December 2009

Dear Councilperson,

My name is __________________________________. I am a ___________________ resident who strongly supports light rail and successful transit oriented development for our region.

I am writing because I feel the city could and should be thinking more creatively with their design of the MacArthur Center Station, which has the potential of being a cultural crossroad in the way that Grand Central is for New York and Union Station is for Washington DC.

MacArthur Center Station is an opportunity to invigorate Norfolk’s urban core and should serve as an upbeat force to our urban streetscape. It is an opportunity for riders of The Tide to sit up, take notice, and know they’ve arrived in Norfolk – as it will ultimately establish the expectation and leave lasting impressions of our downtown. The current design is lackluster, out of scale with its surroundings, and does not convey the forward-thinking, progressive ethos of alternative transport.

Norfolk deserves to be listed amongst the best up-and-coming mid-sized cities like Portland, Austin, and Charleston. A seminal, beautiful, dynamic central transit station should be one of the first things people discuss when they talk about Norfolk.

I implore you to reevaluate the long-term vision for MacArthur Center Station. Norfolk has waited 20 years for The Tide, but just having it is not enough. We owe it to the success of light rail, downtown residents, and the City itself to make sure we get it right.

Sincerely,

________________________________