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The latest in Virginia transportation news.
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The Future of Virginia Transportation

Another Virginia General Assembly ended earlier this month, with several bills affecting transportation and transportation funding on the docket. Let’s take a look at a few of them and where they ended up at the close of session.
 
 

If the constitutional "lock box" amendment had passed, it would have limited the General Assembly's ability to take transportation money and use it for other purposes. Any constitutional amendment in Virginia must pass two consecutive General Assemblies, with a general election in between. The lock box amendment passed in 2017, making this year’s General Assembly the second consecutive session it would need to pass. Unfortunately, the bill was defeated in the Senate, leaving Virginia transportation funding vulnerable for another year. 

One major transportation funding win will benefit Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia. Since 2013, the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance has advocated for a gas tax floor in those areas, which would standardize revenues from taxes, even when gas prices drop to low levels. This year, the General Assembly reached a compromise to pass a bill that sets that floor at the 2013 level for NOVA and Hampton Roads. This will result in $67 million of additional funding each year to be split between the two regions. 

Read about additional transportation bills in our latest blog post, including two bills with potential for a huge impact on Interstate 81. 
 
We want your input on Interstate 81! Please take our quick survey on improvements needed in the corridor. 
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Fast Fact

 
In 2017, Virginia saw 2666 crashes in work zones, including 12 fatalities. A new bill passed by the General Assembly that penalizes checking email/social media and texting in work zones aims to reduce those statistics. (VDOT)
 
 
 
 

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Transportation News 

EDITORIAL: Put trust back in Transportation Trust Fund (The Free Lance-Star) In 2013, after decades of neglect, the Virginia General Assembly finally passed a $6 billion transportation bill. This was serious money that funded many projects that had been left on the shelf for lack of funding. But there’s still no guarantee that the revenue currently being deposited in the Transportation Trust Fund will be there to fund critical transportation projects in the future.

Virginia Needs a Lockbox for Transportation Dollars (GoDanRiver.com) The Editorial Board argues that Virginia needs a transportation "lockbox to protect vitally important, single-purpose state or federal funds from spineless politicians with sticky fingers."

Compromise sets gas tax floor at 2013 level in Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia (The Free Lance-Star) The House of Delegates and Senate have agreed on a proposal to set a floor for regional gasoline taxes in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia, generating about $67 million a year for transportation projects in the two regions.

Stay up to date on transportation news and views in the Commonwealth by visiting our website or following us on Facebook. 

April 2018 Newsletter






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