Northern Virginia Public Meeting Tomorrow Night on Virginia's Six-Year Transportation Plan

The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) has posted the Working Draft Fiscal Years 2011-2016 Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP) for public review in advance of four public hearings to solicit public comments about essential rail, transit, transportation demand management, bicycle, pedestrian and highway projects. The SYIP is now available at www.VirginiaDOT.org and www.drpt.virginia.gov for review. (VDOT news release)

The $7.7 billion Working Draft SYIP proposes $5.6 billion for highway construction and $2.1 billion for rail and public transportation, focusing on four main principles:

• Funding deficits on projects under way
• Maximizing the use of federal funds
• Funding projects already under way and those with new phases starting in fiscal year 2011
• Funding deficient bridges and pavements

The SYIP also programs $103 million in federal funding held in reserve in the previously adopted program due to uncertainty in transportation funding at the federal level. Releasing this reserve:

• Provides partial funding for three stimulus contingency projects:
• I-66 paving in the Northern Virginia District
• I-581 improvements at Elm Avenue in the Salem District
• Route 50 Courthouse Road improvements in the Northern Virginia District
• Partially funds VDOT project development costs on the Midtown Tunnel public-private partnership project in Hampton Roads
• Provides funding for the Route 164 Median Rail project in Hampton Roads administered by the Virginia Port Authority
• Provides special program funding (enhancement program, congestion mitigation and air quality funding and regional surface transportation program projects)

A public meeting for Northern Virginia will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, May 26, at the Fairfax City Hall, 10455 Armstrong Street in Fairfax. An elected officials’ open house begins at 6 p.m. followed by the public meeting at 7 p.m.

If you can't make the meeting, written comments may be submitted via mail or e-mail until June 11, 2010 to: the Public Information Office, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, 600 E. Main St., Suite 2102, Richmond, VA 23219. E-mail: drptpr@drpt.virginia.gov.

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