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The transportation funding crisis encompasses the entire state – impacting each region of Virginia in a unique and detrimental way.
For example, in the Richmond metro area, many of the major roadways have an inadequate capacity to meet travel demands as 58 percent are in poor or mediocre condition. According to The Road Information Program (TRIP), the Richmond metro area also averaged 92 fatalities each year from 2000 to 2004 due to motor vehicle accidents.
According to TRIP, an average of 930 people were killed each year in motor vehicle accidents in Virginia from 2000 through 2004. The Hampton Roads area averaged 128 fatalities each year during that time. According to the Virginia Department of Transportation every county and city in the district will receive less state funding this year than they did 10 years ago, and 50 percent of major roads are in poor or mediocre condition.
According to TRIP, the Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C. metro area has the highest amount of fatal motor vehicle accidents in the state with 362 per year from 2000 to 2004. Also, the decrease in funding for this region has led to the delay or elimination of many of the much-needed construction projects outlined in VDOT’s Six-Year Improvement Program.
The Roanoke/Salem area has a unique set of transportation problems. Fifty-nine percent of major roads in the area are in poor or mediocre condition, according to TRIP. Safety issues and detraining bridges are a growing concern in this area. TRIP estimates that 26 percent of the state’s bridges are either structurally deficient or obsolete and approximately one-third are more than 50 years old.
According to TRIP, congestion in Virginia costs licensed drivers $1.7 billion annually in delays and wasted fuel. Vehicle travel in Virginia increased by 31 percent between 1990 and 2004, and is projected to increase by another 30 percent by 2020. In fact, increasing traffic congestion causes approximately 38 annual hours of delay for each urban motorist in Virginia - nearly one full working week - according to TRIP calculations.
Contact your local legislators to find out what projects in your area are in jeopardy due to limited funding.
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