VIRGINIA BEACH — A panel of national transportation experts thinks Virginia Beach needs to get “lean & mean” to complete its light rail project without delays or cost overruns.
The group, from the American Public Transportation Association, visited the city in late February to review the proposed 3-mile line and the team designing it. Its review, commissioned by the state, was made public this week.
The report, which is attached in full below, says the team working on the line must be empowered to work through problems at their lowest levels, have “substantial authority” over finances, and have an optimized communications network that allows decisions to be made quickly.
“The organizational structure should be ‘lean & mean’ to be able to both keep pace with the design build contractor and to also provide strict project controls over cash flow and delay claims,” the report says.
That’s because delays at this point would be “detrimental” and increase the project’s cost, according to the report.
“Failure to keep momentum and tightly coupled controls over this project from the beginning will allow missteps to evolve into an unrecoverable schedule which will then drive the project and play havoc with budget and cash flow,” the review warns.
Previous: Review of Beach light rail project stresses importance of utility work before construction
City Manager Dave Hansen wrote to the City Council that his team is taking steps to conform to the APTA team’s recommendations.
Those steps include reorganizing the project team, identifying a facilitator and hosting a workshop this month to develop a “project governance plan.” Staff are also working to completely design a utility duct bank and other project aspects to speed the work of the future design-builder, Hansen wrote.
The City Council is expected to vote in April 2017 on whether to build the light rail extension. The current design and project work will allow the city to seek construction bids and a more firm cost estimate before that vote.
The APTA review cost a little less than $12,000, an amount that included about $9,000 for APTA and travel expenses for the consultants, who donated their time, according to state Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne.
Read the full report and Hansen’s memo to Council:
[pdf-embedder url=”https://wydaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/5.APTAPeerReviewReportVBLREP.pdf”]
[pdf-embedder url=”https://wydaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/VB-15-DB-Review-final-report-002.pdf”]
Previous coverage:
- April 5: Beach Council keeps light rail moving, approves agreement with state while crowd turns out for, against
- March 25: 30,000 signatures turned in for Virginia Beach light rail referendum; organizers turn focus to PR campaign
- March 16: Light rail: It’s a human rights issue, commission says
- March 15: Virginia Beach City Council hears plans for light rail car purchase
- March 14: Beach council members withdraw light rail referendum request
- March 8: Second Virginia Beach light rail referendum finds support on City Council
- irginia Beach releases proposed light rail agreement with state, HRT
- March 3: Virginia Beach light rail referendum has plenty of signatures to happen, organizer says
- March 2: Review of Beach light rail project stresses importance of utility work before construction
- Feb. 22: Virginia Beach light rail expenditures could reach nearly $19 million more than a year before vote
- Feb. 20: Light rail timeline emerges
- Feb. 17: Virginia Beach must sign light rail agreement with state by April 30 to keep project alive
- Feb. 16: Virginia Beach light rail car purchase delayed
- Feb. 16: State transportation board to give Virginia Beach ultimatum on light rail
- Feb. 15: National public transportation group to review Virginia Beach light rail project at state’s request
- Feb. 15: HRT to reveal new light rail project details
- Feb. 13: If Beach puts light rail to a referendum, state official will recommend pulling funding
- Feb. 2: Virginia Beach City Council to hear light rail car purchase plan next month
- Dec. 1: Dyer submits draft resolution for Virginia Beach light rail referendum
- Nov. 24: Virginia Beach can’t alter light rail timeline if it wants state money, transportation official says
- Nov. 9: Beach light rail referendum effort closing in on 10,000 signatures
- Nov. 3: Light rail drives supporters, critics to Virginia Beach polls
- Oct. 28: Secretary of Transportation on state light rail money: Use it or lose it
- Oct. 21: Beach budget retains light rail funding as Moss’ proposal fails
- Oct. 19: Public invited to speak on proposal to defund light rail
- Oct. 6: Beach councilman calls for new light rail referendum
- Oct. 5: City looks to save on light rail by cutting federal ties
