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2007 Transportation Bond
Funding Package on Hold
Virginia's transportation funding levels just took another major hit.
According to an article in The Washington Post,
one of the only remaining key components from last year's transportation funding
package, HB 3202, has been delayed.
Lawyers appointed by the Attorney General's office have recommended putting $300
million on hold due to the multiple legal issues facing last year's transportation
funding package.
This means that now on top of the slowing economy, a more than 40 percent reduction
in local road funding and a $1.1 billion cut in the Virginia Department of Transportation's
(VDOT) Six-Year Plan, the Commonwealth could also be shorted an additional $300
a year for transportation projects.
According to Barbara Reese, deputy transportation secretary, the state had expected
to start issuing the bonds in January. The money was to be used for projects across
Virginia, including the widening of Route 29 in Fairfax County, the Route 1 bridge
replacement in Prince William County and Route 15 improvements in Loudoun County.
House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) said he was "disappointed" and
"surprised" to learn the bonds were not being issued. However, several democrats
have said that it is not unusual to postpone issuing bonds while a lawsuit is pending
and that more can be issued to make up for the delay later after the lawsuit is
resolved.
Most importantly, now Virginia could now be faced with an even greater funding shortfall,
which is why it is more critical than ever for each and every Virginian to reach
out to his or her legislators and let them know that enough is enough.
We simply cannot afford to wait any longer for a long-term, dedicated, statewide,
multi-modal transportation funding solution.
To send an e-mail to your local legislator urging them to adopt a transportation
funding solution in the upcoming special session of the General Assembly,
click here.
To read the entire article,
click here.
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Governor Kaine's proposed
transportation funding package will raise much-needed revenues for Virginia localities
The following chart shows the funding levels for the Virginia Department of Transportation's
(VDOT) Six-Year Plan for Fiscal Year 2008 and 2009 for several selected counties'
and cities' secondary and urban roads programs throughout Virginia as well as potential
funding levels from Gov. Kaine's proposed transportation plan for Fiscal Year 2009.
If implemented Gov. Kaine's transportation plan would raise funding levels for the
Commonwealth's cities and counties to levels they haven't seen since 1996.
|
County/City |
FY 08 |
Working Plan 09 |
Kaine's Plan 09 |
|
Fairfax County |
$22,847,000
|
$12,143,000 |
$25,869,000 |
|
Campbell County |
$1,467,000 |
$780,000 |
$2,789,000 |
|
Rockbridge County
|
$845,000
|
$449,000 |
$1,779,000 |
|
Spotsylvania County |
$2,884,000 |
$1,533,000 |
$5,648,000 |
|
Stafford County |
$2,812,000
|
$1,494,000 |
$5,413,000 |
|
Chesterfield County |
$6,727,000
|
$3,576,000 |
$9,141,000 |
|
Frederick County |
$1,872,000 |
$995,000 |
$3,995,000 |
|
Roanoke County |
$6,519,000
|
$3,465,000 |
$11,094,000 |
|
Prince William County |
$8,192,000 |
$4,354,000 |
$9,974,000 |
|
City of Hampton |
$7,170,000
|
$3,811,000
|
$8,041,000 |
|
City of Newport News |
$8,928,000 |
$4,745,000 |
$10,055,000
|
|
James City County
|
$1,396,000
|
$742,000
|
$2,090,000 |
|
Hanover County |
$$2,326,000
|
$1,236,000
|
$3,825,000 |
|
Brunswick County |
$856,000 |
$455,000 |
$1,515,000
|
|
City of Virginia Beach |
$21,335,000
|
$11,340,000 |
$23,976,000 |
|
Arlington County |
$4,271,000
|
$2,270,000 |
$4,960,000 |
|
Scott County
|
$909,000
|
$483,000 |
$2,322,000 |
|
City of Suffolk |
$3,913,000
|
$2,080,000 |
$5,443,000 |
|
Augusta County |
$3,913,000
|
$1,082,000 |
$4,636,000 |
|
City of Harrisonburg |
$2,188,000 |
$1,163,000 |
$3,273,000 |
|
Fauquier County |
$1,728,000
|
$918,000 |
$3,712,000 |
|
Henry County
|
$1,498,000 |
$796,000 |
$3,019,000 |
|
Loudoun County
|
$5,399,000
|
$2,870,000 |
$8,011,000 |
|
Montgomery County
|
$940,000
|
$500,000 |
$2,012,000 |
|
Bedford County |
$2,294,000
|
$1,219,000 |
$4,503,000 |
|
Culpeper County
|
$1,598,000
|
$849,000 |
$3,106,000
|
|
Henrico County |
$6,462,000 |
$3,435,000 |
$7,627,000 |
Please note:
The FY '09 funding levels are based
on Gov. Kaine's proposed funding package, and the figures shown do not include regional
package increases for Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads cities and counties.
The Working Plan 09 is the proposed Six-Year Plan to be adopted by the Commonwealth
Transportation Board this month and reflects the $1.1 billion in cuts that VDOT
has had to make to its transportation budget.
For information about the transportation funding shortfall or Gov. Kaine's plan, click here.
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Quotes from around the
Commonwealth
- From the Daily Press: When
addressing the recent bridge collapse in Giles County, Virginia Department of Transportation
spokeswoman Heidi Coy, said "We maintain them as best we can, but periodically our
bridges will need to be replaced." To read the entire article,
click here.
- VBT Note: Almost 1,800 of the Commonwealth’s bridges
and culverts are structurally deficient and it would cost more than $3 billion to
fix them.
- From Virginia Business: Bob
Chase, president of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, said, “Transportation
in Virginia has been a state responsibility since 1932. But state government hasn’t
addressed transportation funding since 1986. The neglect shows.” To read the entire
article,
click here.
- From the Daily Progress:
When discussing Gov. Tim Kaine’s transportation funding package, Melissa Barlow,
director of transportation programs at the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission,
said, “I would love to see our legislature take the bull by the horns in a way that
would affect the whole state. There are transportation needs commonwealth-wide.”
To read the entire article,
click here.
- From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
When addressing the need for new tunnels and road upgrades between Norfolk and Portsmouth,
Transportation Secretary Pierce R. Homer said, "It's one of the most congested corridors
in the commonwealth. It desperately needs upgrading. However, it's a very expensive
project and we have no public-sector resources to pay for it." To read the entire
article,
click here.
- From the Virginian-Pilot:
Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim said in an interview after a recent question-and-answer
session: “If I had one thing to say to the governor, it’s that we need even more
revenue for roads.” To read the entire article,
click here.
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Transportation Town Hall
Meeting Reminder
VBT would like to urge all of you to attend Gov. Kaine's Transportation
Town Hall meetings, which are currently taking place throughout the Commonwealth.
To see a complete list of these meetings,
click here.
For more information about the transportation funding
crisis or Virginians for Better Transportation, call 804-237-1399 or
click here to visit the It's Time Web site.
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