Help Margi Make the Argument for Transportation Solutions

I am writing you from Richmond where the General Assembly is convening for a special session on the single issue of transportation funding. We are all affected by the lack of funding; there has not been successful transportation funding legislation since 1986. In northern Virginia we know the problem is acute, and many of you have written to me to share your views and ideas. Insufficient funding for maintenance is siphoning away money needed statewide for new construction and the improvement of existing highways. Since the Supreme Court invalidated the power of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to raise and collect revenue, the cost to us has been one million dollars a day.

As infuriating and immediate as the effects of congestion are to each of us in northern Virginia, the need for reliable, sufficient transportation funding is also compelling for the economic vitality of the entire Commonwealth of Virginia.

Recently, I worked with the business community to develop a short video presentation that shows how important a healthy system of roads, rail, and transit are, not just to the continued success of two of the powerhouses of Virginia’s economic engine – Dulles Airport and the Port of Virginia in Norfolk, but also to business centers throughout the state.

Transportation funding is an essential component of a system that accounts for hundreds of thousands of jobs all over Virginia. I think we need a solution that benefits both our congested regions and the whole state. I hope you will watch this brief video and share your ideas and feedback with me and other members of the General Assembly as we work to find answers to Virginia’s transportation challenges. Thank you.