Spending the Transportation Stimulus - Coalition for Smarter Growth

February 09, 2012

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Spending the Transportation Stimulus

 

Smart Growth AmericaCoalition for Smarter Growth

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release:                           Contact:

Monday, March 9th, 2009                            Stewart Schwartz, CSG, for VA Release

                                                                       703-599-6437

                                                                   Cheryl Cort, CSG, for DC Release

                                                                       202-244-4408 ext 112

                                                                                                            

Spending the Transportation Stimulus
20 Ways to Create More Jobs Quickly & Increase our Transportation Choices 

 

Opportunities for Virginia and DC*

 

Our state and local officials are asking for input from the public as they prepare lists of transportation projects to be funded under the stimulus.  “The transportation stimulus money can be used to address sustainable, energy efficient transportation priorities and get the biggest bang for the buck.  The Smart Growth America offers great ideas for the states, and we’ve added local examples of good investments for Virginia and DC,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

In addition to transit funding and competitive funding for high speed rail, Virginia will receive $694 million, DC $123 million, and Maryland $431 million in flexible funding (Surface Transportation Program funding) for transportation spending under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama last month.

“Many state departments of transportation have implied that these Surface Transportation Program funds are solely for highway building.  One purpose of our report is to show that STP funds, including these stimulus funds, offer wide latitude to states and communities to invest the money in transit, local roads, maintenance, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities,” said Cheryl Cort, Policy Director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth.  (See for example the following presentation by Secretary Pierce Homer in Virginia labeling the STP funds as Highway funds, Slide 11,Homer Presentation to VA Gen. Assembly )

According to a poll released in January by the National Association of Realtors, an overwhelming 80 percent of Americans believe it is more important that the stimulus funding include efforts to repair existing highways and public transit rather than to build new highways. The poll clearly shows that the vast majority of Americans believe restoring existing roads and bridges and expanding transportation options should take precedence over building new roads. Repair projects have also been shown to create 16% more jobs, and to do so faster, than those that build new highway capacity.

In Virginia alone, Secretary of Transportation Homer has identified$1 billion in interstate and primary road pavement repair needs and $3.7 billion in structurally deficient bridges.  He has identified $300 million in ready-to-go pavement work and $60 million in bridge repairs but should do more to tackle the bridge problem.  Just last week, another one of Arlington Virginia’s old bridges dropped chunks of concrete onto Route 50 and the Robert E. Lee bridge in Richmond dropped concrete onto the pedestrian pathway below.  DC has been working through a backlog of road and bridge repair needs and these should be a priority for the stimulus.

But the stimulus also offers the opportunity to change the way our states do business.  “With infrastructure funding likely to be limited for many years, we need to spend our scarce resources wisely and to invest in a more energy efficient transportation system that offers more transportation choices and enhances the quality of life of our communities.  That’s why this report calls for using these flexible Surface Transportation Program funds to invest in transit, passenger and freight rail, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities,” said Schwartz.

As noted by Eric Gilliland, Executive Director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, a group working throughout the DC metropolitan region, "Not only should we fund the backlog of priority bike and pedestrian projects, we should also ensure that general roadway repairs and improvements are used to create complete streets that address the needs of all roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and people of all ages and abilities."  Bicycling and walking advocacy groups in Virginia have echoed Eric’s call for stronger Complete Streets policies, asking for stronger enforcement of the Commonwealth Transportation Board’s bicycle/pedestrian accommodation policy and larger expenditures on pedestrian and bicycle facilities to improve local mobility and accessibility.

The report, Spending the Stimulus, lays out 20 ways that officials can and should spend the federal funding on ready-to-go projects that will address long-neglected transportation priorities while providing speedy and robust job creation and economic recovery.

Some high-priority, job creating project types identified in the report include investments that:

The I-95 rail corridor (both passenger and freight rail), I-81 rail freight and I-81 road safety fixes, Virginia Railway Express extension to Haymarket, Norfolk Light Rail project and extension to Virginia Beach, and pedestrian-bicycle projects across Virginia are among priorities recommended by the Coalition and its partners.  In DC, originally designed with pedestrians in mind and with the highest walk to work share in the DC region, the group recommends a range of street repair, sidewalk, bicycle-lane, and commuter bicycle trail improvements.

Lists offering examples of good projects for Virginia and DC can be found below and the following links take you to the full reports:  Virginia (PDF) and DC (PDF)

“We can create jobs fast and we also begin investing in a transportation system that will help us reduce our dependence on oil and save commuters time and money,” concluded Schwartz.

The Coalition for Smarter Growth’s mission is to ensure that transportation and development decisions accommodate growth while revitalizing communities, providing more housing and travel choices, and conserving our natural and historic areas.  The Coalition works in the Washington DC metropolitan region and across significant parts of Virginia.

