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It’s 4:30 a.m. on any given morning in
Rappahannock County and already there are cars
On 211 heading predominantly east.
Not a lot, not enough to cduse any of those drivers grief, but there are vehicles on the road.
By the time you crest into Culpeper County there are more and more glaring headlights and once in Warrenton you are now officially in early morning rush hour.
Transportation is the number one issue facing this year’s General Assembly and the Virginia Association of Counties is one agency that has long lobbied for the necessary funding to invest in the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure.
The General Assembly hasn’t made serious attempts to address the state’s transportation needs since the late ‘80’s.
Studies over the years have never failed to produce significant findings and warnings coupled always with the Commonwealth’s shortfalls in necessary revenue to help transportation woes. Action has been deferred repeatedly to the future once too often. Now, traffic congestion and ill maintained roads and bridges have caught up with us in dramatic fashion.
Let’s take into consideration some key statistics provided by the Virginia Association of Counties:
Since 1986,
• The number of licensed vehicle drives in Virginia has increased by 34 percent.
• The number of vehicle miles traveled has increased by 79 percent.
• The number of registered vehicles in Virginia has increased by 54 percent.
• Transit ridership has increased by 64 percent.
• The purchasing power of Virginia’s 17.5 cent per gallon fuels tax has decreased by 40 percent.
Maintenance costs are projected to increase at an average rate of 4 percent. This projected increase will leave less money to pay for new construction of roads and public transportation facilities.
The longer our government officials wait to tackle the transportation ills that plague this state, and they aren’t just in Northern Virginia, the more difficult a burden it places on all localities. The Virginia Association of Counties has shown, and continues to show, its’ commitment to working with the General Assembly to look for solutions.
This is the year to strike a checkmark next to “transportation” as being the number one, high priority issue to tackle.
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