A Proposal to Fund Alexandria's Priority Transportation Projects

Welcome

The proposal to fund Alexandria’s Priority Transportation Projects is being conducted by the City of Alexandria for the purpose of identifying and implementing near and long term projects that have the most transportation needs within the City of Alexandria.

What's New

• Update: The Alexandria City Council did not approve a proposed commercial transportation add-on tax as part of the FY 2012 budget; instead, the equivalent of 2.2 cents of real estate revenues will be reserved for transportation purposes.  It is estimated that the increased funding approved by City Council will generate transportation funding of $13.5 million in FY 2012 and $110 million over 10 years.

• Saturday, April 16 public hearing presentation

• Alexandria stakeholders are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming city-wide community meetings:
  Thursday, November 11, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.  ------- Sister Cities Room 1101, 301 King Street, City Hall
  View video of the meeting on Thursday, November 11

• Wednesday. December 8, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. ----- Beatley Library, Community Room, 5005 Duke Street
• Thursday, January 13, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. ------ Mount Vernon Recreation Center, Community Room, 2701 Commonwealth Avenue
• The public is encouraged to give comments online, please click here to do so.

Please check back at this location frequently for updated project information and notifications.

Project Overview

The funding of priority transportation projects is one of the most challenging and unresolved issues facing the City, the Northern Virginia region, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.  This is due to a number of factors including population growth at the local, regional and state level, an increasing level of unmet transportation capital and operating funding needs, as well as declining federal, and state transportation funding sources (such as the impact of increased fuel efficient vehicles on a per gallon based gasoline tax). 

As part of the transportation funding initiatives which the General Assembly approved (HB3202) during its 2007 session, included was a package of major new regional and local funding options for Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads area.  As part of this package, the Northern Virginia Regional Transportation Authority (NVTA) was granted new fee and tax options.  Local governments in Northern Virginia also were each given a commercial real estate tax option, a vehicle decal fee option, and an impact fee option.  If implemented, all of the funds must be dedicated for transportation purposes.  While the City has already implemented the vehicle license fee (which in FY 2008 added $8 for most vehicles to the existing $25 decal fee), the City has not taken action to date to implement the add-on commercial real estate tax option or the impact fee option.

During the FY 2011 budget process, City Council requested that staff develop a proposal to identify City transportation priorities, as well as funding by the add-on tax for the FY 2012 budget process. Over the past year, staff has worked with the City’s Transportation Commission to create a prioritization process for needed transportation projects and services, and identify local, reliable funding mechanisms to support a fiscally constrained transportation plan. The purpose of this effort is to address transportation questions such as:

   1.  What transportation projects would have the most economic benefit for Alexandria businesses/residents
   2.  Which transportation projects would most clearly improve access and visibility for business/residents?
   3.  How can the City best meet the current and future transportation needs of the businesses and residential community?
   4.  What are the most critical short- and long-term transportation needs?

Schedule

Meetings

City staff will be attending various civic and community association meetings over the next two months to discuss the proposal and receive feedback.  To schedule a meeting please contact: Kathleen Leonard, Public Information Specialist
Kathleen.Leonard@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4027.

Resource Information

• Presentation - Updated 11/11
• Priority Transportation Projects 
• Stakeholder Letter 
• City Council Docket Item 15 - 10/12/10 
• Budget Web Site 

Contact

For additional information, please contact the following:
Abi Lerner P.E., Deputy Director
Abi.Lerner@alexandriava.gov 
703.746.4025

Sandra Marks, Division Chief, Transportation Planning
Email: Sandra.Marks@alexandriava.gov 
703.746.4147