HRBT is Heart of Problem
The recent decision by the Virginia Supreme Court has given the General Assembly a second opportunity to get it right when it comes to transportation. The court correctly declared that the General Assembly abdicated its responsibility when it came to funding needed transportation projects. The court's decision removes the necessity for a regional authority and we must abolish the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority.
What we need is consensus on the best way to move forward. For the last few weeks, there has been a great deal of discussion as to how to proceed.
We must make sure we have both the right projects and the right funding — right now, I don't believe we do.
While it is expected the governor will call the General Assembly back into session in late May or early June to deal with transportation, it is clear to me that we need more time to develop consensus, not only among the members of the Hampton Roads delegation but also among the citizens in the area.
In the last few weeks, several new ideas have been presented. Former Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner Phil Shucet has proposed a high-rise bridge connecting Hampton to Norfolk. Dels. Phil Hamilton and G. Glenn Oder have called for a study of a third tunnel for the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
Let me offer some additional suggestions that should be considered. A container tunnel could be constructed under the Elizabeth River between Norfolk International Terminals and Craney Island. It would cost a quarter of the $4 billion needed for the third crossing.
Moving all containers to Craney Island, or even further west, would allow us to ban all container trucks from the HRBT and require that they use Route 460 in and out of the area. This could lead to I-64 being a tourist corridor and Route 460 being a freight corridor. Removing these trucks from the HRBT would increase the number of cars that could use the tunnel, and it could negate the need for the very expensive third crossing, which, under its present configuration, limits the ability of Craney Island to expand in the future.
We will not solve our transportation problems without addressing the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. The Metropolitan Planning Organization must revisit its list of projects and give top priority to those that relieve congestion, help facilitate an evacuation in the wake of a natural disaster, or efficiently move the military in and out of the area. By any of those measures, the HRBT must be on the list.
Additional time is needed to study these ideas and to get the projects right. We also need more time to get the funding right. While most of the discussion centers on a hike in the gas tax or sales tax, new ideas should be considered.
A few years ago, Gov. Gerald Baliles proposed tolling the interstates at the borders. That plan could generate significant revenue, mostly from out-of- state drivers. Oregon has tested an onboard vehicle computer system that just calculates the miles driven and collects a fee at the gas pump instead of a gas tax. Some states are charging congestion-pricing tolls and others have started a beneficiary fee that is charged to those who benefit from the roads.
These ideas should be seriously studied and evaluated before we make decisions about how best to improve our transportation network.
There is one more important part of this equation. We need public input. Too often in the past, these decisions were made outside of public scrutiny. The public's voice must be heard at every stage of this process.
Let's use the special session to focus on addressing the critical problem the commonwealth faces regarding maintenance funding of our highways and bridges and not attempt a quick fix on Hampton Roads transportation problems.
We have waited 20 years for improvements to our transportation system in Hampton Roads — we can wait a bit longer to ensure we get it right.
Published in the Daily Press on Apri 17, 2008
Opinion by John Miller who represents the 1st District in the Virginia Senate. The district includes parts of Newport News, Hampton, York County and all of Poquoson. He is a member of the Senate Transportation Committee.