* There is not a Maryland specific report at this time. For an update on the stimulus in Maryland, contact Dru Schmidt-Perkins, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Maryland, at 410-258-8601 (cell)

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See Examples of Virginia and DC Projects Below and in the Appendix to the Report

Projects in Virginia

The following projects are examples of projects in Virginia that  will create the most jobs building a 21st transportation system that reduces our dependence on oil, increases the quality of life of our citizens and sets us on the path to long term economic prosperity.

TOTAL AVAILABLE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM FUNDING: $694,460,823

 

Example Projects:

 

Roads:

 

Statewide Bridge Repairs –$60 million (total statewide need is $3.7 billion)

Bridge repairs ready to go within 120 days total $60 million according to Virginia Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer.  See: http://hac.state.va.us/committee/files/2009/02-18-09/Secretary_of_Transportation--02-18-09--color.pdf (page 17).  Recently chunks of concrete fell from the Glebe Road/Route 50 bridge in Arlington calling attention again to the deteriorated condition of Arlington’s old bridges.  Virginia is reporting that 9% of bridges statewide are structurally deficient and estimates that the total repair need is $3.7 billion (page 19), so every effort should be made to spend even more of the stimulus on bridge repair.

 

Route 29/Gallows Road Interchange in Fairfax County -- $37,874,000

This at-grade congested intersection has been on the plans to be replaced with an urban-style interchange for many years.  Out of the $119,712,000 interchange and widening project, $37,874,000 remains to be funded. The design includes sidewalks on both sides of both roads and room for bike lanes on both roads.  Full accommodation of pedestrians and bicyclists is particularly important because this project sits within the Merrifield/Dunn Loring Town Center plan.  While a grade-separated interchange and the 6-lane configuration are not ideal for the planned urban environment, every effort should be made to ensure the roadways are designed as urban boulevards safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. In addition, one lane of Gallows can and should be reserved for future light rail transit (the “Purple Line”) running from Springfield and Annandale and up Gallows Road to Tysons Corner.

I-66 Multimodal Study -- $13,500,000

This study which would take a long-needed look at the best potential alternative solutions for I-66 congestion inside the Beltway should be fully funded and expedited prior to moving forward with the proposed widening project.  The study requires an additional $13,500,000.

I-81 Safety Improvements for Sections with the Highest Crash Scores – $45,000,000 (estimate) The I-81 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) concluded that “there is an immediate need for smaller, independent safety and operational improvements along 1-81.” Many of these problem areas were identified in a study in the late 1990’s but many have not yet been addressed.  The FEIS determined that 41 segments totaling 45 miles of I-81 (7 percent) have crash scores more than 25 percent higher than the statewide weighted average.  Of these, eight segments totaling eight miles have crash scores more than twice the statewide weighted average.  These high crash segments accounted for approximately 21 percent of all crashes along the I-81 corridor and more than one-third of all fatalities. We were not able to determine with certainty if all of the identified unsafe sections are being addressed in the 6-Year Plan, but do not believe that they have all been funded.  In our late 2008 review of the plan we found that only one of the eight segments identified as having crash scores more than twice the statewide average, and only seven of the 31 segments VDOT identified as having crash scores more than 1.25 but less than two times the statewide average were addressed.  We are critical of the expenditure of over $186,526,000 on the nine-mile long Montgomery Truck Climbing Lanes and the 2.5 mile long Abingdon Interchange which encompass just two miles of the high crash lane-miles, while other long-identified high-crash score sections have not been addressed.  Our estimate above is based on a number of safety projects in the latest 6-Year Plan which show unfunded balances or for which the 2010-14 proposed funding could be accelerated.

 

Rail and Public Transit:

 

Virginia Railway Express – Extension to Gainesville and Haymarket -- $31,000,000

This long proposed extension which would provide a transit alternative to the gridlock on I-66 appears to need significant funding toward its ultimate $243,000,000 cost, including a near term need for $31,000,000 for preliminary engineering.

I-95 Corridor -- Passenger Rail Upgrades – $215,500,000 Phase I

The rail corridor from Washington to Richmond and the connection to Newport News have long been identified by Virginia as priorities for upgrade in conjunction with CSX, which owns the tracks.  This corridor is on the national priority High Speed Rail Corridor list.  The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit (DRPT) completed the State Rail Resource Allocation Plan in December 2008 recommending a phased approach to major upgrades on state passenger rail and freight rail corridors.  http://www.drpt.virginia.gov/studies/files/DRPT-Rail-Resource-Allocation-Plan-final-12-15-08.pdf  Phase I for this corridor includes projects which could be completed in the near term.  At the same time, the DRPT study identifies $6.6 billion in passenger and freight rail needs, with a state share of $4.4 billion.  Yet, DRPT only projects $874 million in available funding through 2035, meaning the plan would take decades to complete despite the urgency of higher energy costs, climate change and traffic on Virginia’s highways.  That’s why significant STP funding from the stimulus should be made available for rail upgrades, in addition to high speed rail funding which will be shared among national corridors in a competitive process.

