Presentation about transportation in the Northern Virginia and metropolitan Washington DC region.

1. Transportation In Northern
Virginia
Dinner & Discussion
Providence District Democratic Committee &
Fairfax County Democratic Committee Finance Committee
April 16, 2014
Whitaker Associates
Stuart M Whitaker

2. Outline
I. (My) Goals
II.Regional Framework: Transportation
Planning Board (TPB)
III.Virginia
I. Northern Virginia Transportation Authority
(NVTA)
II. Virginia Department of Transportation
(VDOT)
www.Whitaker.com

3. I. Let’s Start With Goals

4. •Avoid climate disasters
•Transport is 2nd largest source of GHG
•Efficiency plus behavioral change
•Increase Energy Security
•94% of transportation energy is from oil
•72% of oil is used for transportation

5. •Ensure Balanced Economic Growth
•Transit is essential for everyone
•Consider intergenerational issues
•Foster individual independence
•48% of non-elderly poor in DC w/o auto
•7.8% of US residents w/o auto

6. •Foster health and communities
•20 minutes moderate-intensity aerobics daily
= 1 mile walk (CDC)
•Better neighborhoods – Transit Oriented
Development (TOD)
•Protect life and limb
•In 2010: 33,687 unintentional motor vehicle
deaths (vs 11,078 firearm homicides) (CDC)
http://tinyurl.com/bwj9crl
•Other Goals?

7. II. Transportation Planning
Board (TPB): Our MPO
•1962 Mandate
•TPB Goals:
•Range of options
•Strong economy
•Maintenance
•Effectiveness
•Environment
•Inter-region & Intl

8. TPB Plans
•Regional
Transportation
Priorities Plan (RTPP)
•Activity Centers
•Constrained Long
Range Plan (CLRP) &
TIP
•All projects ~750

9. III. Northern Virginia
Transportation Authority (NVTA)
•4 counties, five cities, towns, others
•Balanced decisions
•First new funding in quarter century
•Good and bad
•Finally!
•Yet … regressive sales taxes

10. NVTA Issues
•NVTA’s authority
•Pay as you go (PAYGO) versus Debt
•Project Selection

11. PAYGO?

12. Or Debt?

13. $209 M Projects Selected
•Bonds: $93 M
•PAYGO:
•Roads: $68 M
•Transit: $47 M
•Total: $116
•Largest projects:
•$41 M Innovation Center Metrorail Station
•$28 M Prince William Rte 28

14. VDOT “Evaluating Significant
Projects”
•Muddling toward objective measures?
•Legislation: rate “all significant transportation
projects”
•NVTA Chairman: projects that reduce
congestion and emergency evacuation
•VDOT: reduced congestion and emergency
capacity, NOT transit, NOT current projects

15. VDOT Candidate Projects

16. Did I meet your goals?
•Support more / better transit:
•Visit Transiters.com
•Visit Facebook.com/Transiters
•Follow
•@Transiters
•@StuartMWhitaker