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COALITION FOR SMARTER GROWTH

PRESS RELEASE
December 16, 2005

Contact:
Stewart Schwartz (703) 599-6437 (cell)

Governor Warner's Funding Plan Fails to Link Land Use and Transportation

Governor Warner’s infusion of additional funds into transportation still fails to take a comprehensive approach to the problem, to address land use and scattered development that is leading to growth in driving and traffic in our state. While providing more money for transit than has traditionally been provided -- as much as 25 percent of the $625M will go to transit capital projects -- the federal and state match for transit still remains significantly below the federal and state match for highway projects. In addition, $220M of the $625M is going simply to pay the debt service from past borrowing to fund the transportation program, borrowing that is tied to a number of projects that arguably should not have been funded in the first place.

Of the other funds, $142M goes to fund earmarked projects which are not part of a comprehensive approach to transportation and land use that were in the most recent federal authorization, including $25M to truck lanes on I81 that are opposed by the entire Shenandoah Valley delegation, most of the local governments, local citizens groups, the Virginia trucking association, and the Virginia hospitality association. Another $143M goes to a set of state earmarked projects going back to the Year 2000 Priority Transportation program.

In short, they are funding a series of disconnected projects without taking a comprehensive approach to land use and transportation to reduce the demand for driving on our highways. In addition, they tend to fund major highways more than they fund the local streets that are important interconnections and have some of the most critical congestion problems.

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