Letter to Robert McDonnell, Governor of Virginia

Letter

Reps. Jim Moran and Gerry Connolly and Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner sent a letter to Governor McDonnell today requesting he use any uncommitted Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) savings identified by the recently performed audit for transportation improvements associated with Virginia's significant BRAC relocations set to occur next year.

By law, the Defense Department is required to complete the relocations specified in the 2005 BRAC decision by September 2011. Locations in Northern Virginia, such as Fort Belvoir, will be particularly impacted as 22,000 new personnel arrive on base next fall. This move threatens to gridlock much of the region unless new transportation solutions are funded.

Of particular note, all commuters traveling I-395 will be affected due to the inevitable and predicted back-ups should the Army fully relocate 6,400 DoD employees from Metro-accessible office space to the Mark Center as scheduled. Additionally, the location of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency at the Engineering Proving Ground and the opening of the new Fort Belvoir hospital to additional medical personnel, wounded warriors, and their families are expected to significantly impact the Fairfax County Parkway and Richmond Highway (Route 1).

Earlier this year, the Congressmen and Senators urged Defense Secretary Robert Gates to re-evaluate the outdated policies that prohibit federal funding of necessary road and transit projects providing access to military bases. The Defense Department is in the process of reviewing the Defense Access Roads policy and a report is anticipated later this year.

Highlights from the letter to Governor McDonnell include:

"The new VDOT audit suggests there are opportunities for the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to fund transportation infrastructure improvements in the vicinity of Department of Defense (DoD) installations that will be severely affected by BRAC.

"A prime example of the need for this action is at Fort Belvoir, where transportation challenges are particularly acute. The installation will gain approximately 22,000 new personnel spread across three distinct locations: the Mark Center (Alexandria), the Engineering Proving Ground, and the Main Post.

"We believe VDOT funds to improve access to BRAC-affected military installations in the Commonwealth would not only greatly alleviate anticipated congestion but also enhance economic development and demonstrate the state's willingness to remain a strong partner in our nation's defense.

The full text of the letter is as follows:

We write today to request that any uncommitted funds identified by the recent Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) audit be allocated for urgently needed and thoroughly justified transportation infrastructure improvement projects associated with Virginia's Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) activity.

As you are aware, many communities in Virginia will face transportation, education, and health services challenges once the BRAC relocations are completed in September 2011. The new VDOT audit suggests there are opportunities for the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to fund transportation infrastructure improvements in the vicinity of Department of Defense (DoD) installations that will be severely affected by BRAC.

A prime example of the need for this action is at Fort Belvoir, where transportation challenges are particularly acute. The installation will gain approximately 22,000 new personnel spread across three distinct locations: the Mark Center (Alexandria), the Engineering Proving Ground, and the Main Post. Although VDOT and the federal government have allocated resources to improve Fort Belvoir's surrounding transportation infrastructure, several studies document that more funding is necessary to prevent unacceptable congestion. Specifically, improving access from I-395 to the Mark Center, the widening of U.S. Route 1 near the Main Post, and completing improvements to the interchange between Kingman Road and the Fairfax County Parkway are all needed to avoid major delays resulting from the installation's major population growth.

We have a large number of unfunded infrastructure requirements across Virginia, and BRAC-related challenges are some of the most pressing. We believe VDOT funds to improve access to BRAC-affected military installations in the Commonwealth would not only greatly alleviate anticipated congestion but also enhance economic development and demonstrate the state's willingness to remain a strong partner in our nation's defense.

We look forward to continuing to work with you to address the many challenges facing the Commonwealth in achieving its transportation-improvement requirements.

Sincerely,
Representative Jim Moran
Senator Jim Webb
Senator Mark Warner
Representative Gerry Connolly