Virginia’s main transportation revenue source is the gas tax, that was set in 1986 at 17.5 cents/gal, worth approximately 8 cents today. Even though we have added over $500 million in general fund money in recent years, we cannot continue to do so. With the current revenues ALL transportation dollars will be needed for maintenance by 2016, meaning NO new construction. The current reality is that for the last 10 years or more, our transportation revenues have been declining while road construction and maintenance costs continue to climb. Obviously, this has to be corrected.

In conversations with local business owners, they all have expressed concern with our current road problems. They relate how that the current conditions make it more difficult to conduct business and are already having to increase the costs of their goods or services because of the added time it takes to travel.

In the specifics of the bill, our area will see only a slight increase in transportation costs, as we have removed the per gallon tax and replaced it with a much smaller sales tax at the wholesale level. For No. Va. and Tidewater, they will have the ability to impose significantly higher fees with the extra money to be used to address the needs in their respective regions. This regional approach will also allow us to focus more of our future spending on the needs of the rest of the state.

In trying to generate jobs and work to improve the economy, it is clear that the current transporation problems are a major impediment. I feel that it would be irresponsible to think that the economy can grow without making the necessary investment to solve the critical transportation problem. Transportation problems are the single biggest factor in restricting increases in business activity.

While I do not agree with all of the specific provisions of the plan, as a whole, I feel that investing in our future is critical.