E-UPDATE

Dec. 2020
Happy Holidays 2020

The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission adopted the HRPDC Work Program for Fiscal Year 2021 at its October meeting. The work program describes planning work to be performed between November 1 2020 and June 30 2021. This document replaces the FY 2020 Work Program Extension that was approved by the Commission in May 2020. The Board approved a limited, four-month extension of the FY 2020 Work Program in May during the initial phases of the COVID pandemic to allow for continued operations of the HRPDC until later in the year.
Hampton Roads Economic Monthly
 
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, headlines have shown rents to be falling in most major cities like New York and San Francisco. Several factors are likely at play. Crowded cities may feel unsafe for some residents who can now live remotely and work away from the office. And with many amenities closed, high rental costs may no longer be justified. But what does the data say about rental prices here in Hampton Roads? Zillow, a leading online real estate marketplace, has established a new measure of rental appreciation called the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI). This indicator measures changes in rental prices, controlling for changes in the quality of the available rental stock.

Over the past year, Hampton Roads Planning District Commission Staff has worked to update and prioritize the inventory of potential sources of contamination (PSC) to drinking water sources (or source water) across the region, including: petroleum storage tanks, superfund sites, industrial sites, and more.

Intersecting with I-95 and I-85, US 58 is a key highway linking Hampton Roads to the southern states, including the key port market area of North Carolina and south-central Virginia. By serving trips between the two areas, US 58 serves the economic, social, and recreational travel needs of residents in the southern U.S. and Hampton Roads.


For local residents and small business owners facing delinquent utility bills due to COVID-19, help has arrived at HRUtilityRelief.com. Through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Hampton Roads water and wastewater utilities are providing assistance through a statewide Municipal Utility Relief Program. The local utilities will provide assistance to residents and businesses with COVID-related past due balances through Jan. 27, 2021 or until the funding runs out. Application deadlines may vary, so residents should act quickly.

To determine the usefulness of the bicycle and pedestrian components of the StreetLight transportation analysis platform, Virginia’s Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (OIPI) partnered with StreetLight in September 2020 to allow Virginia users of StreetLight data to test those components.
To get into the spirit of the holidays this month, we have collected the locations of Christmas tree farms and holiday light displays in Hampton Roads and put them on a map ! Both are holiday traditions that families can enjoy safely this year either outdoors or in a car.

COVID-19 has had widespread impacts on Hampton Roads, including a noticeable decrease in traffic on the Region’s roadways.

Visit the COVID-19 Impact Planning Hub to get the latest information on COVID-19 in Hampton Roads.
Upcoming Meetings
KENDALL L. MILLER
Administrator, 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
The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) and Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) fully comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, and related nondiscrimination statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. HRPDC's website, www.hrpdcva.gov, and HRTPO's website, www.hrtpo.org, may be translated into multiple languages. Publications and other public documents can be made available in alternative languages and formats, if requested. HRPDC public meetings are always held in ADA-accessible facilities and in transit-accessible locations when possible. Auxiliary services can be provided to individuals who submit a request at least seven days prior to a meeting. Requests made within seven days will be accommodated to the greatest extent possible. Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice by HRPDC under Title VI has a right to file a formal complaint. Any such complaint may be in writing and filed with HRPDC's Title VI Administrator and/or the appropriate state or federal agency within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory occurrence. For more information on HRPDC's Title VI program, or to obtain a Title VI Complaint Form, please call (757) 420-8300 or email: kmiller@hrpdcva.gov.