Norfolk officials take a spin on light rail
Posted: 23 Jun 2011 07:15 AM PDT
By Debbie Messina
The Virginian-Pilot
© June 22, 2011
NORFOLK
City Council members who took their first ride on The Tide light rail Tuesday said they liked what they saw.
“It has a big-city feel,” Andy Protogyrou said. “And the views are unparalleled.”
“I’ve been on trains in other cities, and I think this is fabulous,” Angelia Williams said.
For many, their enjoyment quickly turned to worry as they wondered whether the public will see it the same way once it opens Aug. 19 and use it enough to make it successful.
Hampton Roads Transit estimates 2,900 riders will use The Tide daily the first year and 7,200 in 20 years.
“Of course, I’m nervous about not meeting the ridership projections, especially because this is coming on line in my watch,” Protogyrou said.
Tommy Smigiel said: “It’s here, so we have to find a way to make it work. I don’t want light rail to be a failure, because we’ve invested so much in it.”
Construction is costing $338 million. About $196 million comes from federal sources, $71 million each from the state and the city. The city also will pay $6 million to $9 million annually to operate the trains and feeder buses.
Protogyrou said that as soon as he opened a feeder bus schedule for The Tide at Tuesday’s council meeting, he mapped out his route for getting from his home to the rail without using a car.
“My natural thought process was to find ways to use it,” he said, adding that he’s not so sure others will.
Smigiel agreed: “How do I get someone in Bayview, the side of the city I represent, to ride? How will they know about bus connections?”
Protogyrou noted that a monthly rail pass costs $50 while monthly parking rates downtown are nearly double that.
The city and HRT are working on campaigns promoting The Tide. Advertisements already run before movies at the MacArthur Center; other ads will start rolling out later this month. Officials are working with businesses and colleges served by the line to develop group discount programs so that employees or students ride free. Partnerships will be formed with entertainment venues to promote rail use.
“We need to make sure everyone knows why it makes sense to use the light rail,” Mayor Paul Fraim said. “I’m confident we’ll meet the ridership numbers within a reasonable amount of time. And I think the numbers will grow.”
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Hampton Roads could benefit from Obama high speed rail plan
February 08, 2011|By Jon Cawley, jcawley@dailypress.com | 757-247-4635
Hampton Roads officials involved with efforts to bring high speed train service to the region were encouraged Tuesday by an announcement that the Obama Administration is proposing a $53 billion program to build new networks and improve existing infrastructure.
Vice President Joe Biden announced the plan that calls for $8 billion to be included in the fiscal year 2012 budget and the rest allocated over a six year period, according to a White House statement.
The money would allow the Department of Transportation to choose corridors for new projects and increase use of passenger rail systems, the Reuters news agency reported.
Daniel Plaugher, executive director of the non-profit Virginians For High Speed Rail, said the program would create a long-term and sustainable program so the state can better plan for high speed rail projects and secure matching funds.
“As long as there is a continued funding stream, Hampton Roads is in a better position than it was yesterday,” Plaugher said.
Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization Executive Director Dwight Farmer said he believed Hampton Roads would qualify under the “emerging corridors” funding category.
“This breathes some life back into the possibility of Hampton Roads — no pun intended — staying on track,” Farmer said.
E. Dana Dickens III, president of the public/private non-profit Hampton Roads Partnership, said he thinks there are “definite implications for Hampton Roads” due to the existence of a large potential passenger base.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Phaedra Parks: Colorblind
Phaedra addresses all the race issues that have played out on the Housewives of Atlanta/Bravo Blog...
Hello! I hope everyone's January has been productive and indicative of their New Year's Resolutions wish list. While Sunday's episode edited our four day excursion into a 45 minute fiasco, it did not fully encompass how tense and uncomfortable this girls' getaway truly was. The trip was planned in Cynthia's honor but as the old adage says, "Things don't always work out as planned."
