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million, a 68 percent increase; and highway construction receives $8.7 billion, a 28 percent increase. “This new program clearly reflects the Commonwealth Transportation Board’s commitment to citizens’ safety, to improving the existing transportation system and to thinking beyond individual projects,” Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer said. “It is a \ comprehensive package that takes a new approach to delivering the best surface transportation program for the money available.” Key public transit initiatives supported through the program include: • Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project • Norfolk Light Rail Transit Project • GRTC Richmond Transit Facility • Universal Access Program • Virginia Railway Express rolling stock • Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority rolling stock • Statewide transit rolling stock Key rail initiatives include: • 1-95 and 1-81 rail corridor passenger/freight rail improvements • Heartland Corridor • Suffolk Rail Improvements • Buckingham Branch shortline passenger/freight rail improvements
Virginia’s state highway construction program is growing: 206 interstate and primary projects will be under construction during the next six years, compared to 48 planned a year ago. Another 342 secondary and urban projects could be ready for, or under construction within the six years, for a total of 548 projects. “Most of the highway funding is focused on advancing projects and getting them under construction quicker,” Secretary Homer said. “The CTB also gave highest priority to projects that meet goals of improving safety, reconstructing and rehabilitating the highway system, helping freight movements, clearing up bottlenecks, improving highway operations - such as incident management, signs, signals and pavement markings - and for aggressively managing access to Virginia’s roadways. Managing access links directly to our efforts in traffic impact analysis and land use.” Approximately 50 significant efforts to help achieve those goals were included in a presentation made at the CTB workshop prior to the action meeting. The efforts include, but are not limited to projects for Safety and rehabilitating/ reconstructing existing highways -
85.2%