'Do-Nothing' Roads Plan is Most Expensive of All Virginian-Pilot February 28, 2006 Op-ed by Philip A. Shucet Philip A. Shucet was the VDOT commissioner under former Gov. Mark Warner. He now is president of Dragas Management Corp. in Virginia Beach. Emergency medical technicians stuck in traffic. More kids catching school buses in the dark. Fire fighters and police officers stuck behind endless rows of traffic. Millions of gallons of gasoline wasted due to congestion. These issues touch all of us. Each revolves around transportation and mobility. And our mobility is being robbed from us, taking away the one precious commodity we can never get back - our time. We have a chance right now to do something about this in Virginia. Amid the debate about how and how much to fund transportation, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the state Senate and the House of Delegates all agree that finding a solution for transportation and mobility is a priority. Strong unity behind that single purpose provides a platform for success. But time is running out. The partyline rhetoric is old and irritating. The quibbling has to stop. And you can stop it. In about a dozen years, without new, dedicated, and sustainable revenue for transportation, Virginia will be forced to forgo any further expansion or improvement to our transportation system. All we will be able to afford is maintenance. Let's be clear about the root of our problem: Our gloomy, stuck-in-congestion future has nothing to do with the Virginia Department of Transportation. Performance is not the immediate issue. Money is. Does VDOT need to continue to improve? Yes. In 2003, VDOT completed 27 percent of projects on time and 69 percent on budget. In 2004, the numbers were 37 percent and 75 percent, and in 2005, VDOT completed 78 percent of projects on time and 85 percent on budget. So far this year, the numbers stand at 90 percent on time and 88 percent on budget. But even with flawless performance, a 'maintenance only' state is all we can look forward to without significant and sustainable new money for transportation. Shortly before the 2005 General Assembly session adjourned, I heard House Speaker Bill Howell say publicly, "We don't have VDOT to hide behind any more." He's right. Let's be clear about the cost of doing nothing: Who pays? You do. Congestion in Northern Virginia costs each person living there about $580 a year. In Hampton Roads, it costs $240 annually; and Richmond folks lose about $155 each year due to congestion. What did these hard-working taxpayers get in return for this expense? Absolutely nothing. In terms of lost resources, congestion in Northern Virginia wasted 88 million gallons of gasoline; in Hampton Roads, 14 million gallons; and in Richmond, another 5 million gallons were wasted. Three urban areas, 107 million gallons of gasoline, paid for and wasted. Let's be clear about who pays for a solution: You do. Private partnerships. We should take advantage of private investment when it makes sense. But, companies expect and deserve a return on their investment. That return will likely come from tolls you pay. Public toll roads. Virginia can build toll roads without private investment. Where toll roads make sense, we should build them. You’ll pay to use them. Debt. Careful borrowing makes sense. Leveraging of funds can speed up projects, and faster usually means cheaper. But, principal and interest have to be paid with tax dollars. You already have a keen sense of who pays these. But the difference between taking money out of your pocket to do nothing, compared with using your money wisely to do something, is compelling. The return for continuing to do nothing, is - well - nothing. Think about it. Without additional money for transportation, your taxpayer dollars will be used to maintain the system we have, while your cost of sitting in congestion goes up year after year. You deserve better. You have a right to expect the highest return possible on your tax investment. With additional dedicated money for transportation, you will be able to weigh in on bus, rail, transit, road, bridge and bikeway projects. But if the General Assembly fails to act, you won’t even get to the table. There will be nothing to discuss. With new dedicated funds for transportation, you can participate in improving the ability of emergency responders to prevent crime, fight fires and save lives. You can work toward a future when grade school kids catch the bus in daylight again. You can be part of stopping the waste of precious energy resources. Our representative form of government relies on your voice. Don't be a pawn in this debate. If you're fed up with paying for congestion and getting nothing in return, if you want to have a voice in improving your mobility, then send this message to your elected representatives: Don't come home until you find new, sustainable, dedicated funds for transportation. We need to turn around Virginia's future when it comes to our mobility. You can do that. And the time to act is now. Click here to enter the Virginians for Better Transportation website