After watching the episode, several possible topics came to mind; the importance of financial planning as it relates to Cynthia and her wedding woes, house guest etiquette and NeNe's lack thereof, Kim and Sweetie's relationship or better yet, NeNe's slave barrage targeted at Sweetie. In the shadow of Martin Luther King's birthday and in the wake of black history month, I decided race relations was the most poignant issue since last two episodes have flirted with this very sensitive topic. Is Kim a racist? Is Sweetie a modern day slave? Is NeNe being a bully as usual, or is she really concerned about Sweetie's well being?
While everyone will have their opinion, as they are rightfully entitled to; personally, I do not think Kim is a racist, nor do I think Sweetie is a modern day slave. However, I do believe that NeNe is a bully and couldn't care less about Sweetie's well being. In this era of political correctness we often skirt around the hard topics, because we are afraid of offending others and do not want to be accused of being a racist. But avoiding sensitive issues does not change our country's history, which is fraught with the mistreatment of people of color. Admittedly, race relations have improved drastically over the past 40 years, but improvement does not heal the wounds caused by the aggregation of disparate treatment. As a person of color, I understand the ramifications of being denied rights, excluded and rejected. A modern day racist doesn't dress in white sheets or burn crosses, they are much more subtle and covert. Unlike Kim, a racist would not employ you or treat you like a family member, as she has with Sweetie. I had the opportunity to have several long conversations with Sweetie and Kim in Miami, and during those chats I realized that Kim and Sweetie have a sibling like relationship that spans well over a decade. My heart went out to Sweetie because as a woman of color, I know comments that evoke historical hatred can make you doubt what you know in your heart is true.
Here's a thought, instead of taking the easy road under the guise of being politically correct and making hasty judgments about matters as serious as racism, we should face the issue and attempt to have transparent dialogue in the direction of resolve. Every culture is different and it's easy to adopt perspectives depicted via various mediums. Opinions do not constitute racism, nor does the way you treat a friend make you a racist. Racism says a whole group of people are inferior because of their skin color and they should not be treated equally. Being politically correct does not change the existence of poor race relations; it just gives us an acceptable mask to hide behind rather than address any real issues. In the words of Pierre Berton, "Racism is a refuge for the ignorant. It seeks to divide and to destroy. It is the enemy of freedom, and deserves to be met head-on and stamped out."
Friday, January 28, 2011
Va Port Authority board OKs new director contract
Check out the following article on the latest in transportation news in Hampton Roads:
 NORFOLK, Va. (AP) -- The Virginia Port Authority's governing board has approved a new contract for its executive director that includes a 16 percent pay increase. The Virginian-Pilot reports that Jerry Bridges' pay will increase from $301,600 to $350,000 under the six-year contract approved Tuesday by the authority's Board of Commissioners. The new contract also increases incentive pay if certain benchmarks are met from $90,480 to $175,000. The contract is effective Feb. 5 and runs through Feb. 4, 2017, with a one-year extension. |
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Don't Get Before Before You Get Started
Jan 18th, 2010
by Dale Kobelsky.
A wise man once said, “Sometimes it’s not about being better, it’s about sucking less.” In the world of marketing, often it is not the smartest one who wins - it’s the one who screws up the least. Here are five mistakes to avoid so you don’t get beat before you start.
1) Don’t assume your customers buy your brand in the same way you sell it. In fact, it is safe to assume they don’t. To bridge the gap, start by studying your customers’ buying habits. Look at what they buy, why they buy and when they buy. Then study your brand with your customers in mind and look for the best place to intersect on their terms, not yours. This will uncover new insights that will allow you to alter tactics to suit the customer buying process.
2) Don’t try to appeal to everyone, appeal directly to someone. Your new HR software won’t appeal to all CEOs, your new minimum tillage corn planter won’t appeal to all farmers and your new Barbie won’t appeal to all young girls. A strategy that appeals to every prospect is impossible to build. Take the time to fully understand your market. This might require profiling and segmenting techniques but it will identify who your best targets are within your larger audience. It will also give you the background to determine what drives their purchase decisions.
3) Anchor your brand position to one thing, not everything. Customers only need one good reason to buy something, not 10 little reasons. Find out what that reason is and anchor your brand to it.
