SUFFOLK, Va. — Back in August, Suffolk city leaders tabled a vote on their 2045 Comprehensive Plan after residents expressed dissatisfaction over concerns related to traffic and development in the area. The vote was initially delayed until November 20, but after a five-hour city council meeting, it was postponed again to December 18.
“With all this development, I’ll just say it: Suffolk has become a nightmare to get around,” said Tom Rein, president of Citizen’s Voice and one of the concerned residents.
Rein and others have urged the city council to create a more thorough and thoughtful plan for development and traffic management.
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“There’s no reality-based transportation plan—an idea that says that right now, today, this is what we need to do to fix this,” he told News 3.
Rein believes the city is growing too quickly. In September, city and state leaders broke ground on Port460, a multimillion-dollar logistics hub for the Port of Virginia, with additional plans for housing and warehousing projects.
“Up to 9,000 jobs will be supported by this facility, and it’s another exciting step for all of us,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin when Port460 was announced.
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However, more businesses and housing mean more traffic. The city is working to expand several roads, including Routes 460 and 58, and is also undertaking bridge projects like the Nansemond Parkway Bridge. But residents like Rein feel the current efforts are insufficient. He advocates for changes to truck routes, stoplights, and construction zones—small adjustments that can make a big impact.
“We need to act. We need to stop these visionary projects that we have no capital to invest in and focus on tangible solutions we can implement today,” he said.
Rein also mentioned to News 3 that since the last delay, more changes have been added to the plan. He believes the public should have a chance to voice their opinions before another vote. However, he notes the council is set to vote on Wednesday without a public hearing.
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“There are many intelligent, experienced people in Suffolk who could contribute to this discussion; I don’t understand why the city doesn’t invite us in,” Rein said.
News 3 reached out to the city of Suffolk to find a representative to discuss the plan ahead of the Wednesday meeting, but received no response. We will continue to follow this story and update you after the meeting.
