Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization

09/20/2024

Yesterday afternoon, our friends with City of Newport News, VA - Government and Amtrak celebrated the grand opening of the Newport News Transportation Center with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.

From the City of Newport News's post:
This state-of-the-art facility offers train service, providing two daily trips between Newport News and Richmond, Alexandria, Washington, D.C., and cities in the Northeast. The center will also serve as a transfer point for Amtrak Thruway Bus Service extending travel to Norfolk and Virginia Beach, and for Hampton Roads Transit, taxi service and shuttles to and from the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.

In recognition of this opening, Amtrak has announced a limited time offer for travel between Washington, D.C. and Newport News. The sale offers at least 25% off Flex Fare prices in Coach Class for travel between the two cities, which includes Alexandria, Quantico, Fredericksburg, Ashland, Richmond, and Williamsburg, for trips between Sept. 19 and Nov. 3. The sale is only valid for sales booked through Sat, Sept. 21.

09/19/2024

Yesterday, HRTPO staff took a trip to enjoy some of the multimodal opportunities in our region. Staff took the Hampton Roads Transit TIDE and the Ferry to Portsmouth for a quick lunch. One of the best ways to plan for transit is to use what you have available now! :)

09/17/2024

On Friday, HRTPO Deputy Executive Director Pavithra Parthasarathi attended the open house of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Welcome Center! This newly imagined space showcases the project, the numbers, and the importance of the work being done just outside of its doors!

09/16/2024

Happy ! We have several opportunities for you to join in, voice your input, or just see what's happening at the Regional Building! Take a look at what we have coming up!

09/13/2024

On Wednesday, we were honored to host John Quarstein, a regional historian and USS Monitor Center Director Emeritus at The Mariners' Museum and Park in Newport News for a Brief History of Hampton Roads presentation. It was full of interesting bits of the history of our area and the Hampton Roadstead!

09/11/2024

🗣️Trail Advocacy Alert⚠️
You have the opportunity to help shape the future of all trails in Norfolk, not just the ERT. Share your voice, what trails mean to you, how they can transform our city, and more at one of two Trails Master Plan open houses on 🗓️Tuesday, 9/24.
We believe everyone deserves safe access to public green spaces🌳 and that trails can transform communities. You've seen and experienced the benefits of the ERT and what it can do for both people and places. Support the and the future of trails in our city!

🗣️Trail Advocacy Alert⚠️

You have the opportunity to help shape the future of all trails in Norfolk, not just the ERT. Share your voice, what trails mean to you, how they can transform our city, and more at one of two Trails Master Plan open houses on 🗓️Tuesday, 9/24.

We believe everyone deserves safe access to public green spaces🌳 and that trails can transform communities. You've seen and experienced the benefits of the ERT and what it can do for both people and places. Support the and the future of trails in our city!

09/09/2024

Happy ! Here's what we have coming up!

09/06/2024

HRPDC/HRTPO staff member Quan McLaurin joined a number of Federal, State, and Local Officials at today’s ribbon cutting for the LGBT Life Center in Hampton. The LGBT Life Center has served the Hampton Roads region for 35 years, providing necessary and key healthcare services, housing and transportation support, senior services, counseling, intimate partner violence resources, a food pantry, and community refuge for LGBTQIA-identifying and non-identifying community members. The opening of this facility, and the subsequent services that will be more accessible for community members on the Peninsula of Hampton Roads will benefit our region's overall health.

The nation’s highest rate of new HIV cases are found in the South, particularly among young, Black LGBT men. It’s part of what makes expanding the center’s services so important to board member Quan McLaurin. “It’s places and spaces like this that make sure that we continue to fight and we continue to provide the care and the places of refuge that are needed,” he said.

We at the HRPDC/HRTPO are PROUD to support our Locally, State, and federally elected Officials and partners in expanding resources for our region's communities. To learn more about the LGBT Life Center, please visit www.lgbtlifecenter.org.

09/05/2024

The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission Chief Administrative Officer Committee met on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at the beautiful Norfolk Botanical Garden. The agenda items included the Regional Legislative Agenda, EPA Recycling Grant, Long Range Transportation Plan and the Virginia Residential Sites and Structures Locator. We also received a briefing from Peter Schmidt, President and CEO of the Norfolk Botanical Garden, on the exciting Garden of Tomorrow project.

09/04/2024

The meeting of the Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) held on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM.

09/03/2024

Happy ! on the Tuesday after the Labor Day holiday! Here's what we have coming up!

08/27/2024

‼️ BIG NEWS‼️ If you have not heard, we began our Parking Lot Project TODAY! You will notice that the front parking lot is completely blocked off. If you are visiting the Regional Building, please park around the back or at one of the adjacent hotels.

Our project will demonstrate how a typical office building parking lot can be transformed to meet several environmental goals such as flood mitigation, water quality improvement, and reduced temperatures while still being used for the primary purpose of parking. To achieve these goals, our project includes the following stormwater management practices: porous concrete panels, a bioretention basin, and native plants.

