One week from today, the Virginia General Assembly will meet in Richmond for a special session on transportation, but it’s not likely to produce progress toward relieving traffic congestion. The state Supreme Court gutted last year’s compromise bill as unconstitutional, Republicans are digging in over Gov. Tim Kaine’s plan to raise taxes by $1.1 billion (including a regional sales tax hike rejected by Northern Virginia voters last time it was proposed), and Democrats are feuding among themselves over which taxes to raise. With Virginia now considered a battleground state, the upcoming presidential election serves as a political backdrop to the bickering.

But here’s a solution the governor and leaders of both political parties ought to support wholeheartedly: Amend Virginia’s constitution to put the Transportation Trust Fund off-limits to any other spending. This is especially important because a major cause of the current political stalemate in Richmond is the tendency of state leaders to spend transportation funds on everything but transportation.