Virginia Conservation Network White Paper
VDOT Reform and Transportation Funding
Statement of the Issue
Although there is widespread recognition of the need to overhaul current transportation policies, VDOT continues to pursue an outdated approach that focuses on road construction as the solution to virtually every transportation problem and largely ignores the link between transportation and land use. This approach is extremely costly to taxpayers, destroys natural and rural areas, spurs sprawl development, increases air and water pollution, limits people's transportation choices, and increases energy dependence, while doing little to relieve congestion in the long run.
Background
Although the amount of taxpayer funds spent on transportation has skyrocketed, much of this money has not been spent wisely. Gridlock and air pollution are getting worse, many current roads and bridges are in poor condition, and transportation and land use decisions are rarely coordinated.
Here are some indicators of the problems we face:
- A national study identified more wasteful and destructive highway proposals in Virginia than in any other state except one.
- People in Virginia drive almost 205 million miles daily, farther than to the sun and back every day. The resulting emissions are a primary cause of our air pollution problems.
- People in Northern Virginia and the rest of the Washington region who drive during peak periods spend an average of more than two work weeks each year stuck in traffic -one of the worst congestion rates in the country.
Governor Warner and General Assembly members of both parties have recognized the need to reform VDOT and to improve transportation policy in Virginia. Some positive steps have been taken, such as the Commonwealth Transportation Board's adoption of a more realistic six-year transportation plan that eliminated 179 projects from the plan. Yet much of the discussion of reforming VDOT has focused merely on improving the agency's efficiency, rather than addressing the deeper problems with Virginia's transportation policies.
VDOT's massive spending continues to focus overwhelmingly on roads. Much of this money will be wasted. Increasing evidence indicates that new and wider highways actually generate significant new traffic without providing, long-term congestion relief since they cause development to spread out and the amount of driving to increase. Gridlock, sprawl, and pollution will get even worse unless we reform VDOT and our transportation policies.
There are many positive alternatives and practical solutions to Virginia's transportation crisis. These steps do not require new taxes or regulation of the private sector.
Recommendations
Support a more balanced transportation system. Any legislation or budget provision that provides or relates to transportation funding should advance two key goals:
· First, use our resources more efficiently by focusing on repairing our existing transportation system before spending billions of dollars on new roads. In VDOT's last budget, only 40% of road money went to maintenance, 60% to construction. As JLARC found, VDOT has underestimated the serious backlog of maintenance on highways and bridges.
· Second, shift funding to alternatives such as public transit, freight rail, transit-oriented development, walking, and bicycling. These alternatives can reduce congestion, are cheaper and less destructive, and several provide better services for elderly, disabled, and low income citizens.
Support transportation process reform. In the past few sessions, there have been a number of bills to reform aspects of the state transportation planning process. Any legislation that will reduce the environmental impact of transportation projects, increase public involvement in the planning process, or result in meaningful reform of VDOT and/or the CTB should be supported.
Support improving the link between transportation and land use policies, and providing incentives for smarter growth. Potential measures include requiring an assessment of the land use impacts of major transportation projects, targeting transportation spending to existing communities, targeting economic development assistance to existing communities and locations with adequate pre-existing transportation infrastructure, working with localities to evaluate land use changes that can reduce congestion more effectively than costly highway projects, and providing technical assistance to local governments to help promote transit-oriented development.
Contact:
Trip Pollard or Kay Slaughter, Southern Environmental Law Center, (434) 977-4090
Fax: (434) 977-1483, Email: tpollard@selcva.org
or kslaughter@selcva.org
Jolly de Give. Piedmont Environmental Council, (540) 347-2334, Fax: (540) 349-9003
Email: jdegive@pecva.org
Stewart Schwartz, Coalition for Smarter Growth, (202) 588-5570, Fax: (202) 588-5676, Email:
email@smartergrowth.net
Taxpayers for Common Sense and Friends of the Earth, Road to Ruin (1999).
Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2000.
Texas Transportation Institute, 2002 Urban Mobility Report.
9-20-02
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