PRESS RELEASE
JAN
'19
January 16, 2019

For Immediate Release: January 16, 2019
 
Contact:
Joe Turner
Communications and Web Manager
HRPDC/HRTPO
Tel: (757) 420-8300
Fax: (757) 523-4881
CHESAPEAKE – Members of the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) and Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) will gather Thursday, January 17, 2019, to discuss topics ranging from the Elizabeth River Crossing Agreement, to the enhanced collaboration between the region’s two workforce development boards.

The meetings will be held at the Regional Board Room at 723 Woodlake Drive in Chesapeake, Virginia. The HRTPO meeting starts at 10:30am and the HRPDC meeting begins at 12:30pm .

Media will have an opportunity to gain comments or secure follow up interviews with the HRTPO and HRPDC boards and presenters.
HRTPO Meeting
10:30am, January 17, 2019
The HRTPO will discuss the following topics during its January 2019 meeting:

  • Overview and Discussion of Elizabeth River Crossing Agreement - Spurred by a Virginian-Pilot op-ed article regarding tolls at the Downtown and Midtown Tunnels and the impacts on the city of Portsmouth, HRTPO Board members requested a briefing on the Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) Agreement. In response, HRTPO staff will provide an overview of the ERC agreement, the tolls at the Downtown and Midtown tunnels and the potential financial impacts on other projects throughout the region.

  • Hampton Roads Regional Express Lanes Operational Analysis - The HRTPO Board will be asked to accept and agree upon a Scoping Framework Document that specifies how the Hampton Roads Regional Express Lanes Operational Analysis study will be carried out. The study will evaluate the operational characteristics and efficiencies of three HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lane segments as well as the operational characteristics and efficiencies of a proposed HOT lanes network along I-64 that would extend from the western end of the I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion project (in the vicinity of Settlers Landing Road in Hampton) to the Bowers Hill Interchange in Chesapeake.

  • Very Large, Indispensable Transportation Asset List (VITAL) Infrastructure – The HRTPO Board will receive a briefing on VDOT's VITAL Infrastructure. VDOT, based on legislation passed by the General Assembly, has recently completed a study on the funding needs of structures across the Commonwealth creating the VITAL Infrastructure List. Twenty-five (25) locations owned by VDOT, more than half (13) of which are located in Hampton Roads, have been designated as VITAL Infrastructure. Only one, the south approach of the westbound Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT), is currently in poor condition based on federal standards.
HRPDC Meeting
12:30pm, January 17, 2019
The HRPDC will discuss the following topics during its January 2019 meeting:

  • Workforce Development Update – The HRPDC Commissioners will receive a presentation from the Hampton Roads Workforce Council in South Hampton Roads and Greater Peninsula Workforce Development Board on regional efforts around workforce and talent development. The presentation will highlight the enhanced collaboration efforts between the two workforce development boards to meet the region’s projected workforce needs, including efforts related to ship building and ship repair, veterans training programs to retain military personnel in our region, and efforts to prepare the workforce around the emerging offshore wind industry. The presentation will also touch on the creation of a cohesive network of partners, informed by the business community, to ensure that the region has the talent pipeline to meet the skill needs of today and tomorrow’s high growth/high demand industries.

  • 2019 Hampton Roads Regional Economic Forecast – The HRPDC Commissioners will be asked to approve the release of the 2019 Hampton Roads Regional Economic Forecast. Since 1990, HRPDC Economics Staff have delivered a regional economic forecast for the coming year. The forecast presentation includes a review of local and national trends and provides a forecast for gross regional product, employment, unemployment, retail sales, and residential construction. The Forecast is a review of current economic trends and a staff assessment of what the region can expect for the coming year. The Commission’s forecast is often used for planning purposes by staff from member jurisdictions as well as other regional organizations.
About the HRTPO and HRPDC: The HRTPO and HRPDC are regional organizations established to encourage and facilitate cooperation among local, state and federal governments and agencies to address, on a regional basis, problems or issues that transcend jurisdictional boundaries. Comprised of local elected officials and administration officials, and in the case of the HRTPO, state and federal government representatives, these two organizations serve the 1.7 million residents and the 17 jurisdictions of the Hampton Roads region regarding topics such as, Transportation, Economics, Emergency Management, Housing, Planning, and Water Resources.
KENDALL L. MILLER
Principal, Office of Community
Affairs and Civil Rights

JOE TURNER
Communications and Web Manager

ROBERT COFIELD
Graphic and Web Designer
Phone: 757.420.8300
Fax: 757.523.4881
TTY: 757.390.2578
We strive to provide reasonable accommodations and services for persons who require special assistance to participate in public involvement opportunities.For further information or questions about information contained in this update, please contact Kendall Miller, Principal, Office of Community Affairs and Civil Rights, at (757) 420-8300