| RELEASE: CONTACT: |
IMMEDIATE Jeffrey Caldwell (804) 786-2715 Jeffrey.Caldwell@vdot.virginia.gov Jennifer Pickett, DRPT (804) 786-7432 Jennifer.Pickett@DRPT.Virginia.gov |
CO-30366 June 19, 2008 |
FINAL SIX-YEAR TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM APPROVED
$10.1 billion program for public transportation, rail and highway projects
The Fiscal Years 2009-2014 Six-Year Improvement Program commits $7.9 billion for highway construction and $2.2 billion for public transportation and rail over the next six years. There are 2,288 individual line items in the program representing safety, bridge, maintenance and operations, transit, construction and rail projects.
A slowing economy, shrinking revenues and increased maintenance costs required the commonwealth to impact nearly 600 projects statewide, including those that were in previous six-year programs, projects under consideration by the Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads transportation authorities and candidate projects shared in a series of public meetings last fall for possible inclusion in the program. Lists of projects delayed or removed from the program are posted on the Virginia Department of Transportation Web site at http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/syp-default.asp.
“Our focus for this year’s program is not on adding new projects, rather it is about making difficult choices in the face of a $1.1 billion revenue shortfall,” said Secretary of Transportation Pierce R. Homer. “Because of falling revenues and a slowing economy, we must focus only on safety and projects that we can advance through the pipeline to make the most of the funds we have available. The majority of the projects in the plan are targeted to much-needed bridges, pavement rehabilitation projects and safety programs. We have to make tough decisions about what projects we can afford.”
The commonwealth is required by law to adopt a Six-Year Improvement Program by July 1 each year based upon the most recent official transportation revenue estimates issued by the Department of Taxation.
The fiscal years 2009-2014 program reflects a commitment to transit and rail, which has grown from 5 percent of total funding in fiscal year 1999 to 18 percent in fiscal year 2009. The program also reflects $2.75 billion of construction funding that must be used to offset the rising cost of maintenance for Virginia’s nearly 58,000 miles of roadway and 13,000 bridges and structures. Virginia is required by law to fund maintenance before construction.
To learn more, and to view the Fiscal Years 2009-2014 Six-Year Improvement Program materials, visit http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/syp-default.asp.
(END)
Note to Editors: The complete approved Fiscal Years 2009-2014 Six-Year Improvement Program is available at http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/syp-default.asp.
For details about specific highway projects included in the plan, please contact the district public affairs office for the project area. Those offices are listed at http://www.virginiadot.org/news/mediacontacts.asp
For details about public transit and rail projects, please contact Jennifer Pickett at DRPT using the contact information above or view the complete rail and transit program online at www.drpt.virginia.gov.
