Make your voice heard on key transportation projects

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• Tags: Green Transportation

The State’s latest revision to its transportation plan shows Virginia’s transportation policy continues to head down the wrong road, toward more congestion and more sprawl. We need to make our voices heard for more Green Transportation Choices!!

Right now we have the chance to urge the state to get transportation policy on the right track by promoting green transportation solutions to Virginia’s transportation problems, such as more public transit, more use of rail to move both freight and people, more bike lanes and more sidewalks. Instead of squandering very limited funds on unneeded new highways, we need to maintain our existing roads and bridges and invest in fixes to existing bottlenecks.

Please send a message to the state NOW! Comment Deadline: Fri., May 18.

Background:

The State recently released its draft annual update of its six-year transportation plan. Unfortunately, the draft plan shows that the McDonnell Administration continues Virginia on a path of more major roads leading to more sprawl and more pollution. The real solutions to Virginia’s transportation needs are greater investment in green transportation choices, such as public transit, passenger and freight rail, and bicycle and pedestrian friendly infrastructure.

The Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) will is taking public comments on the proposed plan update, known officially as the Draft Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP).

One of the most important environmental, economic and public health issues facing Virginians is transportation — how we move people and goods around the state and how we plan for and manage future growth. In order to have a healthy and productive future Virginia needs to change the direction of its transportation policy starting right now.
Instead, Governor McDonnell’s Administration plans to continue pushing more car and truck-centric, sprawl inducing roadways including:

• A new Outer Beltway in Northern Virginia that would cut through landscape of western Prince William and Loudoun counties
• Construction of an unneeded four-lane freeway from Petersburg to Norfolk
• A long dead and contentious Route 29 Western Bypass in Charlottesville, and
• The environmentally destructive Coalfields Expressway in Southwest Virginia

We need to switch from a policy that promotes car-centric, sprawl that encourages road building to a to one that gives people more livable communities with transportation choices such as rail, transit, bikes, and pedestrian friendly infrastructure.

Please send a message to the state NOW!

For details and more information please contact Chapter Program Manager, David Dickson, david.dickson@sierraclub.org, or 202-834-4842.