Balkanization of VA roads?

Posted by Brent Finnegan on May 5th, 2008

Last year’s state transportation plan failed. Now Gov. Kaine is expected to unveil a revised transportation package to state legislators for their review before next month’s special session. And it sounds like many legislators are biting their nails over the prospect of a tax increase.

According to Kaine’s press secretary, “state law requires that maintenance comes [before construction].” But how much should be spent on maintenance is being disputed. And where the money should be spent is also ruffling a few feathers. The Roanoke Times reports:

Some GOP lawmakers have accused Kaine’s administration of inflating the projected maintenance shortfalls in an effort to win support for tax increases. And some have noted that Kaine made no push for new maintenance money until after the Virginia Supreme Court’s ruling affecting the regional authorities [...]

Kaine said the projections are based on official revenue forecasts as required by law and called the GOP criticisms “completely bogus.”

“Regular people won’t buy that,” Kaine said. “They know there’s a real problem. They know it’s not just some revenue estimate situation.”

The transportation debate has some partisan undertones, but also has the potential to create regional frictions. Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County, said failing to deal with rising maintenance costs could lead to “Balkanization” of the state’s transportation network, hurting rural areas.

“We’re going to end up with a system that’s 21st century in some parts of Virginia and 1950s in others,” Deeds said. “We’ve got to grow together.”

The focus of concern appears to be over Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads areas. Right now, I’m seeing very little about Valley roads, let alone Port Republic Road. Guess we’ll have to wait and see what money (if any) will be allotted for local improvements.

7 Responses to “Balkanization of VA roads?”

finnegan says:

May 5, 2008 at 12:40 pm

I just received this response from Del. Lohr via email:

…Right now I don’t know what all proposals will be brought forth.

As far as the Port Republic funding, yes the CTB announced last week it has cut funding for the project. I have been working with both the CTB and the Sec of Transportation on this issue. Obviously it is crucial for everyone in and around that area. In my last correspondence with Sec Homer, he said he realizes the significance of this project and will do his best to see that funds will be available in 2011 and 2012. As far as I understand it, those are the years when the state pays $22 million. Right now that has been cut to $5 million. We have pleaded our case to the CTB, who ultimately make those final decisions…

If this is correct, the funds for the road won’t come through until well after the new RMH has opened.

Bubby says:

May 5, 2008 at 1:15 pm

OK, I’ll state the obvious: The Commonwealth Transportation Board allocates the funds that YOU Delegate Lohr make available. You know, taxation. So don’t even try to suggest that the failure to fund the Port Road upgrade will be anything but your own failure.

Too bad you didn’t know how important the already started Port Road construction was before you torpedoed it with your “no taxes” fiscal-illiterate pandering. But never mind that – What are you going to do? And quit begging, the CTB wants money. You got hired to do a tough job, get up and be part of the solution, or go home. Please.

Seth says:

May 5, 2008 at 1:38 pm

it strikes me as strange that this wasn’t figured out during the planning stage for the new RMH. anybody know whether they were just moving ahead on rosey-glassed assumptions or if there was some speculation as to the difficulty of securing funds from the CTB for this project?

Bubby says:

May 5, 2008 at 5:13 pm

It was figured out, budgeted and RoW was procured. Then the no-count House of Delegates decided to get the vapors and not adequately fund the transportation budget. When the highway budget is underfunded, the priority becomes maintenance of existing highways. Money is moved from construction of new road (Port Rd) to pay for maintenance elsewhere.

These projects are carefully planned years ahead to give the hamsters in the HoD time to figure out how they will pay the bills. The majority party decided to play games with transportation funding and brought us to the current failure.

finnegan says:

May 12, 2008 at 10:01 pm

More of the same talking points in today’s news:

The state government needs to offset a $1 billion shortfall in funding for transportation projects.

Virginians would pay a higher sales tax when they buy a car and $10 more when they register a vehicle, if the plan gets through the General Assembly. State Republicans spoke out quickly following Kaine’s announcement [...]

“What I think has raised a lot of concerns is that the governor has taken this simply as an opportunity not just to replace that $600 million but to almost double that,” says Mark Obenshain (R – 26th District).

Obenshain says he wants to make sure projects in the Valley get the funding they need too.

“We know that we have some projects that are in dire need of making sure there’s funding adequate to complete them,” says Obenshain. “For example, Port Republic Road.”

[...]

“But if we do what the governor wants to do, and that’s embark on this bigger debate about the need for state-wide tax increases, you know we’re right back to the same spot we’ve been in for the past four or five or six years,” says Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R).

Lowell says:

May 13, 2008 at 12:47 am

And Mr. Bolling and Mr. Obenshain, this is precisely why we remain stuck in this pothole regarding transportation funding in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Both of you would rather make this a political fight, rather than admit the truth that Virginia roads need attention, and Virginia Citizens deserve a functioning and self sustaining ability to operate our system of transportation.

