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<br />April 8. 2008 <br /> <br />"RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE HAMPTON ROADS METROPOLITAN <br />PLANNING ORGANIZATION INCLUDE A MASS TRANSIT CORRIDOR FOR <br />FUTURE LIGHT RAIL IN THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE PROPOSED MIDTOWN <br />TUNNEL PROJECT. <br /> <br />WHEREAS, using the provIsions of the Public-Private Transportation Act of <br />1995, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is proceeding with a <br />Solicitation for Conceptual Proposals for various improvements to the Downtown <br />Tunnel, for the extension of the Martin Luther King Freeway, and for modifications to the <br />existing Midtown Tunnel and construction of a new Midtown Tunnel running under the <br />Elizabeth River, which will increase the number of traffic lanes in the Midtown Tunnel <br />from two to four - a project which represents a major capital investment into the region's <br />transportation network; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the installation of Light Rail and/or a new mass transportation <br />corridor is not possible through the current Downtown tunnels; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the addition of Light Rail and/or a new mass transportation corridor <br />to the proposed new Midtown Tunnel will be the only opportunity to provide such a <br />corridor between the Norfolk starter line of the Regional Light Rail system and localities <br />west of the Elizabeth River; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, currently there is no mandatory provision for a mass transportation <br />lane within the proposed new Midtown Tunnel project; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Light Rail and/or mass transportation in the Midtown Tunnel will help <br />reduce traffic congestion, reduce commute times, and reduce air pollution in Hampton <br />Roads; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Light Rail and/or mass transportation in the Midtown Tunnel will <br />allow for critical and successful expansion of the Hampton Roads Regional Light Rail <br />system to the cities of Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Suffolk, and to other localities <br />west of the Elizabeth River; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, by promoting multimodal forms of transportation, Light Rail and/or <br />mass transportation, economic growth and responsible higher-density development can <br />be achieved without the need for future roadway construction and expansion; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, if Light Rail and/or a mass transportation corridor between Norfolk <br />and localities west of the Elizabeth River is not included now during the planning for the <br />new Midtown Tunnel, then west side localities will be denied the opportunity to <br />participate in and share in the benefits of the expansion of the regional Light Rail <br />system for the foreseeable future as there are no existing plans for another multi modal <br />crossing of the Elizabeth River; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, a Light Rail river crossing would be cost effective and would be the <br />most fiscally-constrained project possible if the new Midtown Tunnel were designed as <br />a multimodal facility, as evidenced by a 1999 Hampton Roads Transit study which <br />concluded that a separate, stand alone dedicated Light Rail crossing that is not part of a <br />shared facility would be cost prohibitive. <br /> <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Portsmouth City Council <br />supports the inclusion of a lane in the new Midtown Tunnel dedicated to light rail and or <br />mass transportation with the goals of reducing traffic congestion and increasing <br />connectivity in Hampton Roads; and <br />