Virginia governor Timothy M. Kaine continued to voice support for a plan to boost the state’s transportation system May 15 at the Hampton Convention Center.
The message was met with mixed feelings, as some attendees said that there were other means of raising transportation funds, such as cutting promotions such as lottery tickets. Kaine’s plan includes raising auto sales taxes and auto registration fees and titling fees for statewide needs.
Another argument to the proposal was brought up by police officer David Lyons, who said there will never be enough highways or crossings in the area to sufficiently reduce congestion.
"You could build 20 lanes across Hampton Roads and there would still not be enough room," Lyons said.
Kaine told his audience of about 150 that the congestion trouble in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads is already like a tax, since it means drivers sit in traffic and burn increasingly expensive gasoline.
He added that another side effect of congestion threatens those in need of urgent health care. “The difference between five minutes and seven minutes can be a matter between life or death," he said.
Kaine detailed the problems hindering Virginia's road financing process, including the state's reliance on using highway construction money to finance maintenance needs.
He also mentioned that the state has about 20,000 bridges, about 8% of which are structurally deficient. One day they will need to be replaced, he said.
