Julian Walker
The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
State transportation officials delivered another round of bad but not unexpected news on Wednesday when they laid out plans to further slash $851.5 million from road-building operations over the next six years.
Since spring 2008, the state's six-year road plan has been reduced by $4.6 billion.
"So we're running a six-year program on five years of revenue, essentially," transportation secretary Pierce R. Homer explained.
The six-year construction budget is $7.6 billion.
The decline in state transportation revenues has caused the state to lay off Virginia highway department workers, reduce services and shift its limited resources to pay for the most pressing repair projects.
Those strategies have left what Homer termed a "skinny" road program that directs money previously dedicated to local roads toward primary and interstate needs and places federal construction dollars into maintenance costs and reduced transit operations.
About $50 million would come from Hampton Roads projects in this latest round of cuts.
Because the proposed reductions were released late in the day Wednesday, local transportation officials could not say what the cuts mean for local motorists.
However, a list of recommended cuts shows that improvements to the Interstate 64 westbound ramp onto eastbound Interstate 264 could be decreased by $40 million, which means the $52 million project won't be built anytime soon.
It's among $107 million proposed to be eliminated from interstate projects statewide.
Other trims include $5 million from U.S. 17 widening in York County, $2.3 million from Va. 626/Shoulders Hill Road reconstruction in Suffolk, nearly $1 million from the Portsmouth Boulevard/Nansemond Parkway widening in Suffolk and Chesapeake, and $500,000 from the Princess Anne Road/Kempsville Road intersection improvements.
In addition to cuts to road construction, $84 million must be eliminated in VDOT programs and services before the end of the fiscal year. Reductions will come in administrative costs, equipment purchases and maintenance and paving operations.
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Fund Diversion
We would have funds for the roads if only Virginia would stop diverting the infastructure money to the low income people in this state.
answer me this mr barrett
Why have you never come out to champion the two things that would help traffic and wouldn't cost one dime. That is to ban cell phone use while driving and having people live in the cities that they work in. I am not going to pay more in gas tax because someone want's to live in Willamsburg and work at Va Beach. Another problem is as long as Southside wants to be 5 different cities instead of one this area is always going to be a backwater.
You were serious?
Sorry ring, I thought you were joking. Actually, I agree with the ban on using a cell phone when driving. Pull off the road and talk, and when you can pay full attention to driving, get back on the road. However, in regard to the ban on working outside the city in which you reside, that is called parochialism, and would be disastrous, as our job market is clearly all over Hampton Roads and into Eastern NC as well. That is as it should be.
Mike
I did say ban cell phones while driving but I didn't mean that people HAD to live in the cities they worked in, only a suggestion that they do so.
Let me get this straight.
Let me get this straight. You won't pay any more gas tax until the area cities and counties merge and create one city called Hampton Roads? Actually, not a bad idea, of course one that has been suggested before. So if that happens, you will agree to support a higher gas tax?
One city called Hampton Roads?
You must be high on drugs Mike. All that would do is increase the cost of government. No councilman, city mananger, fire chief, or police chief would be replaced. They would have to create an executive council to augment the votes from the other five city councils. That's why places like New York City are all jacked up. Of course I know that bigger and more intrusive government as well as higher taxes is what you live for Mike. You just can't help it.
since
You didn't answer my question I won't answer yours. I know people who commute over 100 miles one way to go to work. That is a choice they make due to location, school system whatever. I don't care how long they sit in traffic because it is their personal choice. I learned a long time ago that everything in life is a compromise and living close to work was the smart thing to do. No I am not going to pay taxes or tolls so they have an easier commute. There are other ways to ease traffic that don't cost money such as stagering work hours but everone wants to work 9-5. I will agree that this area would be much better off under one local government but I think pigs will fly before that ever happens.
Ooops!
I almost forgot to give kudos where props is due!
Thank the Lord up in heaven we have our wonderfully educated journalists at the Pilot to keep subscribers and constituents of Tidewater informed of what is ACTUALLY going on in the Commonwealth.
What would we do without you guys? We love you! Muah!
...and guess what?
If you think the reduction in road funding is bad... its all propaganda folks. They are just setting the table to hike the gas tax. If they weren't intending to do so cuts would have been across the board.
If that ain't proof enough for you, consider the increase in size at our local marine terminals. Container shipping is supposed to triple in our region over the next three years. The heartland railroad corridor from here to Chicago is almost complete to handle the volume of containers. Trains will soon be able to double stack containers and travel non-stop with goods straight to Chicago.
Mayor Fraim screaming about tunnel flooding, Portsmouth neglecting to spend money on roads while investing in the move of PMT... the signs are all there.
The state will let roads deteriorate, traffic congest, people complain, people die, and THEN they'll raise the taxes. All of the while politicians will be washing their hands of it all.
Welcome to the Syndicate of VA! Man! What a shakedown!
Suspend The House Of Delegaters
The obstructionists in the house have made this mess and they should go without pay and any compensation from our taxes until it is fixed.