Norfolk may move troublesome Cedar Grove transfer station
05:36 PM EDT on Friday, September 26, 2008
Reported by: Regina Mobley
Norfolk – Troubles at the Cedar Grove transfer station are forcing the city and HRT to find solutions..
Linda Gray, who uses a walker, says she often has trouble catching the ride she needs.
“Yes, I do. I have to run back and forth."
"Where it is located is dysfunctional, how it is configured is dysfunctional," says Michael Townes, president and CEO of Hampton Roads Transit. "The road and the sub-base is dysfunctional. The fact that this area tends to flood in heavy rains is dysfunctional and the fact that it’s at the end of a parking lot near a cemetery is also dysfunctional," he stated.
Townes isn't alone. City staffers identified problems with the location, he notes, in a February letter to the city manager. In part, it specifically states that the lot was built on a base of fly ash and would be troublesome to improve.
Concerns about the weak infrastructure proved true on opening day when the asphalt gave way. It cost $250,000 to repair.
HRT proposed five other sites for the transfer station, all which the city found unacceptable.
In documents obtained by 13News, the city was made aware of other issues at Cedar Grove. An HRT official called the site a ticking time bomb, citing concerns about homeless people, crime and poor lighting.
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“There’s no security here. There’s a graveyard across the street. It’s pitch black back here at night. The lights barely work. It’s not safe here,” an HRT rider said.
Assistant City Manager Anne O’Dell says the city is working to address those issues.
“We are looking right now at the lighting situation and providing security during the dark hours, so that everyone feels comfortable at that site," she notes.
Now, the city is preparing to spend $700,000 to move the station to Salter Street, next to the cemetery. HRT opposes that move, saying it conveys the wrong message -- that "those who use HRT are second-class citizens."
In the meantime, city officials are pressuring HRT to fix operational issues that often leave passengers banging on buses just to get a ride.