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Transportation: List long, money short
Long-range transportation plan forecast Fredericksburg's future roads, needs
Date published: 10/7/2008
By KELLY HANNON Fredericksburg-area residents know traffic congestion. Now a new regional plan puts a figure on what it will take to ease the load on roads, rails, trails and transit. The bad news: The Long Range Transportation Plan for 2035 estimates there's a $3.2 billion gap between what the city and surrounding counties need and the money that's likely to come in. "We have this almost inconceivably big problem, and we have a virtually indescribable lack of resources to fix these things," said Stafford County Supervisor Mark Dudenhefer, chairman of the Fredericksburg Metropolitan Planning Organization. "We're shooting BB guns at cannons. It's not a fair war here," he said. Without more money, "we're never going to be able to make a dent in the projects." Area planners have spent months laboring over the extensive plan that lays out, in rare detail, what the Fredericksburg area needs to build or widen to cope with traffic. By 2035, the 300,000 population of the Fredericksburg area will double to 600,000 people, according to the plan. The federal government requires regions across the nation to develop such plans. However, Fredericksburg-area leaders want it to be more than another dry government document that gathers dust. FAMPO has rolled out an ambitious public campaign that includes meetings in each locality, starting next Tuesday in Stafford. After soliciting public comment through the fall, the planning organization will vote on a final plan in December. "I'm hoping that we have a good turnout at all of the meetings," said Spotsylvania County Supervisor Hap Connors, FAMPO vice chairman. " We do need to have a community dialogue about how to tackle these challenges and maybe look for opportunities there, too." The public needs to know "that funding from our usual sources--state and feds--is not going to keep up with our transportation needs," said Fredericksburg Councilman Matt Kelly, and past chairman of FAMPO. King George County Supervisor Jim Howard, a non-voting member of FAMPO, said he expects area residents to get involved.
Date published: 10/7/2008
RESPONSES (In 512 Characters or Less)
(posted by
MattKelly
, Oct. 7, 2008 12:04 pm)
Southwest--for people to make an informed vote they need to be presented the facts about regional transportation-What are the SPECIFIC needs, their impacts and costs. We are trying to engage local taxpayers/voters in the debate. GET INVOLVED.
RivaPops--The current Comp Plans in the region continue spreading development out. This pattern is not conducive for transit beyond moving people up and down the I-95 corridor. To make transit feasible will require changing development patterns.
Priorities in the wrong order
(posted by
RivaPops
, Oct. 7, 2008 8:46 am)
Public transportation should be number 1 on the list. With the cost of fuel and the loss of jobs, who can afford to use the roads and you speak of the Federal Gov't like it is just handing out money. Majority of taxpayers don't realize they are just getting a portion of their own money back, it's just not worth what it was when you sent it up to DC. Congress is been on a drunken, spending binge, so can't they bailout our roads as well? Oh! but that would help so many others and they weren't elected!
A Lot of Wasted Time
(posted by
southwest
, Oct. 7, 2008 7:18 am)
The plan may be a requirement by the federal government, but when all is said and done it is a lot of wasted time. Transportation has never been a priority by either the federal or state governments. Until the Virginia General Assembly places transportation at the top of its priority list such plans look good on paper, but will "NEVER" happen. The "LOCAL" taxpayer cannot afford to bailout the federal and state government on transportation cost. If transportation is important to you, let your vote show it.
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