Kaine Could Show Good Faith with a Traffic Study for Tysons Corner
One of very positive steps taken by Governor Tim Kaine was to embrace the new law requiring VDOT to conduct traffic studies on the impact of large development projects requiring rezoning. The law passed both houses of the General Assembly without dissent. Kaine signed it and ordered a study for a huge development in Loudoun County near Dulles Airport. The study, which was bungled by VDOT when it neglected to add in all of the new homes planned, still showed that more development would paralyze local and regional roads. VDOT is scheduled to release a revised study with corrections.
Some have criticized the VDOT study as failing to account for the new roads proffered by the developer. Others have wondered whether partisan politics played a role in the study since the GOP controls the Loudoun County Board.
The first criticism can be answered by improving the studies. They should include the impacts on existing and proposed facilities, but the differences should clearly be set forth. It is unacceptable to approve added development based on what is planned on paper. No growth without a concomitant increase in public infrastructure, with a fair contribution from proffers! Fairness needs to be defined from the perspective of taxpayers.
The second criticism can be addressed by the Governor directing VDOT to perform a similar study for the proposed development at Tysons Corner. We need to know the impacts of development on traffic before the Democrat-controlled Fairfax County Board makes any decisions. VDOT need not duplicate efforts; rather, it could work with the Tysons Corner Task Force, which was appointed by the Fairfax supervisors to study Tysons Corner. VDOT could ensure that no games are played by the County or the Task Force members.
If it is important for the Loudoun County Board to be kept honest with traffic and land use decisions, it is equally important for the Fairfax County Board to be held to the very same standard. Is Tim Kaine a sufficient statesman to move beyond party politics? Or does advancement of fellow Democrat Gerry Connolly's political career carry more sway with our Governor?
Similarly, by directing that an honest study be made, Kaine can show he puts the public interest above that of his big campaign supporters. Make no mistake about it, a thorough traffic study for Tysons Corner is likely to show that, even with the presence of the Silver Line, the rebuilding of Tysons as proposed by the landowners is likely to create a traffic disaster unmatched in Virginia history. Moreover, by making these facts known to the public before land use decisions are made, the Governor would be increasing the likelihood that the Fairfax BoS would not be able to approve those plans for development without starting another civil war. A decision by Kaine to play fair and square may well cost West Group and other big landowners hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars in profit. Is our Governor willing to take this step? He should, simply to repay the many voters of both parties who supported him when he campaigned to rationalize development and existing resources. Whether he does, however, remains to be seen. Tim Kaine still talks a much better game than he plays.
Some have criticized the VDOT study as failing to account for the new roads proffered by the developer. Others have wondered whether partisan politics played a role in the study since the GOP controls the Loudoun County Board.
The first criticism can be answered by improving the studies. They should include the impacts on existing and proposed facilities, but the differences should clearly be set forth. It is unacceptable to approve added development based on what is planned on paper. No growth without a concomitant increase in public infrastructure, with a fair contribution from proffers! Fairness needs to be defined from the perspective of taxpayers.
The second criticism can be addressed by the Governor directing VDOT to perform a similar study for the proposed development at Tysons Corner. We need to know the impacts of development on traffic before the Democrat-controlled Fairfax County Board makes any decisions. VDOT need not duplicate efforts; rather, it could work with the Tysons Corner Task Force, which was appointed by the Fairfax supervisors to study Tysons Corner. VDOT could ensure that no games are played by the County or the Task Force members.
If it is important for the Loudoun County Board to be kept honest with traffic and land use decisions, it is equally important for the Fairfax County Board to be held to the very same standard. Is Tim Kaine a sufficient statesman to move beyond party politics? Or does advancement of fellow Democrat Gerry Connolly's political career carry more sway with our Governor?
Similarly, by directing that an honest study be made, Kaine can show he puts the public interest above that of his big campaign supporters. Make no mistake about it, a thorough traffic study for Tysons Corner is likely to show that, even with the presence of the Silver Line, the rebuilding of Tysons as proposed by the landowners is likely to create a traffic disaster unmatched in Virginia history. Moreover, by making these facts known to the public before land use decisions are made, the Governor would be increasing the likelihood that the Fairfax BoS would not be able to approve those plans for development without starting another civil war. A decision by Kaine to play fair and square may well cost West Group and other big landowners hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars in profit. Is our Governor willing to take this step? He should, simply to repay the many voters of both parties who supported him when he campaigned to rationalize development and existing resources. Whether he does, however, remains to be seen. Tim Kaine still talks a much better game than he plays.
posted by Toomanytaxes at 7:32 AM
1 Comments:
Some have criticized the VDOT study as failing to account for the new roads proffered by the developer.
This "criticism" has turned out to be the real laugher as upon closer examination 60% of the new roads aren't actually new...
http://smartergrowth.net/pressroom/additionalresources/PDFs/DelMarshalltestimony.pdf
Truth of the matter is that these are roads and improvements that should be in place now to support the development already completed and/or currently underway. They have nothing at all to do with the CPAM's in question.
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