Short Term Fixes and Long Term Solutions for Our Transportation Problems

One of the biggest problems facing the 38th House of Delegates District is the issue of transportation. In Richmond, there has been a focus on large-scale projects that cost millions and take years to complete. We need to refocus our efforts to improve transportation with pragmatic and doable options that have an immediate and positive impact on the people of the 38th District and the Commonwealth as a whole. As your delegate, improving transportation for our residents and our businesses will be one of my top priorities. I will fight for a better approach to transportation in Richmond; one that includes short term low-cost fixes and the development of a long term sensible and pragmatic solution.

Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition Community Resolution

Kaye supports the 2009 Northern Virginia Business Community Resolution drafted by the Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition.   This coalition of sixteen major Northern Virginia private organizations wants state politicians to secure transportation revenues that will eliminate the transportation deficit.  The coalition believes that solving the existing transportation problems is necessary to achieve economic prosperity.  The resolution is available in entirety at http://www.nvta.org/index.asp.    

VDOT Performance Audit

Virginia needs an independent, performance based, outcome driven approach to solving transportation problems. As your Delegate, I will call for a performance audit of the Virginia Department of Transportation as a foundation for future transportation planning and expenditures. This audit will give us a clear picture of the needed transportation improvements, while offering an increased level of transparency and accountability to the general public. The outcome of the audit will help Virginia set our transportation goals of the future.

Short Term Fixes

• The best thing we can do to improve public safety and move traffic more efficiently in the short term is to improve major arterials like Route 50 that traverse the 38th District. As your delegate I will work with the Virginia Department of Transportation and Fairfax County to improve flow on these key economic routes. Actions such as improving the timing of traffic lights to better handle parking and turning have several major benefits. These plans can be implemented quickly and at a low cost with incredible and immediate benefits to transit and highway users. As a matter of public safety, improving our arterials reduces the temptation for drivers to cut through residential neighborhoods and allows authorities to clear accidents more quickly. Economic benefits include improving access to our businesses and saving residents fuel. It also has incredible benefits for the environment in reducing green house gases and decreasing the amount of time cars spend on the road.

Long Term Solutions

• As a long term goal, we need to focus transit on meeting the needs of lower income residents of the 38th District. It is impossible to expand access to job opportunities to our low income population without roadways and public transportation to support them. The state government needs to work with localities to create a cost effective way to accomplish this. As your Delegate, I will convene a study to research the effectiveness of low-cost options for new transit routes to get our workers to key job centers and metro stops.