 transportation
 Prince William County, Va. - A plan to run an express commuter train from Fredericksburg to Washington, operated by Virginia Railway Express, drew criticism at this week's Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting. At a cost of about a $500,000 already in VRE's 2011 budget, the train could begin operating in July. The express, which would get riders to Washington's Union Station 25 minutes faster than any other VRE train, would be the first train to leave Fredericksburg, at 5:05 a.m.
It would stop twice in Stafford County and then make stops at Alexandria, Crystal City, L'Enfant Plaza and Union Station, skipping the five stations in Quantico, Prince William and Fairfax counties. Passengers who board VRE trains at the Woodbridge station have long faced standing-room-only conditions.
VRE spokesman Mark Roeber said there was "not a lot of clamor from residents of Prince William County for the express train," but there is very high demand from riders who live "in the further extremities," like Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, who aim to get to work earlier.
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Posted on Thursday, March 4, 2010 - 12:09pm
 According to the Virginian Pilot, the outlook for building and expanding roads in Hampton Roads keeps getting more bleak. During the next 30 years, the region likely will receive only about half of its previous long-range forecasts for road construction, according to transportation officials.
Hampton Roads can expect a total of $2.3 billion for road construction through 2040, according to John W. Lawson, financial planning director for the Virginia Department of Transportation. Lawson said that is "significantly" less than previous long-range projections, but he could not say how much less.
A rough estimate by the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization indicates that the $2.3 billion is about half of earlier projections - $77 million per year compared with $150 million per year. To put the number in perspective, the cost of building the Midtown Tunnel and Martin Luther King Freeway expansion project is about $2 billion.
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Posted on Thursday, March 4, 2010 - 11:48am
 According to the Daily Press, the Commonwealth Transportation Board has approved a plan to bring high-speed rail to South Hampton Roads and enhance existing passenger rail on the Peninsula. The vote gives final state approval to the proposal endorsed by the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization, which sets transportation goals for the region. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation will now apply for federal funding for the rail line, which would bring trains from South Hampton Roads to Richmond at speeds of up to 90 mph. Regular passenger rail service via Amtrak on the Peninsula averages around 79 mph. The goal is to ultimately build a system that will allow quick travel from the region to Washington, D.C., without changing trains.
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Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2010 - 11:36am
 The Virginia Department of Transportation has amassed its resources and is ready to address yet another major winter storm expected to impact much of Virginia on Friday and Saturday. VDOT crews are still completing cleanup efforts from two other winter storms that impacted parts of the commonwealth in the past week. As of February 1, VDOT has already expended the $79 million budgeted for statewide snow-removal efforts this year and has now tapped into emergency maintenance reserve funds to pay for snow removal. “We will not reduce service levels or scale back on snow-removal efforts regardless of how much it costs this year," said Gregory Whirley, acting commissioner.This will hopefully allay the concerns of many homeowners wondering whether the state's current budget woes would impact core services this early in the year.
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Posted on Friday, February 5, 2010 - 2:53pm
 According to the Roanoke Times, some localities are already over-budget on snow removal. As February has normally been the predominant month for snow, two major winter storms within six weeks have left them scrambling for additional funding. The extra revenue will likely come from road the maintenance budget, but the good news is that local officials consider snow removal a core public safety service. In western Virginia, local officials have assured residents that the current pace of snow removal will not be affected.
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Posted on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 - 3:38pm
 Virginia is set to receive $75 million in funding for high speed rail, pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. President Obama announced yesterday that thirty states are scheduled to receive a total of $8 billion. Virginia's funds will be used to improve 11 miles of track along the 95 corridor between Richmond and Washington D.C., removing one of the worst bottlenecks on the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor. Because of these improvements, rail travelers between Richmond and Washington will realize increased on-time performance and decreased travel times along the route. This is a great starting point in our ultimate goal of bringing high speed rail to our region. President Obama has included additional funding for high speed rail in the federal budget and has articulated a long-term commitment to developing all of the nation's high speed rail corridors, including the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor that runs through Richmond.
Posted on Friday, January 29, 2010 - 10:38am
 Pursuant to a key campaign promise, Governor McDonnell has succeeded in his plan to re-open Virginia's rest stops. His decision was based on two factors: 1) the overwhelming amount of complaints he heard as he traversed the state when running for Governor, and 2) economic development concerns. Regarding the latter, the Governor feels that closed, inoperable rest stops are symbolic when it comes to economic development, and he wants to reinforce to everyone that Virginia is "open for business." The Commonwealth Transportation Board unanimously approved the plan. Four will re-open by February 17, eight will re-open by March 17, and the remaining seven will open by April 17.
Real the full Richmond Times-Dispatch story...
Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 1:44pm
 For homeowners that utilize Princess Anne Road, it is possible that improvements are heading your way. According to the Daily Press, the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization may allocate federal stimulus funds to Princess Anne Road in Virginia Beach. This is a precautionary measure as the Virginia Department of Transportation does not want the state to lose part of Virginia's funding because it has yet to be allocated for a specific project. Given the road congestion and homeowners' decreased quality of life related to lengthy commuting delays, road improvements are a step forward, whether they be big or small. So far, the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization has dispersed approximately $41 million in stimulus funds for area projects.
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Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - 11:50am
 Governor-elect Bob McDonnell has announced that he will not introduce legislation this General Assembly session to create new funding for Virginia's transportation system. Many legislators were taken aback given that he campaigned on a transportation plan that would provide new revenue and give a much-needed infusion of funding to cash-strapped regions. This comes as a blow to northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, the two most congested regions in the state. According to the Washington Post, he will, however, pursue several transportation items that do not involve substantial funding: re-opening 18 rest stops, raising the speed limit on portions of rural interstates, forging partnerships with the private sector and issuing bonds approved in 2007. He is likely to undergo criticism for his decision, but McDonnell does not believe that seeking new revenue during a General Assembly session that is focused on a $4 billion shortfall is conducive to reaching consensus with a Democratic Senate and a Republican House. Homeowners should be prepared for few, if any, transportation improvements given the significant cuts that will take place as a result of Virginia's massive budget shortfall.
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Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010 - 7:39am
 Against the backdrop of a $4 billion state budget shortfall, Virginia Beach has recently eased some traffic congestion by re-timing its traffic lights. The three-year effort began in October 2008 and, thanks to federal grants, they will be able to re-time all but 100 intersections. Officials estimate a five to twenty percent reduction in congestion by re-timing the signals, which is far less expensive than building new roads.
By no means is the stoplight synchronization a panacea, but rather an example that small steps and innovation can lead to positive outcomes. There is no question that Hampton Roads is in serious need of major transportation improvements and new infrastructure, but the outlook for additional funds is poor given the current economic climate and state budget crisis.
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Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 2:23pm
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