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Press Release
For Immediate Release: May 4, 2006

Coalition for Smarter Growth * Piedmont Environmental Council * Virginia League of Conservation Voters

For More Information, contact:
Chris Miller, PEC, 540-347-2334
Laura Olsen, CSG, 202-244-4408 x 4#
Lisa Guthrie, VALCV, 804-225-1902

COALITION OPPOSES TRANSPORTATION PLANS

Plans Don’t Account for Long-Term Gas Price Increases

Better Land Use and Shift in Transportation Investments Needed

Nearly forgotten in the long debate over how much to spend on transportation is whether Virginia’s transportation plans make sense in the first place. “Certainly, neither VDOT’s long-term plans nor the proposals before the General Assembly account for the predicted continuation of rising gas prices. We oppose major funding increases in the absence of fundamental reform in land use and transportation planning that will prepare Virginia for an era of high energy costs,” said Lisa Guthrie, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.

“Our first priority in transportation should be to set and meet a goal to reduce the amount that current and future Virginians have to drive,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. This would be measured in per capita vehicle miles traveled (per capita VMT). Achieving reductions in per capita VMT can lead to reduced traffic and reduced energy consumption, enhancing our long-term economic competitiveness.

“To achieve this goal we must reduce the growth that is extending farther and farther away from our job centers. By revitalizing our cities and towns, and creating more mixed-use walkable communities we make walking, bicycling, carpooling, transit and shorter car trips possible,” said Chris Miller, President of the Piedmont Environmental Council. “In America, one of the largest contributors of global climate change is the air pollution which results from the increasing vehicle miles traveled. Reductions in per capita VMT do more to reduce greenhouse gases that are the cause of global warming than new technologies and improved energy efficiency.”

The first priority for transportation projects should be those that support smarter land use, more choices in transportation modes, and reduction in per capita VMT. Unfortunately, VDOT’s long range transportation plan, VTRANS 2025, proposes to spend most money on interstate highways and expansion of roads in areas that would fuel more sprawling development.

“According to Schwartz, “Even in the short term, VDOT’s proposed cuts to the current 6-Year program fall disproportionately on transit and urban road investments needed to support mixed-use development, walking and transit.”

“Earlier this session, we showed how much money was going to major highway earmarks for projects which would increase sprawl and driving. Furthermore, none of the plans make the fundamental shifts needed in VDOT spending priorities,” said Schwartz. Those that would increase transit and freight rail funding continue to spend 80 to 85% of our tax dollars on roads.

Recent proposals to target funding to the economic engines of Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads make sense. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the transportation plans of both regions. Neither incorporates enforceable goals to reduce per capita VMT or land use changes that would help to reduce traffic. Both include bypass highways that will fuel more uncontrolled growth and driving.

Chris Miller said, “When talking about multi-year and multi-billion transportation investments, we have to get things right. Transportation spending boosters like to cite Governor Baliles’ tax increase for transportation in 1986 as their model. But we cannot afford a repeat of 1986, when critical planning reforms were ignored.”

Schwartz concluded, “Locally and globally, we cannot afford to fuel yet another two decades of real estate speculation and uncontrolled growth’s contribution to climate change. Instead, we need to build a transportation system that will reduce energy consumption by supporting more compact development patterns and vibrant, mixed-use cities and towns. Let’s take step back and get our transportation plans right.”

The US accounts for 4.6% of world population today. US consumption (21 million barrels/day) of oil is just under 25% of world production in 2005. All transportation uses account for 2/3 of the US total demand. Highway uses are the largest portion. Highway users (taking out rail, air and shipping) account for 54% of US oil demand. Values from the 2006 Annual Energy Outlook by EIA/DOE.