SJR 324: U.S. Route 460 Communications Committee
September 29, 2003
Suffolk
The committee heard
briefings by two VDOT officials on the status of U.S. 460 Corridor Project
studies and comments received through the public involvement process.
Proposed Schedule
Concerning the National
Environmental Policy Act process, VDOT hopes to complete a draft Environmental
Impact Statement by the autumn of 2004. VDOT will have to satisfy the
federal government as to the U.S. 460 Project in three important areas:
(i) the need for the project, (ii) the best location for the project (assuming
a need can be demonstrated), and (iii) logical termini for the project
(currently proposed to be U.S. Route 460’s intersection with U.S.
Route 58 in the south and with northbound Interstate Route 295 in the
north). The whole study process — particularly its “scoping”
element — is and will continue to be “broad and dynamic,”
based on purpose and need.
A general schedule
of events (some already completed) for the project study:
- Notice to proceed:
Spring 2003
- Scoping/Public
Meetings: Summer 2003
- Purpose and Need:
Summer 2003
- Development of
Alternatives: Summer 2003 to Summer 2004
- Citizen Information
Meetings: Early 2004
- Draft Environmental
Impact Statement: Fall 2004
- Public Hearings:
Early 2005
- Final Environmental
Impact Statement: Early 2006
- Record of Decision:
Spring 2006
Most of the engineering
tasks associated with this schedule will be carried out directly by VDOT
personnel, while most of the environmental tasks will be carried out by
consultants. The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) would make a
location decision for the project shortly following the submission of
the draft Environmental Impact Statement, with public hearings held on
this location decision thereafter.
Federal Highway Program
An advisor to the
Governor for transportation reauthorization reported on the status of
federal highway program reauthorization legislation (SAFETEA). The pending
reauthorization legislation deals not only with federal highway construction
funding, but with federal funding for transit, motor carrier and highway
safety, surface transportation research, rail programs (including Amtrak),
and aviation programs as well. To illustrate the serious impact this legislation
(or lack of it) has on the Commonwealth, in fiscal year 2002, (i) apportionments
to Virginia for transit and highway programs were over one billion dollars,
(ii) the bulk of Virginia’s highway program funding came from federal
sources, and (iii) 71 million federal dollars funded programs supporting
Virginia’s airports.
In working with the
Congress and other federal officials involved with the reauthorization
legislation, Virginia is hoping to build on the successes of the most
recent federal program (the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
— TEA21). Virginia is seeking (i) at least continuation (and possibly
expansion) of “firewalls” and guarantees for both transit and
highway programs; (ii) maintenance (and possibly enhancement) of funding
flexibility to ensure the best and most multimodal structure possible;
(iii) funding of programs to improve national security; (iv) imposition
of no unfunded mandates; (v) expansion of the federal commitment to rail
and public transit; (vi) adequate funding; and (vii) fairly distributed
funding.
Priority projects
for federal funding (not in any order of priority) would be (i) Dulles
rail, (ii) Virginia Railway Express, (iii) high-speed passenger rail service,
(iv) statewide transit capital assistance, (v) widening of Interstate
Route 81, (vi) Coalfields Expressway, (vii) Route 29, (viii) Third Crossing
of Hampton Roads, and (viii) Route 460 in Hampton Roads. Three different
pieces of draft reauthorization legislation are presently under discussion
in Congress, and the inadequacies of each have led to legislative stalemate.
Several sources have suggested that it is highly unlikely that any reauthorization
will be even seriously considered in Congress until about a year from
now.
A motion by Senator
Y. B. Miller that Chairman McDonnell send a letter to the Governor and
the Congress, urging direct federal funding of the U.S. 460 Project as
an “earmark” in the reauthorization legislation was unanimously
agreed to.
High-Speed Rail
The status of high-speed
passenger rail service between Richmond and Hampton Roads was discussed.
One of the most important (and most controversial) issues is whether the
service should be provided via the left bank of the James River (Richmond
to Hampton or Newport News via Williamsburg) or the right bank of the
James River (Richmond to Norfolk or Virginia Beach via Petersburg. A four-phase
study and analysis project, begun in September of this year, should produce
a recommendation on this question as part of a Tier I draft Environmental
Impact Statement that the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
expects to complete some time between May and September of next year.
Questions and comments from the members left no doubt as to their preference
for a “right bank solution” to this dilemma.
Chairman:
The Hon. Robert F. McDonnell
For information,
contact:
Alan B. Wambold
Division of Legislative Services
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