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Dear Friends, On Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the taxing abilities granted to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) in last year's transportation package were unconstitutional. While the court was only asked to review the NVTA, this also compromises the ability of the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority (HRTA) to issue bonds--backed by locally authorized increases in taxes and fees--to fund new road construction projects. While I have long been critical of this transportation plan, real leadership is about taking part in the process of crafting a solution and providing a vision for moving us forward together. Virginia Needs a Statewide Transportation Vision for the 21st Century. As our Commonwealth has grown and changed over the years, so have our transportation needs. Yet our transportation policy has not adapted to the changing dynamic of a 21st century economy that thrives on the ability to efficiently move people, goods and services. Our two most congested areas, Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, require special attention--but we will not solve this challenge by dividing the state geographically and pitting regions against one another for transportation funding. I believe that a successful statewide transportation plan must have three components: a dedicated source of revenue for construction and maintenance; a legal framework for linking land use and growth policies with our transportation infrastructure that is implemented at the local and regional levels; and, continuing to reform the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to increase efficiency and responsiveness. Unfortunately, the Transportation Package that Passed Last Year Did Not Take this Long-Term View of Virginia's Future. Instead of putting in place a sustainable source of revenue, it relied on financing through debt and shifting General Fund dollars from education and public safety to transportation-and of course, the abusive driver fee gimmick that some of my colleagues and I argued would never produce the revenue that was anticipated. As is all too often the case, the devil was not just in the details but also in the process: What was chiefly lacking during last year's session was that the Republican leadership developed their plan in secret. Had all of the General Assembly's leaders, regardless of partisan affiliation, been included, I am certain we would have advanced a comprehensive statewide transportation solution that moved Virginia forward. From Here We Must Enact a Statewide Plan that Recognizes the Important Link Between Transportation and Economic Growth. There are just a few short days left in this legislative session, and right now it does not appear feasible that we will be able to address this important issue before we are scheduled to adjourn at the end of the week. I support the idea of a special session dedicated to completing work on a statewide transportation plan later in the year. If we take nothing off the table and dedicate ourselves to a long-term transportation vision, I'm confident we can and will be successful in addressing this challenge. But if rigid ideology and partisan politics come before crafting a transportation policy that benefits the people and ultimately the future generations of Virginia, we will have done our constituents a disservice. I hope you will take the time to share with me your thoughts and concerns about our transportation policy as we move forward to address this important issue. I'm committed to working with Governor Kaine and leaders in both parties to develop a statewide transportation plan. Your input as I move forward in that process is greatly appreciated. You can reach me at my office in Richmond by calling 804-698-7525 or by e-mail at senatordeeds@embarqmail.com. Very Truly Yours, Senator Deeds
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