Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Show and Tell for Hampton Roads Regional Government

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by

James A. Bacon
in

Last year HB 3202 made the Hampton Roads Transit Authority (HRTA) a political sub-division of the Commonwealth. The Virginia Supreme Court ruled unanimously that this new Regional Government was un-constitutional. This year some Republicans want to make the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization the new Regional Government.

HB 6055 provides a shell fund and the “Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for new transportation construction projects in the Counties of Isle of Wight, James City, and York and the Cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg, as required by law; and then as determined by the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization.” Some counties along the route of the 460 corridor are MISSING).

Let’s pretend that taxation without representation is no problem, so an HRTA or MPO Regional Government is the solution for transportation. Since almost all the same politicians and bureaucrats are appointed to the HR MPO, HRPDC and HRTA, it’s safe to assume that the planning for the big day to rule has been working since their first failed ballot initiative in 1998.

In the first year of operation (this year), the HRTA was supposed to get about $120 million in new and higher local taxes. Let’s see the Master Plan in a detailed schedule of what was to be done from Day One. Put it up on the web. Show The People the coordinating document – called a ‘horse blanket’ for Army projects. Put it up on the web.

Oh, the HRTA/MPO doesn’t have those details? Okay. How about the plan for just the first year? That would mean now – if they hadn’t been ruled un-Constitutional. Put that plan up on the web.

Let’s see the systems engineering ‘waterfall’ project schedule. Where is the complex work breakdown schedule?

What jobs are created? How much do they pay? What are the job specifications? What is the process to get hired? When is each job to be filled? Surely all of this is planned for the first year. Let’s see it up on the web.

Same for contracts. What contracts, for how much, to do what, when, with what consultants for the first year?

None of this above is a state secret. It’s a good show and tell for the good governance stewardship of public money. It’s establishing the public trust that the Regional Government isn’t the scam for power and money for local pols that it smells like.

I’ve worked on government contracts for almost 20 years. Whether the project is in the $10s of thousands or billions of dollars, contractors do a show and tell to account for every hour of labor and penny spent. Why do we expect less from a Regional Government spending even more money? (2002 estimate was $18b, but it is more like $30-35b with the HRBT and inflation).

Why is it okay for the politicians on the Regional Government to just make it all up as they go along? The challenge of building transportation projects is engineering and management – not representation or politicking.

The HRTA/MPO should show The People how much executive, management and engineering skill they possess – now. They’ve been planning since 1997. Put it up on the web.

Show us how many trucks a day will go from the Port of Virginia to I-64 in the middle of Hampton.

Show us how the MPO doesn’t cover the full 460 corridor to connect with I-95.

Show us the estimate, again, on how many MORE miles of congestion we have with all your projects.

Show us your plan for the HRBT (the biggest congestion problem) – since you never had one before – and where it is in the priority to build.

Some Republicans in the General Assembly are betting the future of their Party on your readiness for good governance. Show and tell now. Put it all up on the web.

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Comments

  1. Larry Gross Avatar
    Larry Gross

    I would actually agree with the kinds and types of information that is being advocated.

    But would ask if we are also asking VDOT to provide equivalent info?

    and one misconception:

    the MPOs do not design and build projects no more than the CTB does.

    VDOT is the agent for design, build and operate and just FYI, the MPO does not have to have VDOT build the project.

    That task can and is put out for bid … all the services, in fact can be bid – as a total package or they can be separated…so that one company is the prime consultant that does the phasing and programming and another company, done by separate bid or selected as a sub by the prime.

    VDOT has a concept called LAP – Locally-administered Projects which also allows counties to do the same thing; it allows them to NOT use VDOT to do the work.

    So – we need to recognize that the MPO is no different than a local BOS that decides ..say to build a new school or new county municipal building.

    So.. no.. the BOS, CTB nor the MPO have the expertise to design and build infrastructure -but they don’t have to.

    There are tons of companies around that do have the expertise and are more than happy to submit low bids to accomplish the work.

    but .. again.. I agree with having more and more information about projects – whether it be VDOT, CTB or the MPO – to have higher levels of accountability and transparency.

    and again to be clear –

    The GA – created and authorized the CBBT to do ALL of the things that the MPO does… set tolls, collect money, design/build improvements, etc,

    You could .. conceivably .. with citizen and elected leader concurrence CHOOSE to have the GA create and authorize an HR/TW toll authority very similar to the CBBT.

    You could have the HR/TW caucus propose that at the GA instead of designating the monies to the MPO.

    How about that path instead of the MPO Path?

  2. James Atticus Bowden Avatar
    James Atticus Bowden

    I recommended expanding the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Commission to include all crossings of the lower James River – and the Elizabeth for the Mid-town tunnel. I would support that in a heartbeat – as long as they don’t have the ability to initiate or raise taxes.

    Then, you need someone to manage the 460 corridor.

  3. Larry Gross Avatar
    Larry Gross

    That may be a path then if the elected of the region see it as a way to move forward…

    that’s presumes.. that somehow you go through some kind of a process to determine what projects need to be built and how they will be paid for.

    And in a way, I hope something like this happens – because some folks on the other side will not change course until something like this takes them out of the play.

    Only then.. will a wider audience, including Richmond and the FHWA realize just how seriously dysfunctional the relationship between the HR/TW MPO and the citizens is…

    That MPO has apparently so poisoned the waters that the citizens won’t touch the MPO idea with a 10 foot pole…

    This ought to be a lesson to other MPOs in Virginia…

  4. James Atticus Bowden Avatar
    James Atticus Bowden

    LG: “presumes.. that somehow you go through some kind of a process to determine what projects need to be built and how they will be paid for.”

    Any member of the GA could exercise the leadership to name the top three projects and their funding with no new taxes – except for tolls.

    My state senator, John Miller (D-NN)acknowledged these priorities to me in an email. It isn’t ‘rocket surgery’.

  5. Larry Gross Avatar
    Larry Gross

    Doesn’t it take more than one elected to do this?

    don’t you need some level of regional concurrence of the projects, phasing, funding, tolls, etc?

    I’m not trying to lead you back to a Regional Entity here – only pointing out that some level of Regional Concurrence is probably required to gain support –

    put another way – this way of doing business – it only takes one “no” vote to cause problems so the goal is to find a sweet spot of concurrence…

    Further – Va Law allows the creation of a non-profit PPTA to make just such a proposal.

    There could be the creation of a HR/TW PPTA Toll Authority with an elected board to govern it.

    Now that could be a kick… ya’ll could spin the MPO off to the side and essentially do what the MPO refused to do.

    why not?

  6. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    The problem reamins that the HR/TW MPO is so seriously flawed that the FEDS only conditionally ceretified the MPO in FEB, and the report cites examples of why the HR/TW MPO is the worst MPO in the state for its failure to include the citizens and taxpayers in the regional decsion making process.

    The selection of the 6 major MPO projects was driven by special interests and a selection criteria dictated by the non-electede TTC.

    The TCC selection criteria did not, repeat, NOT – include any criteria for reducing traffic congestion.

    Instead it was centered upon expanding the state-owned port and speculative “regional economic development”.

    Look, if the state wants to expand their port then the entire state should pay for it.

    Instead our region’s MPO advocates that just us locals are stuck with the tab for the more than $6B worth of port expansion highway projects found in HB 3202.

    -Reid

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