By KELLY HANNON
The Virginia Department of Transportation recommends closing 25 rest areas, reducing ferry service, and cutting back on mowing and interstate maintenance to help make up for a $2.6 billion drop in funding over the next six years.
Also, VDOT announced yesterday that it will lay off 450 wage and hourly workers over the next two months, and the agency plans to reduce staff by another 1,000 full-time positions over the next 18 months.
VDOT Commissioner David Ekern said the combined layoffs and restructuring was unprecedented.
"We will have to adjust our employment levels. That's a hard reality," Ekern said.
Drivers may have to wait until the next interstate exit to use the restroom starting in July. That's when rest area closings would take effect.
In addition, VDOT safety service patrols that help disabled vehicles on Interstate 95 would operate less frequently if the recommendations are accepted. And grass in the medians may grow unchecked.
"You will see us mowing less frequently," Ekern said. "You will see, obviously, our rest areas will be closed."
The Virginia Welcome Center on I-95 south at Fredericksburg would remain open because it has an "economic benefit" to tourism in the state. The refurbished center opened in late 2007.
But Ekern recommended to the Commonwealth Transportation Board that the state could see cost savings by closing two nearby rest areas, at Dale City and Ladysmith. Both rest areas were chosen because they are near other commercial areas.
Reacting to the news, Caroline County Administrator Percy Ashcraft said closing the rest areas near Ladysmith will cost the county's utility system about $55,000 in water and sewer fees.
"That is like losing a business in Caroline County, and we hate to see that happening," Ashcraft said last night.
The 450 hourly and salaried workers have not been told yet that they are losing their jobs, Ekern said. They will be notified individually over the next two weeks during meetings with human resources managers.
No information was available yesterday on how many jobs will be lost in each region of the state.
VDOT currently employs 605 hourly employees and 8,330 full-time, salaried workers. It plans to have 7,500 full-time employees by July 1, 2010. It hopes to reach the 7,500 number through as many retirements and voluntary departures as possible, Ekern said, limiting the need for layoffs.
To save money, VDOT will also close 15 area residency offices and 36 equipment repair facilities by mid-2010.
Before the state board votes on the recommendations, 11 public meetings are being held. Meetings are scheduled for March 19 in Culpeper and March 26 and March 31 in the Fredericksburg area. Meeting times and locations will be announced next week.
The 450 jobs cuts will occur, but residents may weigh in on the recommended changes to rest areas, ferry service, mowing, safety service patrols and interstate maintenance.
Virginia is facing a $2.6 billion drop in transportation funding for 2009 to 2014, according to revenue projections.
Virginia raises money for transportation through gasoline taxes, insurance taxes, automobile sales tax, and real estate recording fees.
Virginians are not driving as much, so they are paying less in gasoline tax. They are buying fewer new cars and fewer houses.
The shrinking pool of funding is also affecting new road construction. Last week, the Commonwealth Transportation Board passed a six-year budget that cut 800 transportation projects and construction phases.
The budget-cutting news arrives the same week a $787 billion federal stimulus bill was signed, promising to provide millions for transportation projects and create jobs.
Ekern said the bill provides $694 million for Virginia transportation work. "But those are short-turnaround projects," Ekern said. "What we are putting in place is a long-term strategy to deal with the long-term consequences of an uncertain economic future."
--Staff reporter Portsia Smith contributed to this report.
Kelly Hannon: 540/374-5436
Email: khannon@freelancestar.com