Governor Warner Hails Federal Transportation Bill as Reflective of Virginia's Top Priorities
Governor Warner Hails Federal Transportation Bill as Reflective of Virginia's Top Priorities
Legislation will improve safety and mobility in Virginia
Governor Mark R. Warner announced that the new federal transportation bill signed into law by the President today complements state transportation legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly this year. Both the federal and state transportation packages increase funding for Virginia's highway projects, mass transit and rail, as well as encourage more involvement from the private sector to share in the risk of building projects through the Public-Private Transportation Act.
The passage of the new federal transportation bill provides all states across the country a guaranteed spending authority of $286.4 billion through 2009. The last federal transportation bill was passed in 1998 at a funding level of $217 billion.
"I am pleased that Congress passed this significant legislation, which is critical to addressing growing transportation needs in Virginia," said Governor Warner. "I congratulate our Congressional delegation for a job well done. With limited resources, we have all worked together to establish and advance our most critical transportation priorities.
"Virginia owes a special debt of gratitude to Senator John Warner. As a senior conferee and the architect of the 1998 federal transportation bill, Senator Warner has significantly advanced Virginia's transportation interests."
The federal bill guarantees that Virginia's rate of return on federal gas tax contributions will increase from 90.5 percent to 92 percent in fiscal years 2008 and 2009. Historically, Virginia has been a "donor state" because it contributed more than it received in federal highway funds. The increase in the rate of return means that more transportation dollars will be available for the state.
Federal funding will go toward critical projects across the state, including I-81 corridor improvements in the Shenandoah Valley, Metrorail railcars and I-66 improvements in Northern Virginia, the "Heartlands" rail corridor across Central Virginia, the Coalfields Connector in Southwestern Virginia, the Third Crossing in Hampton Roads, the Meadowcreek Parkway in Charlottesville, and other mass transit and rail improvements.
For more detailed information on the legislation, go to the legislative text from the U.S. House of Representatives.
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Press_Policy/Releases/2005/Aug05/0810.htm