it was going to be over $1bn, when rebuilding a bunch of Class 3/4 track shouldn't run you more than like $10m/mile. In theory you could get to NNS with a line going north where the existing Tide crosses the line to the northern dock areas, but I don't know what NS would want for access. Still, you could have 2-3 lines interchanging in some way. West of there, extend the existing service to cover more of Norfolk and maybe tag up with this system by NNS. Over on the Peninsula, I'd actually use the existing Pembroke Sub (which admittedly runs just north of downtown) connecting to the CSX line (I think there's a strong case for the state to just buy the Peninsula Sub from CSX and call it a day). Yes, this might require a change for folks to go downtown (though Pembroke hits the mainline around 37th street, so extending that over to the NNTC and having trains reverse to go north makes sense), but I think there's a powerful case for not trying to do everything with a single line. Hampton could get its own streetcar line for downtown, or you could run a couple of circulator buses (one for downtown Hampton, one for downtown Newport News/the shipyard, one for Peninsula Town Center, and one for City Center). The biggest snarl is connecting the two areas. I think the best option would just be to run a high-speed ferry from either Hampton or Newport News until both systems get enough ridership to justify the (darned expensive) tunnel.

As someone who has to commute across the HRBT 7 days a week, I cannot understate how desperately we need new light rail.

IVE BEEN SAYING THIS

If 757 region had better transit and infrastructure it definitely could lure professional sports.

if you want the trains to work you have to include the bases otherwise its useless

Folks might use 895 if it wasn't such an expensive tool last time I used it. I think it cost me 12 bucks and I only used it because there was an accident on 64. Just found your channel it's definitely cool to see well-done videos on Richmonds infrastructure.

I really enjoyed the music, it tickled my ears in just the right way. And thank goodness there's no props, microphones, or synthesizers! Side note: This is the third show named after the process of insect growth, the other two being 2007 Crossmen "Metamorphosis," and perhaps most famously, 2017 Blue Devils "Metamorph." Irritatingly, none of the three shows share any common repertoire.

The track would definitely need to be at grade or elevated mostly, I would do a 3 line system with a junction in downtown norfolk, and terminals at VB oceanfront, dowtown Suffolk, and N. News/Williamsburg airport and a people mover from Norfolk intl. Airport to Newtown rd station

I love I got this video after the water crisis

Yes, they’re absolutely absolutely is something broken in the city of Richmond ; the fact that $.79 for every dollar collected in Richmond goes to government wages. Only $.19 for every dollar collected actually goes to infrastructure! The amount of corruption is atrocious. Why do you think Doug Wilder made us such a big deal about demanding the Richmond Board of Education out of City Hall?

I’ve taken the tide before and it indeed sucks in every way, but the worst problem not addressed in this video is the homeless people problem. Every station (especially newtown road and in Ghent Norfolk) and the trains themselves have a bunch of homeless people on them, which makes it feel unsafe and gross to ride.

Thanks for bringing attention to the transit needs of our region! While I don’t agree with everything proposed here, the important part is we get the conversation started. One potential transit expansion that is actively looking for public feedback is the Connecting Chesapeake expansion between DT Norfolk and Greenbrier. HRT is looking at different routes and if it will be light rail or BRT styled after Richmond’s new line. The City of Chesapeake will decide if and how they want to go forward later this year. I’d post a link to the project website, but I expect YT would auto-block it. So just Google “Connecting Chesapeake” and look for a website of the same name.

Good luck!

VA beach and Norfolk hate each other worse than any two cities in earth. Other can lay the claim, but those two sabotage each other every chance they get. That light rail is a joke not only because it doesn't go to va beach but even more because it doesn't go to naval station Norfolk OR odu, aka two of the biggest people who would actually use it. Even better they should have NOT expanded the bridge tunnel and instead made a rail going from peninsula to the Southside. Absolute short sighted foolishness on their part.

I love auto playing train videos by recommendation and immediately knowing exactly where you are standing. I’ve been an advocate for a Hampton roads light rail system. I actually planned out one in theory when I worked at home. I was really disappointed when I found out that they doubled the HRBT and did not plan a light rail or Amtrak expansion in their design.

