The Facts: After the 2006 Virginia General Assembly Special Session

The 2006 Virginia General Assembly Special Session ended in late September without a long-term, sustainable, multimodal solution to the state’s transportation funding crisis, however there were some successes.

• Virginia’s Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, House Democrats and governor supported a long-term funding solution.
  


• More than 30 different transportation funding bills were introduced. In fact, several House Republicans proposed legislation that would address a long-term funding solution.
  


• The 2006 Virginia General Assembly increased the Virginia Department of Transportation’s budget by $229 million and set aside an additional $339 million for transportation during the next two years.
  


• Statewide public and media awareness about the transportation issues increased significantly.

Despite these successes, Virginia continues to face a transportation funding crisis.

• VDOT reported that compared to last year, revenues from the state’s motor-fuels tax at 17.5 cents per gallon were down 4.7 percent, or about $11.3 million; and the motor vehicle sales and use tax revenues were down 3 percent, or about $6.7 million. These taxes account for almost half, or about $1.1 billion this year, of the state money used to pay for transportation improvements and programs. The decreases in revenue will likely force reductions in state highway and transportation programs during the next fiscal year. Source: The Richmond Times-Dispatch, November 17, 2006.
  


• Additionally, vehicle travel in Virginia is expected to increase 30 percent by 2020, to 103 billion vehicle miles of travel, resulting in increased traffic congestion and longer commute times.
  


• Inadequate road conditions and congestion cost Virginia’s drivers $1.7 billion annually in delays and wasted fuel, or nearly $1,000 a year per person.
  


• Funding for Virginia’s primary, secondary and urban roads, which carry about 70 percent of traffic, has shrunk by nearly 30 percent since 1996. Meanwhile, during the past five years, highway construction costs have increased by more than 25 percent.
  


• Although public transit ridership in Virginia is at a record high, public transit systems cannot expand service to meet the growing demands. So, as early as July 2007 many systems will have to cut routes, reduce hours and possibly deny riders due to overcrowded trains and buses.



• The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) currently carries nearly 15,000 passengers each day, but without necessary funding plans to expand the much-needed VRE service and add a third rail track to meet growing demands will have to be delayed.