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By DONALD DEL ROSSO
Arundel Newspapers Staff Writer
RICHMOND — Gov. Gerald L. Baliles last Thursday said the General Assembly’s decisions on recommendations by a special transportation board could significantly affect commerce and the “quality of life” in Virginia for many years to come.
In an impassioned speech before the Senate Transportation and Finance committees, the governor said: “To talk about transportation in Virginia is to discuss one of the fundamental requirements of life and economic health.”
Gov. Baliles was the first of about six state officials who defended a controversial package of tax measures and pledge bonds designed to raise $6.3 billion to help fund a massive statewide roadbuilding progam.
Virginia’s road construction needs during the next decade are estimated at $10.2 billion.
The briefing on the recommendations by the Commission on Transportation in the Twenty-First Century lasted nearly five hours.
The governor emphasized repeatedly the importance of the task before the General Assembly.
“There is no question,” he told the committee members. “We have tackled a problem of intimidating dimension. In a sense, we are out to discover if Virginia can seize control of its own destiny by adequately preparing its transportation system for present and future demands.”
The governor, apparently speaking to critics who believe Virginia’s transportation needs have been overstated, said the transportation commission “confirmed our fears” about the magnitude of the problem.
“We do indeed face transpor
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