The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
To ready Virginia for coming federal stimulus dollars, state transportation officials Friday adopted a revised long-range road construction plan that, instead of adding to their wish list, cuts $2 billion worth of projects to reflect current funding realities.
The money remaining in the state’s $8.9 billion, six-year plan provides money for a number of Hampton Roads projects, including planned highway improvements that could take years to complete.
But a lengthy list of local projects lost some of their previously allocated state funding.
For example, $7.6 million was cut from a Lynnhaven Parkway widening project in Virginia Beach.
Language in the federal economic recovery bill requires states to update their road construction plans in order to be eligible for the flow of stimulus funding, state highway officials said.
By one recent estimate, Virginia would get about $4 billion from the federal package, nearly $700 million of which would be designated for road and bridge projects.
Yet much uncertainty remains about what strings will be attached to the stimulus dollars and how they can be spent. Just because a project remains on the state’s six-year list doesn’t mean it is fully funded. Likewise, removal from the list doesn’t mean a project has been deemed unworthy of future funding. It’s just been given a lower priority than other road needs.
The state has struggled to meet its transportation construction and maintenance demands as the costs of such work have increased at the same time government funds have declined.
“This is not unpredictable,” Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer said Friday, his frustration apparent. “We are here as a consequence of inaction, plain and simple.”
Moments before the Commonwealth Transportation Board adopted the revised road plan, Homer called it “a sad day,” alluding to repeated failed attempts this decade to change the way Virginia funds road building.
Officials cautioned that the infusion of money from the stimulus bill is a one-time salve, not a cure for Virginia’s road construction needs.
“We need to regain our feet,” said board member J. Douglas Koelemay of Springfield, referring to Virginia’s transportation challenges.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
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Problem Bob...
If what you believe is that raising tax significantly will solve funding issues, I believe you are deceiving yourself. State transportation funds are already significantly diverted to pay for socialist programs or subsidies. Just how is throwing more money into this mess going to fix it?
What is Done is Done
I see a lot of comments and complaints about George Bush with the War in Iraq as well as Obamas Pork Barrel Stimulus Package. I think both were a mistake but now we have to live with them. However, what I think next is what is Virginia going to do about her own deficiet and the needed infrastructure problems such as the roads and transportation needs. The Stimulus Package will give a litte relief but not nearly enought. This is where we in Virginia like everywhere else must make some real choices on what is important and what is not as important. At this time, not everything is going to be able to be funded unless the people are ready to have their taxes increased significantly in one form or anothert. The Federal Government may be able to borrow it's way out of problems for now, but a day of reconing will come. The state does not have that luxury. This complaining of a President that has come and gone or about a bill that could not be stopped does not help solve the real problem.
piereeg -- let's be honest okay
You are criticizing Obama for a situation left by Bush. What a weak argument you make. What's next? Are you going to criticize Obama for going into Iraq? You sound like the republicans blaming Clinton for sending troops into Haiti, when in fact, Bush did it. Idiotic.
Not if but when...
"Yes, BOTH parties need to stop pandering for votes along party lines but it is clear that Repubs, escpecially those in Congress are only looking for voyes and are HOPING for the stimulus plan to fail to say I told you so". It is not a matter of hoping to fail but a matter of knowing. That "stimulus" bill is only a socialist "spending" bill. Show me where the stimulus is, please. The regretful thing is the impending tax increases to pay for this socialist pork bill that does nothing but put more taxpayer dollars in the hands of the lame and lazy. Gimme money Nobama, even though I don't do nothin for myself or society but spit out more kids.
I want to thank george bush and
I want to thank Geoirge Bush and the republican congress for 3$ trillion in spending on the Iraq war. Way to go! You guys did a heck of a good job.
Wm D Tabor DDS
I could care less about EXACT figures but a SENSELESS war that cost billions is much more of an unnecessary cost than the PROPOSED 760 million dollars to spend on highway projects! And while I'm not a devote Democrat, for anyone such as the fellow that posted earlier to try and setup an avenue to possibly blame Democrats in the future for digging us into any kind of defecite when a Republican led government with a Republican led Preesident ran us from a surplus to a deep hole in a matter of only 8 years can only be a blind ignorant fool who only listens to Rush Limbaugh and not look at the WHOLE picture! Yes, BOTH parties need to stop pandering for votes along party lines but it is clear that Repubs, escpecially those in Congress are only looking for voyes and are HOPING for the stimulus plan to fail to say I told you so; at least GOP govenors get the message and see that Americans need help and the blame can come later!
BrianH
The Iraq war cost 4 times 760 Billion? Three Trillion dollars?
Where do you get that figure?
Ignore the problem?
I didn't say ignore it. Obama promised a stimulus package and he delivered a welfare bill. Tax "breaks" for people who don't pay taxes is WELFARE! He doubled welfare checks to recipients He forced states to give unemployment compensation to people who quit their job. So don't tell me republicans are ignoring the problems. We just don't agree with the deficit spending spree on a mouse habitat for Nancy Pelosi's mouse. Go read the bill before to comment on the bill. Democrats are the ones with their heads in the sand on this one.
New record
Democrats are just starting the spending spree. In office for a month and he passes the largest spending bill in U.S. History! And all I hear from the Democrats is the tired old Bush bashing argument. The Chinese own this debt and Obama owns the bill.
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VDOT is full of baloney
Submitted by Mark Burns on Sat, 02/14/2009 at 8:12 am.
Seems like every time you turn around VDOT has another lame excuse not to do any road work in Hampton roads even with money pouring out of the department's pockets but construction seems to go on around the liberal Mecca in Northern Virginia.