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Looking for good news on roads; Ready for Journey
The first few months of 2008 brought one bad news item after another to our door. Not only was the national housing market tanking, but plans to untangle the region's transportation mess unraveled with alarming speed.
The Federal Transportation Authority sent shock waves through the area when it threatened to pull funding for the Metrorail extension to Washington Dulles International Airport.
Luckily, that situation is now a lot sunnier. After vigorous lobbying by Virginia lawmakers and business leaders, the feds green-lighted the final design stage April 30 -- a revival well worth celebrating.
But the other transportation news that sent us reeling has yet to have such a happy ending: Regional road funding is still at a deadlock.
The state's General Assembly passed historic legislation in 2007, allowing Northern Virginia to raise money locally to pay for much-needed transportation fixes.
But the state Supreme Court ruled that the method of levying that money -- by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority -- was unconstitutional because that group is an appointed, not elected, body.
Combined with economic pressures lowering tax revenue statewide, this puts any progress on our road network -- aalready in crisis -- at high risk of grinding to a halt.
Local legislators are supposed to be meeting now, ahead of a planned June meeting of the General Assembly, to find solutions. Already we hear that the same partisan rifts threaten to stall the process yet again -- the House refuses to raise statewide taxes, and the Senate, though willing, is battling over which taxes to raise.
Our view is simple: The no-tax ideologues may think they are being fiscal conservatives, but the truth is they are risking the long-term financial health of the commonwealth.
If the Washington, D.C., region keeps its status as the metro region with the nation's second-worst traffic, do you really think businesses are going to want to locate their headquarters here, bringing jobs, a strong commercial tax base and general economic vibrancy?
Legislators: Let's take the long view, drop the political posturing and create a road map to find our way out of this mess. Now.
We're ready for the Journey
Another piece of good news arrived April 30, when the U.S. Congress approved the designation of The Journey Through Hallowed Ground.
Kudos to Cate Magennis Wyatt, president of the JTHG Partnership, and her team for working to honor the rich history and culture represented by the 175-mile corridor of U.S. 15, which cuts through Loudoun. And thanks to U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th) and Sen. John Warner (R) who each sponsored the bill in their respective chambers.
Though some naysayers claim this designation will restrict property rights within the corridor, the truth is the designation has no power to alter land-use decisions. More than likely, it will bring economic development to the area -- in the form of tourism dollars.
A national heritage area right in our backyard? We count that a victory for Loudoun County.
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