I have not watched the entire video yet, but I have to say, nowhere in America does light rail, or rail at all well. We have 3/4 of a century of being so car centric it hurts. There are a ton of politico-economic reasons for that, but unfortunately, I do not see 'the tide' turning any time soon.

As a nawfuk resident. The Tide is worse than useless. However, the only thing more useless than the Tide is talking to any City in the seven cities about cooperation on transit.

Thank you addressing the broad problem of public officials focusing on the flashy things instead of the important things. It's easy to just blame someone for this but it really covers decades of neglect. And millions of our money just disapearing from the budget. that know one seems to care about now.

Va developers are so behind the times. Then it's almost impossible to get the public on board. Durham, NC is light years ahead of VA.

This is stupid, just expand and improve bus rapid transit and build more toll roads.

Glad to see a video about hampton roads, thanks for doing this. I used to live there, I am now back in my hometown of Roanoke (tbh i do not miss it lol). I was not aware of the regional transit program and fund but I was aware of the transportation authority that funds all the massive highway projects down there. I understand that HRTAC can only fund highway projects (unlike the NOVA and Richmond transportation authorities, which is crazy). So then i guess the transit one is separate and gets way less money. Changing it from a grantor's tax to a land value tax would be a drastic change. Either way they really need more transit funding. I understand that for highway projects they have the authority to levy the sales tax, which they wouldnt be able to do for transit

The fact that this highway is within spitting distance and I've never once gone over it...

As a richmond enjoyer I'm really hoping the growth and recent elimination of parking mandates help grow the tax base needed to make richmond a first rate medium sized city

Coming back to this video after last week's water crisis. I would love to see you make a video about the city's water infrastructure if you are inclined to do so.

I saw the thumbnail, read the title and thought to myself "This has to be about Richmond." Clicked and was not disappointed. Thanks for sharing the story of our stinky, stinky city. Driving down 95 is without question one of my least favorite things to do in this city. Crossing over the James makes me want to hurl.

As a New Yorker this region and frankly Virginia as a whole will never be taken seriously with its polycentrism like New Jersey. Richmond is lovely, centrally located, and has a relatively large skyline but no lmao. What needs to happen is Norfolk annexes everything in the I-64 ring highway kick everything out of it east of the little creek rail line so it keeps the airport and half of the harbor then for the west side either all the land within the ring or don’t annex the sprawling mess west of goose creek/western branch of the Elizabeth river. Upzone everything in the rail loop surrounding downtown Portsmouth and anything south of 23rd in Norfolk. Boom you got yourself a major city in VA keep the peninsula/VA Beach as regional hubs but neglect them like Anaheim,NewarkNJ,WilmingtonDE,Gary, and Arlington/AlexandriaVA so there’s a clear PRIMATE city. Rename the city after a British monarch Elizabeth or Chesapeake or with a V and rename or dissolve current Chesapeake, it can’t keep Norfolk because so many northeast Norfolk’s already exist and the biggest city in the country starts with a N. Coastal city with the best harbor in the USA Eliza, VA or Vaunt, VA has a premium sound and the metropolitan region is known as the euphemism for the city name. Hampton roads is vague and horrible and not even the most famous Hampton in this country. Once this happens transit, sports teams, attention, and attractions will all come rolling in and it will join the ranks with New York, NY/Philadelphia, PA/Washington, DC.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about the GRTC Pulse in Richmond. I've found that it's pretty divisive, but it was a huge boon when I was in college and didn't have a car. Obviously light rail would have been preferable, but it's an interesting compromise.

Also - I would like to recommend that you call the system C-Bart (see - bart). I think that flows more easily.

I'm for anything that eliminates "hot lanes". I think they are a blight. I don't live in Northern Virginia anymore but I go there often and the hot-lanes on I-66 ruined any possibility of extending the Orange line

I worked for HRSD for 15 years. An exemplary Authority operating several state of the art treatment plants. Richmond is a DEI horror show, so this damning video is not a surprise. After their recent potable water treatment plant debacle, I hold out little hope Richmond will meet the discharge limitations. Excellent video.