4) Don’t focus on what your brand does, focus on what your brand means. Think of your brand touch point as the first impression of someone you meet at a party. If you like what you sense, perhaps you will invest the time to get to know this person better. If you don’t like what you sense, you will probably smile politely and move on. Make sure your brand touch points leave prospects with a reason to move past that first impression. You only have a short time to appeal to your target audience to get to know your brand. Make sure they know what your brand could mean for them. If they are interested, then tell them what it does.
5) Don’t go head-to-head with your competition. If your brand is 99% the same as the competitor’s brand, do yourself a favor and focus on the 1% that’s different. Focusing on this 1% will save your sales force painful discussions about why your brand is better at doing the same thing as your competitor’s. It will also keep you from promoting your competition by bringing them front and center in head-to-head comparisons.
by Dale Kobelsky.
A wise man once said, “Sometimes it’s not about being better, it’s about sucking less.” In the world of marketing, often it is not the smartest one who wins - it’s the one who screws up the least. Here are five mistakes to avoid so you don’t get beat before you start.
1) Don’t assume your customers buy your brand in the same way you sell it. In fact, it is safe to assume they don’t. To bridge the gap, start by studying your customers’ buying habits. Look at what they buy, why they buy and when they buy. Then study your brand with your customers in mind and look for the best place to intersect on their terms, not yours. This will uncover new insights that will allow you to alter tactics to suit the customer buying process.
2) Don’t try to appeal to everyone, appeal directly to someone. Your new HR software won’t appeal to all CEOs, your new minimum tillage corn planter won’t appeal to all farmers and your new Barbie won’t appeal to all young girls. A strategy that appeals to every prospect is impossible to build. Take the time to fully understand your market. This might require profiling and segmenting techniques but it will identify who your best targets are within your larger audience. It will also give you the background to determine what drives their purchase decisions.
3) Anchor your brand position to one thing, not everything. Customers only need one good reason to buy something, not 10 little reasons. Find out what that reason is and anchor your brand to it.
4) Don’t focus on what your brand does, focus on what your brand means. Think of your brand touch point as the first impression of someone you meet at a party. If you like what you sense, perhaps you will invest the time to get to know this person better. If you don’t like what you sense, you will probably smile politely and move on. Make sure your brand touch points leave prospects with a reason to move past that first impression. You only have a short time to appeal to your target audience to get to know your brand. Make sure they know what your brand could mean for them. If they are interested, then tell them what it does.
5) Don’t go head-to-head with your competition. If your brand is 99% the same as the competitor’s brand, do yourself a favor and focus on the 1% that’s different. Focusing on this 1% will save your sales force painful discussions about why your brand is better at doing the same thing as your competitor’s. It will also keep you from promoting your competition by bringing them front and center in head-to-head comparisons.
Friday, November 20, 2009
7 Face-to-Face Blunders
By Suzanne Vera
Online. We love being online. There are no set times, we come and go as we please and engage in conversations, find great articles to read and wonder what life was like before the internet. For some of us we hear stories of what life was like before TV and laugh. Our kids will laugh when we tell them that there was no cable, internet, iTunes, DVR and texting! I remember when cable was launched, VCR's, push button telephones, 8-tracks and vinyl albums.
Prior to the internet, the main source of communication was the telephone and the good ole face-to-face meetings. That was how business was done and how we built relationships. As a marketer there has to be a balance between social media marketing and face-to-face meetings.
For some it has been a while, for others we are wall flowers when we are not in our "element". So as you go and get back out there or continue to be out there, here are some blunders to avoid.
1. Business Card Shove. Please do not have your business card ready to hand out before you even say hello. Let them ask for it. I think of it this way - do I want this person to have my contact information before I even know their name? Do I want to be on their creepy email list so they can increase their numbers?
2. What you do in more than 10 words. So you meet someone and they say, So what do you do? If you have a "elevator speech" you go into that and you lost them. If you hesitate for a second you seem unsure and you lost them. My rule is 10 words or less. Why? Those 10 words tell the story if they are going to ask questions to allow you to embellish or if they see no value in talking further.
Ex: We make people look good and get them noticed.
Ambiguous - very but conversation opener.
