Va. Senate kills legislation affecting local traffic

By Julian Walker
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 27, 2009

RICHMOND

The Senate blocked two proposals Thursday that could have changed traffic flow on some of Hampton Roads' more congested thoroughfares.

In both cases, Sen. Ken Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, played a key role.

First, he tried to attach amendments to a Northern Virginia-related road bill that would have opened high-occupancy-vehicle lanes on Interstates 64 and 264 in Chesapeake, Norfolk and Virginia Beach to active duty military service members driving to and from the Naval Operations Base and the Naval Air Station at Norfolk Naval Base.

"They are the most under-utilized HOV lanes in the nation," Stolle said.

"This will allow military members to use the HOV lanes and free up other lanes."

Despite support from two Norfolk Democrats, Sens. Yvonne Miller and Ralph Northam, Stolle's amendments failed, 17-21.

Later, Stolle was one of a group of legislators who successfully lobbied the Senate to defeat a bill that would have given state transportation officials instructions to seek private business partners to expand the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

That proposal, HB2079 sponsored by Del. Glenn Oder, R-Newport News, would have required the Virginia Department of Transportation to accept unsolicited proposals for the project that are submitted by Sept. 30. VDOT would then have to make a recommendation for proceeding by March 2010.

Stolle and other senators said the legislation would force the hand of transportation officials who are better equipped to decide which projects to build with available resources.

Lobbying for the bill, Sen. John Miller, D-Newport News, said momentum is needed to advance the cause of a bridge-tunnel expansion, which he called "the biggest choke point in the region."

Pilot writer Dave Forster contributed to this report.

Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com

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Stolle appears 1 and 1: 1 good effort, one bad. he's improving.

Submitted by Reid_Greenmun on Fri, 02/27/2009 at 6:14 am.

I applaude Senator Stolle for his efforts to open up the grossly under used HOV lanes to the military. That is a wise stragey for helping to reduce commuter traffic congestion and the HOV experiment is a failure. However, Senator Stolle is off target and should have supported Senator Miller's efforts to add more lane capacity to the horrific bottle neck and traffic congestion we suffer from at the HRBT. Obviously Senator Stolle is in the pocket of the port lobby and the Hampton Roads Partnership and they are doing everything they can to hold improvements to our transportation hostage so the port can have its "3rd Crossing". Friends, it is past time for us to show Senator Stolle the door and replace him with a person that will serve the people of Tidewater and not just the Port & business lobby.

Stolle had a great idea. . .

Submitted by davidj37901 on Fri, 02/27/2009 at 2:04 am.

Who ever voted against this is a moron and should not be elected for anything in Virginia again. Until this hick State wakes up and gets a third crossing, the HOV lanes should be utilized in a more efficient way; This isn't a hippie utopian city where we all work in the same area unobstructed by water and tunnels.