If the four counties and five cities in Northern Virginia all enact the tax and fee increases in the transportation bill proposed by General Assembly Republicans, they could generate $400 million a year for regional transportation projects.
Though a recent study suggested that Northern Virginia needs $750 million a year for the next 24 years to meet all of its transportation needs, area lawmakers are not complaining.
“That is the political reality of what we were able to bring home to Northern Virginia as opposed to the real needs of Northern Virginia,” said Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria, who added that raising taxes and fees enough to generate the additional $350 million annually would be almost impossible. “This is the best we could do.”
The first $50 million of that revenue each year would go to Metro, and the next $30 million would be allocated to the Virginia Railway Express for capital projects, including expansion and upgrades in Fairfax and Prince William counties.
The remainder will be split between the localities where it was generated and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, a group of elected officials that oversees transportation spending in the region.
The localities and the authority each will have jurisdiction over how to spend their allotments.
“The commuters in Northern Virginia desperately need relief from the gridlock on our roads,” said Del. David Albo, R-Springfield.
Under the statewide component of the Republican plan, Northern Virginia would receive about $70 million annually, and some of the $2 billion in bonds that will be issued will pay for projects such as improvements to Interstate 66, the Fairfax County Parkway, high-occupancy toll lanes on the Beltway and work around Fort Belvoir to accommodate growth caused by the recent federal Base Realignment and Closure process.
“The money certainly is a strong start,” said Bob Chase, director of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, a group of businesses and civic organizations advocating for more transportation funding for the region. “This is a substantial investment in Northern Virginia. That’s a huge step forward.”