Keep it simple and avoid: expert, guru, the man - the biggest names in social media are the simplest on what they do. One of the biggest, calls himself a typist. A typist? Really? Yes.
That begs people to say "how" or maybe think you are obnoxious. Keep in mind the delivery of your 10 words or less is part of the reaction. Exude confidence. 10 words or less easier to remember than the elevator speech.
3. Dominating the Conversation. Breathe! Let them do the talking so you can hear what they do and are about and how they fit into your life.
4. Playing with your Phone. Screams uninterested when really you just might be shy. It can be hard to walk into a room where it feels like everyone knows someone and you do not. Relax. Be confident.
5. Not Meeting Someone New. If you are attending a lot of events and you see the same people, go and find someone who you do not know and bring them with you.
6. Blank Stare. What says leave me alone more than the blank stare? Yes, some people are not ones that we wish to engage in conversation with - it happens, sometimes a lot but it is sending off a bad message.
7. One Foot In. You see someone you would rather be talking to and you have the one foot moving towards the other person and the lean. The person who is talking sees it, feels it and knows it. You are not listening to them. Take a minute to listen and then when the conversation ends, go to who you know.
Many of these "blunders" are body language which is another can of worms but as an overview avoiding these blunders will go a long way. Part of being a marketer is becoming a better one and the only way is to be out there. Show people what you got and why they should trust you and work with you.
What blunders have you noticed? What makes you a better marketer? How can we all be better marketers? What are your 10 words or less?
Online. We love being online. There are no set times, we come and go as we please and engage in conversations, find great articles to read and wonder what life was like before the internet. For some of us we hear stories of what life was like before TV and laugh. Our kids will laugh when we tell them that there was no cable, internet, iTunes, DVR and texting! I remember when cable was launched, VCR's, push button telephones, 8-tracks and vinyl albums.
Prior to the internet, the main source of communication was the telephone and the good ole face-to-face meetings. That was how business was done and how we built relationships. As a marketer there has to be a balance between social media marketing and face-to-face meetings.
For some it has been a while, for others we are wall flowers when we are not in our "element". So as you go and get back out there or continue to be out there, here are some blunders to avoid.
1. Business Card Shove. Please do not have your business card ready to hand out before you even say hello. Let them ask for it. I think of it this way - do I want this person to have my contact information before I even know their name? Do I want to be on their creepy email list so they can increase their numbers?
2. What you do in more than 10 words. So you meet someone and they say, So what do you do? If you have a "elevator speech" you go into that and you lost them. If you hesitate for a second you seem unsure and you lost them. My rule is 10 words or less. Why? Those 10 words tell the story if they are going to ask questions to allow you to embellish or if they see no value in talking further.
Ex: We make people look good and get them noticed.
Ambiguous - very but conversation opener.
Keep it simple and avoid: expert, guru, the man - the biggest names in social media are the simplest on what they do. One of the biggest, calls himself a typist. A typist? Really? Yes.
That begs people to say "how" or maybe think you are obnoxious. Keep in mind the delivery of your 10 words or less is part of the reaction. Exude confidence. 10 words or less easier to remember than the elevator speech.
3. Dominating the Conversation. Breathe! Let them do the talking so you can hear what they do and are about and how they fit into your life.
4. Playing with your Phone. Screams uninterested when really you just might be shy. It can be hard to walk into a room where it feels like everyone knows someone and you do not. Relax. Be confident.
5. Not Meeting Someone New. If you are attending a lot of events and you see the same people, go and find someone who you do not know and bring them with you.
6. Blank Stare. What says leave me alone more than the blank stare? Yes, some people are not ones that we wish to engage in conversation with - it happens, sometimes a lot but it is sending off a bad message.
7. One Foot In. You see someone you would rather be talking to and you have the one foot moving towards the other person and the lean. The person who is talking sees it, feels it and knows it. You are not listening to them. Take a minute to listen and then when the conversation ends, go to who you know.
Many of these "blunders" are body language which is another can of worms but as an overview avoiding these blunders will go a long way. Part of being a marketer is becoming a better one and the only way is to be out there. Show people what you got and why they should trust you and work with you.
