Coalition of Business Organizations Endorses Short List of Key Transportation Priorities
The Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition has announced the adoption of a resolution signed by twenty major business and industry organizations that urges regional transportation investments be based on five criteria and identifies nine projects it believes represent the investments of greatest regional benefit.
“The fact that our region has the nation’s worst traffic congestion and an economy more dependent upon daily inter-jurisdictional and inter-state travel than any other major metropolitan area makes it essential that regional transportation priorities be based on investments likely to do the most to reduce congestion and improve travel times,” said David Birtwistle, Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (the Alliance). The Alliance is a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition.
The Coalition stated that they believe that regional transportation funds should be primarily focused and leveraged, where appropriate, with federal, state, and private funds on projects of large-scale regional significance.
The following are the nine projects endorsed by the Coalition as having the greatest regional benefit:
- I-66 — construct new lanes and enhance transit from US Route 15/Haymarket to Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.
- New Potomac River Crossing — construct west of American Legion Bridge.
- American Legion Bridge — add new express/managed lanes in each direction.
- Metro — improve maintenance, operations, safety and rail fleet.
- Bi-County Parkway — construct between I-66/Route 234 Bypass in Prince William County and Route 50 in Loudoun County.
- Route 28 — upgrade to 8 lanes.
- Fairfax County Parkway — convert to limited access facility.
- I-395 — convert HOV lanes to express/managed lanes between the Capital Beltway and the 14th Street Bridge.
- Regional Express Bus network — implement in the I-66, I-95, I-395, I-495, Dulles and other major regional corridors.
The Coalition’s statement also notes their support for performance-based statewide and regional transportation plans that focus on new and existing corridors of regional and statewide significance, the evaluation of highway and public transit projects utilizing the same criteria, and the prioritization of investments first and foremost on the ability to reduce congestion and improve travel time.
The entire business community resolution can be found here. The press release can be found here.
A Strong Economy, Regional Security and High Quality of Life Require Greater Focus on a Better-Connected, Less Congested Regional Transportation Framework