Further up the James, Lynchburg started working on their CSO issues back in the mid 90s and I believe the city is still working on it. It was originally supposed to be a 20 year plan but the huge cost meant it had to be stretched out even further. Work is scheduled to be finished in 2027.

I love 895. It saves me so much time despite the toll. Just because you don't personally use it doesn't mean it's useless. It's great for anyone in south richmond or North Chesterfield. I use it multiple times per week to get to my mom's house in Quinton. Anyone from Chesterfield going to the beach will save time on 895. The 10 mins doesn't account for the frequent delays on 95 and 64. Taking west Hundred or driving all the way down to Enon to get on 295 adds at least 15 or 20 mins to my drive time.

Thats definitely a good backbone of a rail system but i question how many people will use it given that its only convenient if you live by the rail and are only specifically going to a stop just off the rail. Id still have to drive to a stop and park before hopping on if i wasnt interested in an hour walk one way. Compliment this with a good bus system instead of the joke we have atm and itd probably be a solid option.

Incredibly high quality video. Great information

The other thing that should be considered is increasing the density of residential and commercial space around existing stations. This would raise demand without even expanding the line. Living close to stations and having options near stations makes using the system a better choice. The state could have a competitive funding program for high density development around existing transit stations. Localities could bid with proposals that would generate the most tax revenue and the winners would get the funds. We need to try everything to get the ball rolling on better transit and urban design.

Raised in northern VA, I definitely see the benefit of having a diverse railway connecting all the 757 cities. I do use the tide from time to time and enjoy it for what it is, but man if there was something so robust like the DC Metro that would be amazing (super bummed about VB shutting down an expansion, though)

As someone who used to live in the area for 20 years and who regularly uses transit , This does not seem like a compelling argument for the project: -First and foremost, how much would this cost? What's a comparable project in the United States and what's a comparable project abroad, and how much did each cost per mile? Based on those projects, how much would this cost per mile and cost total? How much ridership can we expect given that cost? -Newport News and Hampton do not seem dense enough for this, and don't seem to be straining in population or jobs, so it's not like they could upzone their way to being dense enough, the Peninsula portion of this line makes the same mistakes The Tide has made by running through low-density areas. Are there any successful transit projects in the United States built in Hampton/Newport News levels of density? -Turning 2-4 lanes of Tunnel into Light rail is a big ask, particularly because the lanes were paid for with the expectation of toll revenue (which the train will not make up for). What modeling shows there's enough light rail traffic from the proposed line to ease more congestion than a BRT line, or heck just the HOV-EZ-Pass lanes themselves. HOV-EZ-Pass creates a sort of Libertarian public transit known as slugging that's become popular in the DC-area, why is light rail in the tunnel a better value for the region (including those who will not use the light rail b/c they, like most, will not live on it) than slugging or a BRT line using the HOV EZpass lanes? -The Virginia Beach Oceanfront section is puzzling because the Virginia Beach Oceanfront does not want light rail connecting it to downtown Norfolk, their reasoning is based is based in socioeconomic prejudice, but you've got to figure out how to overcome that prejudice if you want to build the project there. -The project expects complete regional cooperation, and expects complete regional funding, but the project completely leaves out Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Suffolk. In particular, Suffolk agreeing to join the regional transit program to help pay for a massive project which they do not directly benefit from seems politically impossible. And as a meta-issue, this proposal should really reckon with modeling out travel times, how long would it take someone to ride from end to end, and what about hypothetical usage patterns, how long would it take for someone to ride from downtown Newport News to CHKD, vs how long would it take to drive? If this project isn't competitive with driving, what makes it a good bang for the buck? Drawing a line on the map is fun to talk about, but it's not enough to make a case for the project. 
I think transit in the Hampton Roads area is worth exploring, but a BRT project that could be converted to rail at some point would be the better project to analyze. At the very least, it's worth discussing why this extremely expensive project is better than BRT.