John Cook Has A Winning Idea

Local Roads, Local Control.

Want to save money and make sure we get our monies worth in transportation?  Why not transfer responsibility of local roads to local government.  Now I know plenty of the BOS doesn't want to do this . . . its just easier to forward constituent complaints to their delegate or senator in Richmond.  But this move would be good for two reasons.  One, it would allow a faster response to road issues, because our county supervisors and staff would be handling it rather than going through VDOT in Richmond.  Secondly, it would make funding easier.  Cook readily notes that if this transfer where to occur, it would require funding it.  Does that mean a tax increase?  I'm sure many conservatives are wondering that.  I personally don't think that would be needed if we could stop some of the other nonsense the county engages in.  He also talked about transferring the car registration fee from the county General Fund towards transportation funding.  But what Cook emphasizes is that every dollar raised, however its done, is raised locally and stays here.  The biggest problem has always been the amount of money that goes down to Richmond doesn't even come close to coming back up equally.

Cook's full op-ed is below

Our neighborhood streets are peppered with potholes and crumbing curbs and sidewalks. Median and roadside grass is left uncut, creating dangerous intersections and unkempt roadways that reduce property values. Snow plowing is a challenge. A recent study from the Texas Transportation Institute pegs the yearly delay per commuter in our metro region at 70 hours, meaning we spend nearly two work weeks every year sitting in congestion. Yet, in spite of these challenges, the County Board resists trying to fix the problem. Cautious and tepid, the Board blames the state for our transportation ills without offering to help solve the problem. We can do better.

A relic of a bygone era, Virginia is one of only three states where the state, not localities, owns and maintains local roads. Controlled by rural counties that do not need more road funding, the General Assembly has eliminated construction funding for secondary (local) roads and significantly reduced maintenance funding. Recent new state funding initiatives are temporary fixes only, and the state policy is geared correctly toward large primary roads. A state funding formula based on lane-miles instead of vehicles miles traveled hurts Fairfax as well.

We are not resigned to this fate, however. Decades ago, the Hampton Roads jurisdictions opted to become cities to better meet their transportation needs as an urbanizing area. Two counties – Arlington and Henrico – remained counties but cut their own deals with the state to handle their own roads. A year and a half ago our County Executive recommended that Fairfax follow suit and consider negotiating with the state for a local takeover of at least some roads. County staff has interviewed each Virginia locality that owns and maintains its own roads. All reported that they are happy they do and, in fact, many expressed their disbelief that Fairfax has not yet followed suit. And yet we have not. We are paralyzed.

Both County staff and our citizens’ Transportation Advisory Commission (TAC) have identified clear benefits to the County Executive’s proposal. These include enhanced influence in transportation decision-making, improved responsiveness and accountability, and increased flexibility in establishing priorities and standards. Despite these advantages, some County leaders are reluctant to embrace this alternative. They argue that maintaining and improving our transportation infrastructure has long been a state function and follow the tired path of asking for money from Richmond, knowing it won’t arrive.

I agree that funding is an issue and any transfer of responsibility from the state to Fairfax County would have to come with a transfer of at least the current level of state funding. Further enhancements to our transportation system would likely require local dollars. But remember a local system means all our local dollars stay right here in Fairfax, instead of Fairfax dollars going to Richmond where only a fraction return. And with the state’s focus on major roads such as interstates, secondary (neighborhood) roads get short shrift. Under a local system, county government would focus on local roads, and state government would focus on the large roads.

How would the County pay for better secondary roads? A good first step would be removing the car registration fee, which generates roughly $27 million, from the General Fund and apportioning it to transportation projects. Further user fees could be considered. The County should also approve my proposal for public-private transportation projects, so toll roads and HOT lanes could be on the local menu. It’s all about options, and right now we in Fairfax do not have enough transportation choices on the menu.

I do not suggest that moving towards local control of local roads is a simple issue. Much care and thought must be given to any potential change. But Fairfax County is an urbanizing suburb and it needs a 21 st century system for its local roads, one where decision-making authority rests here, not in Richmond. It’s time for our Board to be less timid, and to face the challenges we were elected to face. Let’s stop talking about transportation and start doing something about it.

Comments

[D.J. McGuire]

Good for him.

Very bold.

Even bolder would be a call to take subdivision roads off the government grid entirely. All Virginians reading this blog help pay for my subdivision streets. They shouldn't have to do that.

Still, this is a great start. Kudos to Cook.

[Brian W. Schoeneman]

This is a great plan, and one that I will be proposing as part of my campaign plan as well. It's time that we stop with the top down control over roads.

[Will Radle]

The current Chairman prefers to complain rather than to lead. Take for example her opposition to Delegate LeMunyon's bill to provide the Board of Supervisors power and responsibility to approve toll increases for Dulles. Now, that MWAA has approved an underground station she complains about tolls likely to be increased to cover the cost.

As I told the Board of Supervisors at a public hearing on March 29, with my plan we will take control of our roads, address traffic congestion and provide solutions for the challenges created by BRAC. We will address these and other local priorities by allocating $193 million in identified efficiencies.