Transportation the top priority for region's counties
www.yahoo.com 2007-11-29
The nine counties in the Virginia Association of Counties' Region 7 have designated transportation as the top priority in their 2008 Legislative Agenda. The document is scheduled to be discussed Monday at the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors meeting.
"Providing more transportation choices for all Virginians, including those who drive, use mass transit, walk or bicycle must remain a high priority," the document reads.
And the process must involve community members in identifying and determining solutions to achieve those goals, it says.
The association credits the General Assembly's Transportation Act of 2007 with recognizing the profound impact transportation planning has on communities.
"Key elements of that legislation stressed the importance of coordinated land-use and transportation decisions, which must be consistent or communities will be places that are inefficient, unattractive and more expensive for our citizens," the document says.
Specifically, the association plans to address the annual funding shortfall for road maintenance and adjust the formula for allocating funds for road construction and maintenance to bring more benefits to fast-growing areas in the region. The association also wants to increase the state's financial support for mass transit, transportation planning and to continue to promote the "transportation-land use" relationship, which gives localities greater authority to develop transportation solutions that encourage walkable communities.
VACO's Region 7 includes Rappahannock as well as Caroline, Culpeper, Fauquier, King George, Madison, Orange, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties.
The Board of Supervisors will meet at 2 p.m. Monday at the Rappahannock County Courthouse on Gay Street in the Town of Washington. They will not have an evening meeting Monday.
(editor : jane)
