Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
State seeks input on road plans
The Commonwealth Transportation Board has been seeking input on long-term road plans over the last few weeks and local officials have been quick to get their voices heard.
On Oct. 25, representatives from Prince William, Manassas, Fairfax and Loudoun governments were on hand at a public meeting in Fairfax to make sure hard times don't mean less money for local projects.
VDOT's chief deputy commissioner, Charlie Kilpatrick, told the crowd that “our transportation dollars are strained” and that the state's recent focus has been to “put money on projects that could be brought forward in the next three years.”
In western Prince William, the Board of County Supervisors is seeking construction money for the Route 234 Bypass from Interstate 66 to Loudoun and also for the Tri-County Parkway and the widening of Route 28 from Manassas to Linton Hall Road.
P
Coles Supervisor Marty Nohe (R), the county's representative to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, told the panel that work will begin on the first phase of the Route 28 project next spring.
“With an additional $10 million, we could complete the entire project out to Nokesville,” he said.
But even while local officials are asking for more money, they're hoping they don't get saddled with more responsibility.
On behalf of the Board of County Supervisors and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, Nohe also asked the state to drop plans for “devolution.”
In the current context, “devolution” means VDOT would turn the maintenance of all secondary roads over to localities. VDOT is currently responsible for maintaining virtually all roads in the state. Under the devolution proposals, local governments would take over maintenance – fixing potholes and such – and VDOT would focus on new construction.
By most accounts, VDOT would provide the localities with money for the maintenance and would perhaps even hand over its equipment.
Nevertheless, localities in Northern Virginia aren't interested.
For one thing, Nohe said, there's every chance that as money gets tighter, VDOT will stop paying it out for maintenance, holding local governments responsible for fixing the potholes but not giving them enough money to do it.
For another thing, adding maintenance duties adds bureaucracy and staffing issues. Plus, he said, any funding formula the state devises will “be unfair to someone” – either the richer urban jurisdictions or the poorer rural ones.
And for Prince William?
“It would mean an 8 percent tax increase in Prince William just to keep the current level” of maintenance, Nohe said.
The General Assembly doesn't meet until January and there are no specific devolution proposals on the table yet but Nohe said the idea is being floated at the state level.
Comments are still being solicited from organizations, governments and individuals.
To comment on rail and public transportation, write to to Public Information Officer, DRPT, 600 E. Main St., Suite 2102, Richmond, VA 23219, or email DRPTPR@drpt.Virginia.gov.
To comment on highway projects, write to Programming Director, VDOT, 1401 E. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23219, or email Six-YearProgram@VDOT.Virginia.gov.
Comments will be accepted until Dec. 12.
You must be logged in to post a comment.