08/23/2024

Our Executive Director and HRTPO Deputy Executive Director attended their first meeting as Ex-Officio members of the Elizabeth River Trail Board on Wednesday evening. We are so excited to work with the ERT Board, staff and community partners to continue to advance this incredible trail. The Elizabeth River Trail is part of an exciting network of existing and proposed trails that are forming a regional backbone network across the entire 757 Region!

08/22/2024

Congratulations to our friends City of Newport News, VA - Government, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Amtrak Virginia, Hampton Roads Transit, and all of our rail fans! The new Newport News Transportation Center, opening today, will bring new rail options to Richmond, D.C., and other cities in the Northeast: https://wtkr3.co/3YQJyax

08/20/2024

The HRPDC/HRTPO Regional Legislative Committee met on Monday at the Regional Building to begin the preparation of our Regional Legislative Agenda. We discussed a number of topic areas including, but not limited to resiliency/flooding, regional biking/walking trails, state funding for PDCs, offshore wind, economic development site preparation and transportation. We will be working with our various committees over the next two months to finalize this agenda for consideration by our Boards in October. Its hard to believe that the General Assembly session will be here before we know it!

08/16/2024

Congratulations to our HRPDC/HRTPO participants, Quan, Theresa, and Chris, in today's COMTO Hampton Roads Bowl 2024 Strikes for Scholarships! Thanks for representing us so well!

08/12/2024

Join Our Public Meeting!

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) wants to hear from YOU! The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transportation Authority (FTA) are reviewing how we plan transportation in Hampton Roads. Additional details are attached and available below.

This is your chance to directly tell federal officials what's important to you!

Meeting Details:

• Date: Wednesday, August 14, 2024
• Time: 6:00 PM
• Location: In-person at The Regional Building, 723 Woodlake Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23320 in the 757 Room
• Virtual Option: Join online at Microsoft Teams: Meeting ID: 230 043 922 62, Passcode: Gu7ydY
• Phone Option: Dial +1 972-301-8039,,231994292 # (Conference ID: 231 994 292 #)

Why Participate? This meeting is your opportunity to:

• Share your thoughts on how we plan transportation in Hampton Roads.
• Learn more about the federal review process.
• Help shape the future of transportation in our region.

Spread the Word! Invite your friends, family, and neighbors to join the meeting. Together, we can make a difference!

08/07/2024

VDOT is prepared to address the potential severe weather impacts of expected across Virginia.
Impacts from the storm are expected to be felt across the Commonwealth, including heavy rain, flooding and strong winds.
🌀 Read more at https://bit.ly/3YBkm7D

VDOT is prepared to address the potential severe weather impacts of expected across Virginia.

Impacts from the storm are expected to be felt across the Commonwealth, including heavy rain, flooding and strong winds.

🌀 Read more at https://bit.ly/3YBkm7D

08/06/2024

Congratulations to our friends at The Port of Virginia on the completion of their $83M expansion project at the central rail yard at Norfolk International Terminals. The expansion positions the Port for even more growth into the future!

08/05/2024

Here's what we have coming up! Hope you can make it!

08/02/2024

📢 The NEON District Streetscape Project is underway and traffic on Granby St. is now northbound only! Please stay alert to new traffic patterns, detours and work crews. 👷🚧🚗
NEON District businesses are OPEN during construction and there is plenty of free parking available! 🆓🅿️
Find more details about the project, progress and parking at: www.norfolk.gov/neonstreetscape

08/01/2024

It's getting hot out there & hot cars are NOT cool! Rising temps 🌡️ can quickly turn deadly for a child left inside a parked vehicle, even with the window cracked or in the shade. & check your back seat every time you park.

07/31/2024

🚧Portsmouth Traffic Alert🚧
Beginning Thursday, August 1st, there will be a traffic switch on the Churchland Bridge. With the shift, there will be one travel lane in each direction on the outside lane of each bridge. This shift will last for approximately 3 weeks.

07/29/2024

Happy ! Here are your upcoming chances to get involved and make your voice heard!

07/26/2024

On Thursday, we were able to join the Hampton Roads Caucus at Hampton University Proton Cancer Institute to provide updates on some regional projects and potential needs, including some trail funding opportunities. Thank you to the Hampton Roads Chamber and our Hampton Roads State Senators and Delegates for the opportunity to chat!

07/25/2024

One week ago, we brought the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization Board Members for a 2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan Interactive Work Session. The primary objective of this interactive work session was to gather big-picture transportation project ideas from our Board members to support future growth and address regional needs. We focused on exploring equitable multimodal transportation options for consideration in the 2050 LRTP. Board members’ valuable insights and collaborative efforts will be instrumental in identifying
regional transportation needs and fulfilling the plan’s vision of providing Transportation for All.