A transportation platform for Northern Virginia candidates and elected officials.
Category: Statewide
Virginia: Commonwealth Transportation Board 2011-2017 Six-Year Plan
First, our oil dependency and the world of higher energy prices that we can expect — with just 5% of the world’s population we use 25% of the world’s oil; 70% of that goes to transportation. The spike in gas prices in 2007 showed our vulnerability and is seen by some as the final straw that broke the back of the speculative real estate market. Gas prices increased 3-4 times what they were in 2000 and this broke many families’ budgets. Commuter buses were swamped and transit ridership continued to grow even after prices fell back. The cost to own a car according to AAA can be $7000 to $8000 per year. The family that has to own two or three cars is spending money that it could be saving for college educations or to invest in a business.
Map: The Future of Richmond Highway
A map showing the redevelopment potential of Richmond Highway (Route 1). Shown are commercial areas ready for redevelopment, parks and protected open space, and important streams and watersheds along the corridor.
Proposal for a Comprehensive Visioning Process for the Richmond Highway/Route 1 Corridor
The Richmond Highway Corridor passes through some of the most historic land in our Nation including the home and lands once owned by our first President. It has streams and wetlands connecting to the Potomac, and parks including Huntley Meadow and the Mount Vernon bike trail. It is marked by the diversity of peoples that are modern Fairfax, with a variety of neighborhoods and housing. From Beacon Hill one can see the landmarks of our nation’s capital including the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral.
Spending the Stimulus – Virginia Report
Our priorities for federal stimulus spending in Virginia
120 Day Stimulus Spending Report – Background Information
The states and the stimulus — Are they using it to create jobs and a 21st century transportation system?
Call for Fundamental Reevaluation of Virginia Transportation and Land Use
For Immediate Release: June 20, 2008
Contact:
Stewart Schwartz, CSG, 703-599-6437 (c)
Trip Pollard, SELC, 434-977-4090
Lisa Guthrie, VALCV, 804-225-1902
Conservation and Smart Growth Groups Call for Fundamental Reevaluation of Virginia Transportation and Land Use
Energy Challenge is an Opportunity to Design a Different Program Say Groups in Reaction to Transportation Funding Debate
(Richmond, VA) Following Governor Kaine’s release of his transportation funding proposal, Virginia conservation and smart growth groups commended the Governor’s increased focus on transit, freight and passenger rail and the effort to tie some limited funding to urban development areas, but argued that the Governor and legislature need to make more fundamental changes to the state transportation program.
“New money, and existing funding for that matter, must go for new ideas – a new product line,” said Chris Miller, President of the Piedmont Environmental Council. “Virginians need a commitment from the Governor and legislature that a funding package will not be advanced until there is a fundamental reevaluation of VDOT’s long range transportation plans to reflect a world of significantly higher gas prices.”
VDOT’s plans are based on much lower gas prices than are being experienced today. They are also based on an assumption of steadily increasing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) when in just a few short months VMT has already fallen 4.3% nationally in reaction to higher fuel costs. The groups called for a reevaluation of the statewide VTRANS 2025 plan, the Northern Virginia Transact 2030 plan, other metropolitan regional plans, and major project studies.
“Too many Virginia families are facing economic stress because we failed to design our communities and transportation systems to offer alternatives to driving for every trip. More than ever our economic competitiveness and ability to ship goods and attract workers will depend on having lower energy and infrastructure costs. But Virginia’s economy and Virginia’s families will remain vulnerable if the state continues to subsidize scattered, auto-dependent development patterns,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
“The Governor is on the right track with his new Sub-Cabinet on Community Investment, ‘tasked with promoting smart, sustainable growth by ensuring that state funds are invested in projects that reduce suburban sprawl,’” said Lisa Guthrie, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, “but the place to start changing priorities is with the billions of dollars we spend each year on transportation.”
Trip Pollard, director of the Land and Community Program at the Southern Environmental Law Center stated, “With high gas prices we must provide more transportation choices and make revitalization of existing communities, mixed-use, transit-oriented and walkable communities, and transit, passenger and freight rail top priorities. And instead of bypass highways and super-wide arterial roads, we will need better local street networks that more safely accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists.”
“The energy crisis and climate change make it more important than ever that we buy the right transportation system for the next 50 to 100 years. We have a great opportunity to reconsider legacy projects and to make the fiscally prudent investments for the future. That is why we consider the fundamental reevaluation of VDOT’s program a critical prerequisite to any funding deal,” concluded Guthrie.
Open Letter to Governor Kaine on Land Use, Transportation and Funding
We are encouraged by your initiatives over the past two years to address Virginia’s land use and transportation challenges. Public support for better growth management remains at high levels, making your efforts to better link land use and transportation critically important. Your collective initiatives have included increased support for transit and freight rail, traffic impact studies, urban development areas, land conservation, stronger access management policies and changes to subdivision street standards.
Conservation and Smart Growth Groups Weigh-in on Transportation Funding
Joining the renewed debate over transportation funding, the Virginia conservation and smart growth community released an open letter today to Governor Kaine, Lieutenant Governor Bolling, Attorney General McDonnell and all 140 members of the General Assembly. “The energy crisis and climate change make it more important that ever that we buy the right transportation system for the next 50 to 100 years,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
Sweetheart Bill for Builders Almost Derailed in Senate
“The significant division in the Senate vote on SB768 today demonstrates the serious problems with this bill,” said Lisa Guthrie, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. “Had the bill not been filed at the last minute and had there been even a couple more days for all legislators to realize the damaging fiscal impacts, this bill would not have passed.”