What blunders have you noticed? What makes you a better marketer? How can we all be better marketers? What are your 10 words or less?
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Off The Market: Attorney Phaedra Parks Ties The Knot
Posted by ATLien - November 4th, 2009 Published in "A" Town FavoritesTags: Atlanta, Dwight Eubanks, Phaedra Parks, Weddings
Super entertainment attorney and my personal hero Phaedra Parks got married last weekend in a private ceremony in Buckhead. Pictured above from right to left is Dwight Eubanks from The Real Housewives of Atlanta who served as Wedding planner/Director, the beautiful bride Phaedra Parks, Me (ATLien of StraightFromTheA.com), Tracey Baker-Simmon (TV producer-Welcome to Dreamland, Being Bobby Brown), and Ted Lucas (music mogul CEO and founder of Slip N’ Slide Records-Plies, Rick Ross, Trina & Trick Daddy).
Phaedra is very established and well-known in the industry and you may also recognize her from her many appearances on BET’s Tiny & Toya show, where she is executive producer. The wedding party consisted of Phaedra’s best friends Kysha Cameron (V-103’s Ryan Cameron’s wife) and video vixen/exotic dancer Whyte Chocolate were the matron and maid of honor. Grammy winning producer songwriter Manuel Seal (Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, TLC) and DJ Nabs provided the musical entertainment.
There were also judges from every court in the state of Georgia including Lt. Gov Mark Taylor, Supreme Ct Justices Robert Benham, Carol Hunstein and Court of Appeals Judge Anne Barnes. I also spotted Mz. Shynecka and model/actress Veronica Best. My personal highlight of the day, Mrs. Shaw, who noticed I was single and spoke highly of her 43 year old son. I was intrigued and ready to go on a blind date until she dropped the bomb that her son is rapper Too $hort! That’s a story for another day but needless to say, I politely declined.
It was a beautiful sunny day in Atlanta for a wedding and Phaedra looked AMAZING! The ceremony was dedicated to late music mogul and best friend of bride, Shakir Stewart.
Yeah fellas….if you snooze, you LOOSE! Yet another ATLien off the market. Congratulations Phaedra!
Posted by ATLien - November 4th, 2009 Published in "A" Town FavoritesTags: Atlanta, Dwight Eubanks, Phaedra Parks, Weddings
Super entertainment attorney and my personal hero Phaedra Parks got married last weekend in a private ceremony in Buckhead. Pictured above from right to left is Dwight Eubanks from The Real Housewives of Atlanta who served as Wedding planner/Director, the beautiful bride Phaedra Parks, Me (ATLien of StraightFromTheA.com), Tracey Baker-Simmon (TV producer-Welcome to Dreamland, Being Bobby Brown), and Ted Lucas (music mogul CEO and founder of Slip N’ Slide Records-Plies, Rick Ross, Trina & Trick Daddy).
Phaedra is very established and well-known in the industry and you may also recognize her from her many appearances on BET’s Tiny & Toya show, where she is executive producer. The wedding party consisted of Phaedra’s best friends Kysha Cameron (V-103’s Ryan Cameron’s wife) and video vixen/exotic dancer Whyte Chocolate were the matron and maid of honor. Grammy winning producer songwriter Manuel Seal (Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, TLC) and DJ Nabs provided the musical entertainment.
There were also judges from every court in the state of Georgia including Lt. Gov Mark Taylor, Supreme Ct Justices Robert Benham, Carol Hunstein and Court of Appeals Judge Anne Barnes. I also spotted Mz. Shynecka and model/actress Veronica Best. My personal highlight of the day, Mrs. Shaw, who noticed I was single and spoke highly of her 43 year old son. I was intrigued and ready to go on a blind date until she dropped the bomb that her son is rapper Too $hort! That’s a story for another day but needless to say, I politely declined.
It was a beautiful sunny day in Atlanta for a wedding and Phaedra looked AMAZING! The ceremony was dedicated to late music mogul and best friend of bride, Shakir Stewart.
Yeah fellas….if you snooze, you LOOSE! Yet another ATLien off the market. Congratulations Phaedra!
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