This is a list of questions and answers that we believe are the most likely to be asked by the public. It's dynamic and evolving, and if we get questions that seem to fit this list, we'll be glad to add them.

If you have a question that's not found on this list, click HERE to ask it.

What is the purpose of this project?

The purpose is to bring the citizens of Virginia Beach into an open, inclusive and productive conversation about transportation possibilities and challenges for the community, leading to local transportation policy decisions that are informed by citizen values and preferences. During the process, citizens will have opportunities to outline future choices and express their preferences for the community’s transportation future.


Can you describe the project?

The project has two phases.

Citizens will work together to outline transportation options and issues and also help identify communities and experts associated with the various choices and trade-offs, such as planning a network for bike transportation, increasing pedestrian access or establishing multi-modal transfer locations. This work will be done in committee settings open to all and also by inviting citizens to use Wiki-like tools to work collaboratively on the project Web site to build the community dialogue outline.

Small group community dialogue will enable citizens to work through the public choices and ask participants to exchange views about community transportation goals. Personal preferences related to allocation of future local resources related to transportation will also be gathered.


What results are expected and what will be done with them?

A project report with the preferences on transportation goals and resource allocations and other comments will be given to the community and their City Council. The question of “results” is more complicated.

The Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement maintains that the primary elements for an engaged citizenry and, by extension, sustainable democracy are these:

willing and informed citizens,
accessible and timely information, and
productive public involvement processes.

The project results hoped for are:

a.) that Virginia Beach citizens have been involved in a process of defining the questions, their information needs and transportation options and

b.) that they have engaged with one another about their transportation future and the public choices for Virginia Beach.

The long-term result is a community more prepared to make informed choices in consultation with one another about transportation and other matters of concern to the community.


What effect will this process have?

Elected representatives have the responsibility to cast votes on policy, but informed citizens working together will be the “drivers” of the best decisions for Virginia Beach.

The future will include hundreds of public choices related to transportation choices and the quality of life for the community. There are impacts on the environment, neighborhoods and the economy, and the allocation of land and public funds to consider. Many of the decisions are connected and all have trade-offs. These considerations should be fully discussed.


Who is paying for this project?

Both the Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement and the City of Virginia Beach are contributing financial and staff support to this project.

The Center, a charitable non-profit organization, is funded by contributions from its board members, local foundations and civic engagement project work. Its “staff” includes both paid staff and volunteers interested in expanding the inclusion of citizens in public policy decision making. Paid staff and volunteers from the Center will be involved in this project.

The City is contributing funds for a neutral and dedicated Web site, communications and video support, outside speaker fees and a portion of the paid staff time from the Center. Additionally, City staff experts from: libraries, planning, information and technology, and media and communications will provide support for the project.


How can I participate?

There are multiple ways to participate.

On the Citizens Working Group – At the front end of the project, citizens can join the committee tasked to find transportation options and related issues. The group is open to any citizen interested in participating and will remain open throughout the process. The group will also help identify experts or communities that can highlight alternative approaches, tradeoffs and interdependencies.

Research – You can do research on your own and share links to useful resources. We need help finding information, experts and images to fill out a robust set of options for the community to consider.

Multimedia – We encourage you to upload and post your pictures, clips, footage of what you see that works or doesn’t. These visuals will make the community dialogue richer. If you have something to share and can't use our system, click HERE to contact us and we'll make alternate arrangements.

Online – While there will be some activities available to the casual visitor, full online participation will be available with registration. The project Web site will have discussion space, surveys and a place for your stories and pictures.

We will use online collaboration to build a community dialogue outline. That resulting outline will be used by small groups in the community to exchange views on goals for their transportation future and to invite personal input on the relative allocation of resources related to transportation and the quality of life in Virginia Beach.

Small group community dialogue – These gatherings will occur towards the end of the project. The views of the participants will be gathered at these events.


How long is the project?

The project as it is currently laid out is estimated to last about a year - from late fall 2009 to late fall 2010. The effects of the project will go on into the future, as the citizens of Virginia Beach continue to make quality-of-life choices about transportation options.


What is the difference between this project and the light rail study being done for the City of Virginia Beach by Hampton Roads Transit?

This initiative runs parallel in time but is dramatically different. The light rail study being done under the direction of the Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) consists of two parts: an Alternatives Analysis (AA) and a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The AA will consider and evaluate the different ways the public transportation system could be expanded. Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail are among those options.

The DEIS takes all the options being considered in the AA, and evaluates the need for each, as well as their impacts on the environment. The DEIS also looks at other potential impacts like social, cultural and economic. Both the AA and the DEIS are required by the federal government for projects like the one under consideration.

By contrast, the Envision Transportation project has a wider scope and is less technical. The future of transportation and personal mobility requires consideration of more than one mode of transportation. This project is intended to be a much broader and fuller dialogue on the different options and the public’s preferences.

The future of transportation in Virginia Beach involves community values and public choices that should be explored through questions like:

What makes a community more walk-able?

What about the needs of special populations?

What is required for an increased usage of bikes for commuting?

Are there infrastructure requirements for electric cars?

If we had light rail, what features would be desirable for our community?

What about regional connectivity?

What would be the elements of a transportation system that works for Virginia Beach?

Why is the City of Virginia Beach a partner on this project?

The City Council has identified transportation as a top priority for the near future saying that “it is critical to the city’s economic future and quality of life.”


Why is the Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement a partner on this project?

The Center works on public issues that matter to the citizens of the region. And it works with those who believe that citizens have responsibilities to be informed and do public work together. The Center believes that self-governance is hard work and must be practiced in order to thrive.