Norfolk, Va (August 18, 2011) – With the snip of the scissors, nine Siemens S70 vehicles began making their way through the streets of Norfolk, Virginia in revenue service after twenty years of waiting and planning. The 7.4-mile, $318 million light rail line that’s operated by Hampton Roads Transit, was celebrated with a full agenda of events and celebrations on Friday the 19th to mark the official “Opening Day,” with festivities that stretched through the weekend. The start-up that was beset by protests, delays and cost over runs, was finally on a roll.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was marked by the usual congratulatory speeches. Mayor Paul Fraim said, “This is an historic moment for the City of Norfolk, the Region and certainly the Commonwealth. It's good to see all of you here and I mean all of you.”
HRT President and CEO Philip A. Shucet was the last speaker and said just before offering a gold-colored commemorative fare ticket in lieu of a golden spike, “This is an important day. We've worked hard to get here, we've taken good care of every penny we've spent and of every penny that belongs to you. It's important for so many reasons. It's important for the City Of Norfolk and certainly the Commonwealth of Virginia.”After the ceremony, the officials and everyone else that attended the event, piled into LRV number 407 for the one-stop trek to the next westbound stop at Monticello Avenue for the reception where officials would be available for interviews and good cheer.
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