Virginia's Transportation Funding is Reaching its Breaking Point.
We cannot continue to allow our transportation system to go unfunded.

Virginia's last significant increase in transportation funding took place in 1986, and as a result, the commonwealth has to fund its increasingly outdated transportation system at funding levels that were established more than 20 years ago. Due to inflation the "buying power" of these dollars has been reduced by more than 50 percent.

At the same time our population, miles traveled on Virginia roadways and the cost of building transportation projects is increasing every year. As our funding levels have continued to fall, our elected officials have been unable to pass a transportation funding bill of any substance.

Since 2005, the Virginia General Assembly has failed to successfully implement a transportation funding solution that addresses the commonwealth's ever-growing funding shortfall, which is conservatively estimated at $1 billion a year.

Now, more than ever, this has left Virginia in dire need of a long-term, dedicated, multi-modal, statewide transportation funding solution.

The following facts help illustrate the commonwealth’s current transportation funding levels:

More than 8,000 of Virginias bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The price to fix these bridges is more than $3 billion.
For the first time in years the commonwealth's pavement condition rating has declined and the cost to bring our interstate pavements up to standard is in excess of $1 billion.
Congestion and poor road conditions cost Virginia's drivers more than $1,000 a year in lost time and auto repairs.
The Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT) debt service is more than $200 million a year. VDOT is forced to use borrowed money to match federal transportation dollars.
In two years it is likely that there will be no state money for secondary road construction and unpaved roads.
Virginia has no money for new major highway corridors, transit or rail initiatives or improvements to expand ports and airports.
Virginia has no money to support private sector investments in Public-Private Transportation Act (PPTA) projects. That private sector money goes elsewhere.
In the past year, VDOT has had to cut $3 billion from its Six-Year Improvement Program, forcing it to close rest areas, reduce maintenance, cut hundreds of highway and bridge projects and eliminate safety service patrols.

We simply cannot allow our transportation infrastructure to continue to crumble around us.

It is critical that we reach out to our candidates, elected officials, media representatives and other members of the public to let them know that we are in favor of a long-term, dedicated, multi-modal, statewide transportation funding solution.

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What the Candidates are Saying

WAVY-TV 10: In an article that covers both gubernatorial candidates presentations to the Norfolk and Portsmouth bar associations, Sen. Creigh Deeds said "And I'm the only candidate in the race that will sign a bill that produces new money, real money for transportation and I'm not going to rob Peter to pay Paul either, I'll tell you that. The general fund is off the table for me. I will not take money out of education to fund transportation." To read the entire article, click here.
Executive Biz: In an article that covers both gubernatorial candidates' presentations to the Potomac Officers' Club, Bob McDonnell provided a variety of options to fund new roads. After calling Northern Virginia a "donor region," McDonnell mentioned keeping some of NoVa's sales tax revenue in the area to build new roads, and earmarking more general fund money for transportation. To read the entire article, click here.

Vienna Connection: In a recent interview with both House of Delegate candidates for District 35, Republican James E. Hyland said, "We need a Northern Virginia Department of Transportation. We need dedicated financing for our roads and mass transit here. For too long, Richmond has used our money and not invested it in our region."

Democrat Mark Lee Keam said, "I will fight for a dedicated and sustainable source of transportation funding for Northern Virginia roads that cannot be used for other regions or for non-transportation projects; work to ensure that current construction projects, such as Dulles Metro expansion, finish on time to minimize disruption; push for Interstate 66 expansion; explore mass transit options and encourage incentives such as HOV lanes and telecommuting to keep more cars off the road."

To read the entire interview, click here.

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