Freight Rail:   NS Crescent Corridor – Phase 1 (I-81 and Route 29 N-S corridors) -- $38 million

                        NS Heartland Corridor (Portsmouth west to WVA border) -- $27 million

                        CSX National Gateway - Phase I (I-95 corridor) -- $135.7 million

Some of these projects should be ready to go to construction in the coming year.  See comments in paragraph above.

Light Rail – Norfolk and Virginia Beach -- $159 million construction and $20 million planning

This approved New Start project for which the state will pay about 44% of the cost is shown in the 6-Year Plan to be awaiting $159 million in construction funds in the $232 million project.  Federal New Starts funding will be providing $128 million of the total cost.  By flexing some of the STP stimulus funds Virginia will be able to complete funding for the project which is scheduled to be operational at the end of 2009. http://www.ridethetide.com/lightrailconstruction/updates/dec/The-Tide_System-and-Construction-Overview_121008.pdf  In addition, another $20 million could go to funding needed to plan for the extension of the line to Virginia Beach.

Bicycle and Pedestrian:

Statewide – Require Compliance with Virginia’s “Complete Streets” Policy for Reconstruction and Repaving Projects – Unknown Cost

The Commonwealth Transportation Board has established a policy requiring accommodation of bicycle and pedestrian facilities on Virginia’s roads and streets.  We are requesting adherence to the policy for all road reconstruction and repaving projects under the stimulus.  This would mean providing on-street bike lanes for streets over 25 mph, sidewalks and safe crossings among other design requirements.

Northern Virginia -- On-Street Bikeways and Bicycle Racks, Arlington County -- $400,000

This is Arlington’s top priority bicycle/pedestrian project. Arlington will refurbish and upgrade its on-street bikeway system with installation of new bicycle lane and shared-lane symbol markings along arterial streets, as well as a revamped system of bikeway directional signs. In addition, they will purchase and install approximately 150 new bicycle racks in commercial districts, at Metro stations and at County facilities. Implementation is scheduled for 2009 and 2010.

 

Northern Virginia – Complete Streets, Haymarket            $1,400,000

UPC 16637,64766 
Project TOWN OF HAYMARKET - INSTALL 5 FOOT WIDE BRICK SIDEWALKS; 
Scope of Work ENVIRONMENTALLY RELATED 
Description FROM: STORM DRAINS; COLONIAL STYLE STREETLIGHTS; STREET TREES & TO: PLANTER BOXES; STREET FURNITURE; BIKE LANES & RACKS 
Report Note  
Fund Source STP 

Northern Virginia – Pedestrian Safety, Fairfax County     $455,000

UPC 67772 
Project RTE 1 - INSTALL CROSSWALKS 
Scope of Work SAFETY/TRAFFIC OPERS/TSM 
Description FROM: ROUTE 7100 TO: ROUTE 1332 (HUNTINGTON AVENUE) 
Report Note MPO Project; balance to be provided by MPO. Revised schedule required. 
Fund Source CM/RS 

Richmond Area – Multiuse Path,CharlesCity County      $10,200,000

UPC 86279 
Project VIRGINIA CAPITAL TRAIL PROJECT - NEW MARKET HEIGHTS PHASE 
Scope of Work NEW CONSTRUCTION 
Description FROM: 0.2 Miles East Route 295 TO: Rte 658 - Kimages Rd (11.0000 MI) 
Report Note PE only, accruing funds for RW. 
Fund Source STP 

Richmond Area – Complete Streets/Bike Parking, Amelia County  $326,000

UPC 81760 
Project AMELIA COUNTY - SIDEWALKS, PARKING, STREETLIGHTS, BIKE RACKS 
Scope of Work ENVIRONMENTALLY RELATED 
Description FROM: TO: 
Report Note  
Fund Source STP 

Hampton Roads – Multiuse Path, James City County       $1,890,000

UPC 17633 
Project CLASS I BIKEWAY/PEDESTRIAN ROUTE 60 & CROAKER ROAD 
Scope of Work R/W OR ENG 
Description FROM: Croaker Rd: Norge Library to Richmond Rd TO: Richmond Rd: Croaker Rd to Old Church Rd (1.5000 MI) 
Report Note MPO Project. Balance to be provided by MPO. Revised schedule required. 
Fund Source STP 

Roanoke -- Multiuse Path, Roanoke                $1,326,000

UPC 72658 
Project MASON CREEK GREENWAY - 5 MILE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN TRAIL 
Scope of Work NEW CONSTRUCTION 
Description FROM: CITY OF SALEM PARALLELING MASON CREED AT BRANCH DRIVE TO: CITY OF ROANOKE 
Report Note Includes FY04 Federal Omnibus Bill allocation 
Fund Source SB 

Projects in DC

The following projects are the projects in DC that  will create the most jobs building a 21st transportation system that reduces our dependence on oil, increases the quality of life of our citizens and sets us on the path to long term economic prosperity.

TOTAL AVAILABLE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM FUNDING: $123,507,842

Example projects:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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