Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and Business Community Call on Governor Northam to Amend Metro Funding Bill

Northern Virginia, March 26, 2018 – The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) and the Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition have partnered to express support for the identification of $154 million in ongoing, dedicated funding for Metro, and to call on Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to ensure that allocation of these funds to Metro does not come at the expense of other critical transportation priorities in the region. Today, both groups have released letters to Governor Northam urging him to amend the legislation passed by the General Assembly earlier this month with two consistent points of emphasis – allocation of additional state funding and protection of existing local and regional transportation funding.

Local government representatives, business organizations and transportation planning organizations throughout northern Virginia agree that a well-maintained, safe, reliable and fiscally sustainable Metro system is essential to Northern Virginia’s and the Commonwealth’s economic competitiveness. Equally critical, however, is protection of existing transportation resources.

The letters released by both organizations express strong concern that diversion of the more than $100 million in existing transportation funds to help meet Virginia’s share of Metro capital needs will result in the halt or the delay in advancing longstanding, critical transportation investments throughout the region.

NVTA Chairman Martin E. Nohe, emphasized that the proposed new funding for Metro could end or seriously delay completion of scores of regionally-significant transportation priorities that have been planned for years.

“The strength of the Commonwealth relies heavily on Northern Virginia’s continual growth,” said Chairman Nohe. “While a dedicated funding solution for Metro is important for all Virginians, we urge the Governor and General Assembly to amend the funding solution so that the congestion-relieving transportation projects we have planned to advance in our FY2018-2023 Six Year Program and future programs do not come to a halt.”

In 2013, the General Assembly demonstrated strong leadership in approving long-needed new funding for transportation statewide and, for the first time, approving regional packages for Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia to help those regions address their own critical needs. It was passage of this legislation the led to the funding of the NVTA. Most Northern Virginia business and government leaders agree that, while insufficient to meet all of the region’s needs, this funding has begun to chip away at essential transportation improvements.

Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance CEO, David Birtwistle, shared additional concerns on behalf of the Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition, which represents the vast majority of businesses and employees of Northern Virginia’s private-sector and non-profit workforce.

“Securing $154 million/year for Virginia’s share of Metro’s capital needs was a top Coalition priority for the 2018 Virginia General Assembly session. However, protecting existing transportation resources is imperative. Funding Metro and other transportation needs should not be an either-or situation.”

The NVTA and Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition have been strong supporters of Metro. Since the adoption of HB 2313 in 2013, the Authority has invested $184 million in Metro capital needs, including 8-car traction power upgrades on the Orange and Blue Lines, which will enable Metro to increase capacity and construction of the Innovation Center and Potomac Yards Metrorail Stations.

The NVTA is focused on investing in regionally significant, multimodal transportation improvements throughout the region. Currently, the NVTA is developing its FY2018-23 Six Year Program and is reviewing 62 candidate regional projects. The total funding request of these candidate projects is approximately $2.6 billion. Adoption of this funding program is planned for this summer.

View the NVTranportation Authority and the letters Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition here:

About the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority
The NVTA was created by the General Assembly on July 1, 2002, to offer a common voice for Northern Virginia on transportation issues confronting the region. The Authority is made up of nine jurisdictions including: the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William; as well as the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park. The Authority is responsible for updating Northern Virginia’s long-range transportation plan, TransAction, and since 2014 manages approximately $340 million annually in public funds for transportation projects designed to provide congestion relief throughout Northern Virginia. For more information visit www.thenovaauthority.org.

About the Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition
The Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition is a group of chambers of commerce and industry organizations throughout Northern Virginia that share a common belief that greater investment in regional transportation infrastructure is essential to regional prosperity. The organizations that comprise the Coalition represent the vast majority of businesses and employees of Northern Virginia’s private-sector and non-profit workforce. The Coalition is administered by the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, which is a business-citizen coalition focused on advancing highway and transit projects of greatest regional significance. It is non-partisan and the only private-sector organization focused exclusively on making better transportation a reality for citizens and businesses.