The Virginian-Pilot
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The state must cut nearly $1 billion out of an already austere transportation budget by the end of the year, further delaying critical road improvements - some of which would substantially relieve traffic congestion.
Over the past couple of years, major projects have been dropped - because of shrinking revenue - from the state's six-year road building plan. Dropped projects includ e the widening of Interstate 64 both in South Hampton Roads and on the Peninsula and improvements to the Interstate 64/264 interchange.
Now, with the latest reductions, officials warn that the blow will be felt for many years beyond what the state's spreadsheets show.
Obviously, fewer roads will be built. But in addition, fewer roads will be planned and designed. That means that if or when funding is restored, projects won't be ready to go.
Prep work such as engineering, design and environmental analysis will need to be started or in some cases dusted off and updated before the first dime can be spent on any construction.
About 1.6 million people live in Hampton Roads, which hasn't seen any major new transportation projects in more than a decade.
"It's sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy on a number of fronts," said Dwight Farmer, Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization executive director. "If you cut back on critically important preliminary engineering or planning work, and if there comes a day when competitive funds become available, then you cannot be competitive."
Over the past two years, the state's six-year road building budget has been slashed from $8.7 billion to $5.5 billion.
State revenue ha s continued to lag, and now the Virginia Department of Transportation must cut the six-year plan by $743 million more in December, according to the latest estimates. And $134 million needs to be trimmed from the agency's operating budget.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board will start discussing the cuts at its monthly meeting this week. A statewide public hearing has been set for 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at VDOT's headquarters, 1221 E. Broad St. in Richmond.
There may be future rounds of federal economic stimulus money that states could compete for while their transportation funds are limited. But only projects that are "shovel ready" qualify for the current round of stimulus money that was set aside to quickly create jobs and jump-start the economy.
Local officials worry that the state and region won't be in a position to win such money in the future.
"We're between a rock and a hard place here," Farmer said. "We don't want to be wasteful with the public's money and sit plans on the shelf. But we need to be forward thinking and have projects ready for when money becomes available."
Chesapeake's city engineer, Earl Sorey, said city leaders will have to further prioritize needs. "We'll have to make the hard decision which projects move forward and which don't," he said.
"We have these great plans and great visions and we have no way to implement them.... We already have designs sitting on the shelf waiting to go," said Mark Schnaufer, Virginia Beach transportation planning coordinator.
Already, several high profile interstate projects have been eliminated from the state's six-year plan. They include widening I-64 from Battlefield Boulevard to Bowers Hill in South Hampton Roads, and from Jefferson Avenue on the Peninsula to Richmond; widening the High Rise Bridge in Chesapeake; improving the I-64/264 interchange in Norfolk and Virginia Beach; and improving the I-264 interchange at Rosemont and Witchduck roads in Virginia Beach.
Two bridges in South Hampton Roads have closed in recent years because there was no money to fix them - the Kings Highway Bridge in Suffolk and the Jordan Bridge in Chesapeake.
When money does materialize, local officials said, it will be tough getting projects back on schedule.
"New needs will come up, so the line for funding will get a lot longer, putting more pressure on the system," Farmer said.
Major highway improvements already take 10 years from the time they're conceived to the time they open - even in the best-case scenario, he said. The planning usually begins before congestion is severe.
Now, projects are taking 12 to 15 years and road s are severely congested before the work is complete, Farmer said.
He said he worries that those timetables could stretch even longer given the current economic realities.
"This is all new territory for the commonwealth and the region. I've never seen anything like this."
Schnaufer said, "Ten years from now we're going to look back on this period and say 'What were we thinking? Why didn't we have a long-range funding plan?' "
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com stop
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Mike
I don't believe that at all. Tidewater pays federal and state gas taxes like everyone else in Northern VA and the rest of the state. We only get 16% of the return. Sorry I don't buy it. I will NEVER support an increase in the gasoline tax (especially 20 cents increase)as long as it is not constitutionally protected from budget raids. It makes no difference to me whether it is paid back with interest or not. Even then I have my doubts, especially if it involves the six pack transportation projects the MPO weenies came up with.
