Minutes 10/08/2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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October 8, 2013 - New Business - 13 - 423 -Boards and Commissions There were no appointments. 13 - 424 -Items Submitted by Council Members • Adoption of a resolution requesting the Governor of Virginia and the Secretary of Transportation to work together to devise a plan that would allow the operation of the I-264 Downtown Tunnel to be open to two-way traffic during the rehabilitation work. - Mr. Moody asked that Mayor Wright ask the Mayor's in Hampton Roads to get their City Council's to adopt a similar resolution. 1. Charles Greenhood, 467 Court Street, spoke in support of this item. 2. Tony Goodwin, 38 Linden Avenue, spoke in support of this item. Motion by Mr. Moody, and seconded by Ms. Psimas, to adopt the following resolution, and was adopted by the following vote: "RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA AND THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TO DEVISE A PLAN THAT WOULD ALLOW TWO-WAY TRAFFIC IN THE I-264 DOWNTOWN TUNNEL DURING THE TUNNEL'S REHABILITATION WORK. WHEREAS, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) have undertaken the Midtown Tunnel, MLK Expansion and Downtown Tunnel Rehabilitation Projects; and WHEREAS, as part of these projects, VDOT and ERC are closing the westbound tube of the I-264 Downtown Tunnel from Norfolk to Portsmouth for 25 weekends for aten-month period that began on August 9, 2013 and will continue through May 2014; and WHEREAS, because of these complete weekend closures, Portsmouth residents, businesses, visitors, and motorists have been severely negatively impacted; and WHEREAS, the Portsmouth's downtown business district has experienced a loss of revenue estimated at approximately 30% as a result of these weekend closures; and WHEREAS, the continuation of complete weekend closures could potentially cause our downtown business district to suffer a revenue loss of over 50% which would have a devastating impact on the economy and local finances of the City; and WHEREAS, the Midtown Tunnel is inadequate to handle the additional volume of traffic due to the weekend tunnel closures, thus creating further impact on businesses, residents, and visitors of Portsmouth; and WHEREAS, in the event of a stoppage in the Midtown Tunnel, no reasonable alternative routes remain for westbound traffic from Norfolk to Portsmouth on the affected weekends; and WHEREAS, Portsmouth City Council desires to have VDOT and ERC develop a plan that would allow the eastbound tube at the Downtown Tunnel to have two-way traffic on these weekends; and WHEREAS, Portsmouth City Council desires that the Governor of Virginia and the Secretary of Transportation cause VDOT and ERC to devise such a plan; and