In short, if we want roads and rail, we need to build and maintain roads and rail, and we have to pay for them…

finnegan says:

May 13, 2008 at 3:43 pm

I received a response from Sen. Obenshain about funding issues and Port Road. He wrote

…While many details on the Commonwealth’s overall transportation solutions will not become evident until later in the summer at the special session, I do believe it is important for Virginia to provide adequate funding for important transportation priorities across the state.

One of these priorities, I believe, is the Port Republic Road expansion. I have written a letter (attached) to Secretary Pierce Homer at the Department of Transportation, urging VDOT to provide priority funding to this project, which will access the new Rockingham Memorial Hospital campus and will prove a great relief to the businesses and commuters who use the route frequently.

finnegan says:

May 5, 2008 at 12:40 pm

I just received this response from Del. Lohr via email:

…Right now I don’t know what all proposals will be brought forth.

As far as the Port Republic funding, yes the CTB announced last week it has cut funding for the project. I have been working with both the CTB and the Sec of Transportation on this issue. Obviously it is crucial for everyone in and around that area. In my last correspondence with Sec Homer, he said he realizes the significance of this project and will do his best to see that funds will be available in 2011 and 2012. As far as I understand it, those are the years when the state pays $22 million. Right now that has been cut to $5 million. We have pleaded our case to the CTB, who ultimately make those final decisions…

If this is correct, the funds for the road won’t come through until well after the new RMH has opened.

Bubby says:

May 5, 2008 at 1:15 pm

OK, I’ll state the obvious: The Commonwealth Transportation Board allocates the funds that YOU Delegate Lohr make available. You know, taxation. So don’t even try to suggest that the failure to fund the Port Road upgrade will be anything but your own failure.

Too bad you didn’t know how important the already started Port Road construction was before you torpedoed it with your “no taxes” fiscal-illiterate pandering. But never mind that – What are you going to do? And quit begging, the CTB wants money. You got hired to do a tough job, get up and be part of the solution, or go home. Please.

Seth says:

May 5, 2008 at 1:38 pm

it strikes me as strange that this wasn’t figured out during the planning stage for the new RMH. anybody know whether they were just moving ahead on rosey-glassed assumptions or if there was some speculation as to the difficulty of securing funds from the CTB for this project?

Bubby says:

May 5, 2008 at 5:13 pm

It was figured out, budgeted and RoW was procured. Then the no-count House of Delegates decided to get the vapors and not adequately fund the transportation budget. When the highway budget is underfunded, the priority becomes maintenance of existing highways. Money is moved from construction of new road (Port Rd) to pay for maintenance elsewhere.

These projects are carefully planned years ahead to give the hamsters in the HoD time to figure out how they will pay the bills. The majority party decided to play games with transportation funding and brought us to the current failure.

finnegan says:

May 12, 2008 at 10:01 pm

More of the same talking points in today’s news:

The state government needs to offset a $1 billion shortfall in funding for transportation projects.

Virginians would pay a higher sales tax when they buy a car and $10 more when they register a vehicle, if the plan gets through the General Assembly. State Republicans spoke out quickly following Kaine’s announcement [...]

“What I think has raised a lot of concerns is that the governor has taken this simply as an opportunity not just to replace that $600 million but to almost double that,” says Mark Obenshain (R – 26th District).

Obenshain says he wants to make sure projects in the Valley get the funding they need too.

“We know that we have some projects that are in dire need of making sure there’s funding adequate to complete them,” says Obenshain. “For example, Port Republic Road.”

[...]

“But if we do what the governor wants to do, and that’s embark on this bigger debate about the need for state-wide tax increases, you know we’re right back to the same spot we’ve been in for the past four or five or six years,” says Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R).

Lowell says:

May 13, 2008 at 12:47 am

And Mr. Bolling and Mr. Obenshain, this is precisely why we remain stuck in this pothole regarding transportation funding in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Both of you would rather make this a political fight, rather than admit the truth that Virginia roads need attention, and Virginia Citizens deserve a functioning and self sustaining ability to operate our system of transportation.

In short, if we want roads and rail, we need to build and maintain roads and rail, and we have to pay for them…

finnegan says:

May 13, 2008 at 3:43 pm

I received a response from Sen. Obenshain about funding issues and Port Road. He wrote

…While many details on the Commonwealth’s overall transportation solutions will not become evident until later in the summer at the special session, I do believe it is important for Virginia to provide adequate funding for important transportation priorities across the state.

One of these priorities, I believe, is the Port Republic Road expansion. I have written a letter (attached) to Secretary Pierce Homer at the Department of Transportation, urging VDOT to provide priority funding to this project, which will access the new Rockingham Memorial Hospital campus and will prove a great relief to the businesses and commuters who use the route frequently.

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