The NVTA claims that while it is well known that Virginia transportation needs more money to fix multiple traffic and maintenance issues and bridge problems, existing funding sources haven’t been changed since 1987.
The NVTA blames the economy for the recent money issues in the transportation sector, as budget cuts have hit Virginia hard – while traffic volume and maintenance costs continue to increase.
Virginia’s sustainable transportation funding has drawn on four major sources to generate revenue. These include fuel taxes, the Retail Sales and Use Tax, the Motor Vehicle Sales Tax and recordation taxes.
The issue is that less people are spending money on gas, vehicles and other facets that, by way of tax, add money into the Virginia traffic pool. This means less money to spend on issues of traffic, roads and other transportation sources.
The NVTA warns that new sustainable and reliable funding is needed now.
Many believe Virginia Governor candidates Bob McDonnell (R) and Creigh Deeds (D) did not prove that they had a solution for the traffic and transportation issue.
McDonnell has discussed initiating a plan to sell off state-owned ABC stores, providing a temporary and large boost to the traffic funding, but many argue that this plan is flawed – as the state government would then be missing out on the numerous taxes they bring in from alcohol sales regularly.
Deeds, on the other hand, wanted to set up a bipartisan committee, if he was elected, and have said committee work out a traffic solution.
With maintenance costs going up and an ever-increasing volume of traffic, whomever was elected Tuesday will face a lot of pressure to fix what voters call Virginia’s number one long-term problem: traffic.
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