Well Keith, we pay only 16%
Well Keith, we pay only 16% of the money, so we get our share. Actually, at this point, since the gas tax of $0.175 passed in 1986 has lost over half of its purchasing power, let's just restore that purchasing power and increase the gas tax by $0.20, for a total of %0.375. This is, 37 and a half cents per gallon, which will increase the average drivers payment per year by about $125.
You miss the point Mike.
You miss the point Mike. Your solution is always throw someone elses money to solve a particular problem such as transportation. You assume that increasing gas taxes and fees will solve all of our woes in transportation and like magic the grass will be cut and manicured like The White House grounds; the midtown tunnel will be 6 lanes each way and the MLK freeway will be 6 lanes from Portsmouth to Petersburg; and light rail will extend from the VB oceanfront to Waterloo Station in London. It's a fairy tale. Fact is that Tidewater will still only see 16% of any funding and nothing will be done to protect that money from kindergarten raids.
This is a collective problem
We need to pool "our" money and see that it s spent wisely. We vote for people to do this for us-they have failed us. But these same people keep getting voted into office. If the system fails us that means we,the state of Virginia,fail.
no I think you missed his point, it's about a lack of trust
"too many crooks at all levels"
Mike Barrett:
"can't match private dollars for PPVs" (PPV=theft of public funds)
"steal our business" (who is "our?") the market place will work, stop trying to manipulate it)
"borrowing to match federal funds" (debt on top of debt, leave it for someone else to pay)
"we cut the grass on the interstates about four times a year" (put all the white collar crooks in jail, let them cut it)
No to" veryold"
Mike was right on. Everything in running a state( or a business) takes money. There is a system in place that works but the system needs money to work. Virginia is ,for all intensive purposes, broke. We are in a survival mode and sinking. Something needs to happen, like now.We will see what McDonnell can do-and I,m not holding my breath on it being anything real soon if at all.
How much is enough?
Well yes, dfwdabull, how much worse does it have to get? We have abandoned bridges, closed rest stops, laid off about 25% of the VDOT work force, not maintained our roads to the tune of $1.7 B in deferred maintenance, $3 B in deferred maintenance for bridges. We got a D- from the civil engineers, we can't match private dollars for PPVs, we are now borrowing to match federal dollars, and that will soon end, we cut the grass on the interstates about four times a year, and now, there are no state dollars for local governments so most have simply terminated their local road building program. The CTB is meeting to consider a program of abandonment for state roads, and cities are considering the same program to save money for vital state routes in cities. So, just so I understand your point, when we get to dirt roads for all of us, will that be sufficient? If our share of federal tax money we paid goes to NC to improve their port and steal our business, will that be enough?
lack of trust
too many crooks at all levels, nodody trusts them to do anything genuinely usefull with our tax money. Right now we're stalemated, I'll continue to vote for candidates who pledge no additional taxes until a method is guaranteed to show real results. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. Face it folks, it's true, law enforcement is outmanned against white collar criminality.
Quit wasting money on VDOT
Hampton Roads has not had a major project in over 10 years? Well I guess rebuilding and adding lanes to 64 in Hampton and Chesapeake don't really count? They keep trying to ram a "third crossing" down everyone's throat: well take a drive on the MMBT and it is almost always clear in each direction except for brief times during the morning and afternoon. Here's a better idea: use a PRIVATE company to expand midtown tunnel and connect that to 464 with a BRIDGE so that MMBT would actually be an option for people coming from the Peninsula. Look at the Greenbriar interchange, 664 by downtown Newport News or the Mercury Blvd interchange on 64 and you can see why things are so expensive. VDOT engineers will over complicate any project in the name of "safety" by over building and over planning. Then take 15 years of workers sitting on their duffs, talking on phones and other standing around activities for about 90% of that time. A private company would stick to the basics and get it done. And fast.
Roads
We are in a depression. It is not the time to pull a Herbert Hover and raise taxes. We already pay a state income tax and a sales tax as well as gasoline taxes. Florida dosen't even have a state income tax or sales tax on food or car inspection tax or property tax on cars. I don't think that Virginia has any better roads than Florida. What is Virginia doing with all that tax money? I think that we are being ripped off.