NVTA Overturned, Back To The Drawing Board

Last night, I looked over my car re-registration bill. On it, the DMV had an explanation of the extra $10 added to the fee to fund the NVTA and its mission to improve roads in Northern Virginia. Perhaps I should not be so quick to pay it.

The Virginia Supreme Court today overturned a landmark measure designed to relieve traffic congestion in Northern Virginia, declaring that the creation of a regional transportation authority to levy taxes was unconstitutional.

The decision by the state's highest court prevents the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority from financing more than $300 million a year in regional highway and transit projects. The authority has already begun collecting new taxes and fees for projects such as a new interchange on the Fairfax County Parkway and the widening of the Prince William Parkway. - LoudounExtra

And so, the carefully managed, hard-fought Transportation Bill of 2007 unravels in pieces. First, the source of funding insisted upon by the Republicans in the House of Delegats, abuser fees, is eliminated (sort of) by the Assembly. Now, the same Republicans, in the form of the previous Board of Supervisors and current and former members of the Assembly have succeeded in their attempts to kill their creation - the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority - by judicial fiat. So, we now have an Authority with no legal right to collect money.

Instead of local governments being able to find their own revenue solutions for local roads, all money and authority for this issue must flow through Richmond. Thank you Dillon rule, for putting is in this position.

Roads cost money, money comes from somewhere. Roads and traffic fixes cannot simply be wished into existence. Our Assembly Democrats have proposed a very reasonable gas tax to help with the problem, they have negotiated the creative solution that was the NVTA, they have been working to actually do something for Virginia on transportation. Virginia's Republicans have been standing in the way of this progress, and then complaining when nothing gets done.

It's back to the drawing board for the Assembly and our Governor. Here's hoping the next time is the charm.