Governor McDonnell’s Metro Power Play is a Bad Deal for the Region
Coalition for Smarter Growth, Sierra Club
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
April 7, 2011
Contact:
Stewart Schwartz, 703-599-6437
Vasiliy Kisunko, 301-787-8794
Governor McDonnell’s Metro Power Play is a Bad Deal for the Region
Power Shift to the State but Too Little Financial Support for Transit
Three Northern Virginia Senators made it possible for Governor McDonnell to use a budget amendment and take a seat on the Metro board at the expense of local elected officials in northern Virginia. Senators Petersen, Puller and Colgan voted for the Governor’s amendment.
“Three of northern Virginia’s Senators let us all down,” said Vasiliy Kisunko, transportation organizer for the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. “Our local, experienced and accountable elected officials will lose one seat and be replaced by an unaccountable, appointed official from downstate.”
“Year after year, Northern Virginian’s have paid over 70 percent of Virginia’s share of Metro’s operating costs, through their fares, parking fees, property taxes and an extra gas tax not paid in other parts of the state. Meanwhile, the state of Virginia has never provided enough capital and operating support for transit,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “Paying the $50 million match for one year so far – that alone doesn’t add up to enough to merit a seat.
“Northern Virginia’s elected officials have been the most responsive to the riders and their taxpayers who support the Metro system,” said Schwartz. “During last year’s budget decisions, they led the way to providing more local funding in order to avoid drastic service cuts. They ride the system, they understand the system and as local officials they understand the important link between transit-oriented development and increasing ridership and fare box revenues.”
“The real problem for Metro has been years of underfunding of preventative maintenance and rehabilitation, and until the last Governor made a better deal for transit, the State of Virginia has never provided adequate funding for transit in Northern Virginia, said Kisunko.
Northern Virginia officials had been seeking to work out a range of funding and governance issues with Governor McDonnell, yet he didn’t wait for an agreement to be reached.
“This is a bad deal for Northern Virginians, because the Governor takes a seat but without making any commitment for additional state funding for Metro and other transit in Northern Virginia. Our Senators should have supported our local officials so that we could get a better financial deal for our region,” concluded Schwartz.
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