FEATURES – March 2009

The Road Home

Delegate Glenn Oder discusses transportation legislation that could pave the way to a bright future for HR travelers.

By Stephen Stewart

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Hampton Roads can feel less like the transportation funding stepchild of Virginia thanks to the efforts of Delegate Glenn Oder. Few have lobbied more vociferously or more persistently for transportation improvements in Hampton Roads than this Newport News native. Oder's diverse experience in landscape architecture, land development planning and consulting helped him find a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates in 2001, and he quickly earned the respect of his fellow delegates, leading to his critical role as the transportation vice chair for the General Assembly. Oder progressively introduced several transportation bills recently, including House Bill 1579, which would help secure tax dollars generated in Hampton Roads for transportation projects and allow alternative funding sources and solutions to be introduced by public and private partnerships. Since this interview, Oder's efforts have helped pass House Bill 1579 through the House of Delegates, and it was being reviewed in the Senate at press time. Here, Oder gives HRM his thoughts on the most critical transportation issues facing Hampton Roads.

What do you believe is the biggest deterrent to transportation improvements in Hampton Roads?

First, we must restore "trust" with the public. Right now the public does not believe the politicians will spend the money the way they say they will, and they do not believe VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) will spend the money wisely. Additionally, the citizens do not support the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority. The public is convinced this body will not act in thebest interest of the citizens, and removing this authority will help us convince the public we have heard their concerns regarding this body.

Second, we must change the projects that are part of the long-range solution for transportation in Hampton Roads. At this time, the public does not understand how in the world any transportation plan for the Hampton Roads region does not include improvements to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT). Any future plan that is presented to the public must include the HRBT or I believe the public will continue to reject our efforts. Studies show that even if you build all of the projects, and I support all of the projects, these improvements will not bring enough benefit to our region to stop the daily backups at the HRBT.

Finally, we must add lanes to the HRBT to improve the capacity of this original crossing. Parts of the HRBT are more than 50 years old. Adding lanes now will provide relief for future generations to work on the aging structure. While the addition of these lanes to the HRBT is controversial,I believe the studies should proceed and every effort must be taken to keep the improvements in the existing right of way to eliminate any impacts to existing homes in Willoughby.

As a result of my evaluation of this problem, I am focusing my legislative efforts on addressing these three areas. With regards to 'trust,' I have introduced HJ620. This bill is a constitutional amendment that will provide a 'lockbox' on transportation funding. If it passes, for the first time Virginians will be assured that tax dollars collected in the name of transportation improvements will be constitutionally bound to be spent on transportation projects. With regards to the potential transportation projects, HB1579 not only addresses the funding needed for traffic solutions but it also requires VDOT to immediately begin seeking proposals from private companies for constructing all of the projects, including the HRBT. And finally, I have introduced HB2079 to require VDOT to specifically seek private proposals for adding capacity to the HRBT.

House Bill 1579, if passed, would require VDOT to solicit proposals for specified projects in Hampton Roads. What type of projects do you expect will be pursued?

Private companies are very interested in providing traffic solutions in the Hampton Roads region. While our geography makes road construction and traffic planning unique, it also creates constriction points like the center of an hour glass. At these places private companies can offer proposals based upon some assurance that traffic counts will remain constant. This provides the business model to evaluate tolling opportunities that could be used to fund these construction projects. A recent example of this in Hampton Roads would be the Jordan Bridge project.

Bang for the buck, which project do you believe would best alleviate the transportation problems in Hampton Roads?

The studies show we need all of them and politically we must remain committed to all of them. However, we can only proceed on the projects that are ready to go and the ones that generate the most interest from private companies because we presently do not have the money to build them ourselves. At this time, I think the Mid-town Tunnel project will provide the biggest bang for the buck. After that, I would think the HRBT improvements make the most sense but again, we are constrained by years of engineering and environmental studies before we can do anything.

Do you support tolls to help pay for these projects?

I do not see how any of these projects can be developed without tolls. New tolling methods are now available so that toll plazas are no longer needed and the tolls can have adjustable rates to encourage drivers to use the roads at off-peak times. Additionally, oversight can be established by the General Assembly to ensure the tolls are reasonable and the money is directed for that transportation corridor. While I am no fan of tolls, they represent the ultimate user fee and they may be the only option left to us to pay for road improvements in our region.

Hampton Roads continues to receive disproportionate transportation funding in contrast to Richmond and Northern Virginia. Why are we treated as Virginia's step-child?

Transportation funds are collected from across the state in the form of gas taxes and other revenue streams. Once the money is received in Virginia, it is then distributed to the various Virginia Transportation Districts via a complex formula based upon lane miles in each district. Large rural areas with long roads tend to receive more money for their regions than they sent to Richmond. Heavily populated areas such as Northern Virginia send significant money to Richmond and then receive substantially less after it goes through the funding formula. The Hampton Roads region is almost revenue neutral in that it almost receives as much back as we send to Richmond, however, we do receive a little less than we send. Each year those of us in the more populated areas try to change the funding formula, however the rural regions still maintain enough votes to prevent any changes. I believe transportation dollars should be allocated to relieve congestion regardless of what area of the state the problem is in.

Why or why isn't the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority a good idea for Hampton Roads?

Hampton Roads Transportation Authority must be removed from the state code. The citizens have soundly rejected the idea of each locality appointing an elected official from their body to sit on this Authority. Therefore, I have introduced HB1580 to eliminate the Authority and distribute the functions of the Authority to VDOT, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Do you support the taxing of real estate property at $0.10/$100 assessed value to help pay for transportation needs or do you believe there are better ways to fund transportation projects?

I support HB1579, which will generate $300 million a year for transportationprojects in Hampton Roads by capturing 30 percent of the future tax revenue generated from the growth of the port-related industries in our region. The .10/100 tax assessment that you refer to is for 'commercial' property only and it is strictly for local options. In other words, if a locality wanted to build a road within its own boundaries, that local city council or board of supervisors could hold a public hearing and they could vote to raise their commercial real estate tax to pay for their own roads. NOVA has had this ability for years, and I know of no project that has been built by this method yet.

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