It’s Time for Local Control of Local Roads
Our neighborhood streets are peppered with potholes and crumbing curbs and sidewalks. Median and roadside grass is left uncut, creating dangerous intersections and unkempt roadways that reduce property values. Snow plowing is a challenge. A recent study from the Texas Transportation Institute pegs the yearly delay per commuter in our metro region at 70 hours, meaning we spend nearly two work weeks every year sitting in congestion. Yet, in spite of these challenges, the County Board resists trying to fix the problem. Cautious and tepid, the Board blames the state for our transportation ills without offering to help solve the problem. We can do better.
A relic of a bygone era, Virginia is one of only three states where the state, not localities, owns and maintains local roads. Controlled by rural counties that do not need more road funding, the General Assembly has eliminated construction funding for secondary (local) roads and significantly reduced maintenance funding. Recent new state funding initiatives are temporary fixes only, and the state policy is geared correctly toward large primary roads. A state funding formula based on lane-miles instead of vehicles miles traveled hurts Fairfax as well.
We are not resigned to this fate, however. Decades ago, the Hampton Roads jurisdictions opted to become cities to better meet their transportation needs as an urbanizing area. Two counties – Arlington and Henrico – remained counties but cut their own deals with the state to handle their own roads. A year and a half ago our County Executive recommended that Fairfax follow suit and consider negotiating with the state for a local takeover of at least some roads. County staff has interviewed each Virginia locality that owns and maintains its own roads. All reported that they are happy they do and, in fact, many expressed their disbelief that Fairfax has not yet followed suit. And yet we have not. We are paralyzed.
Both County staff and our citizens’ Transportation Advisory Commission (TAC) have identified clear benefits to the County Executive’s proposal. These include enhanced influence in transportation decision-making, improved responsiveness and accountability, and increased flexibility in establishing priorities and standards. Despite these advantages, some County leaders are reluctant to embrace this alternative. They argue that maintaining and improving our transportation infrastructure has long been a state function and follow the tired path of asking for money from Richmond, knowing it won’t arrive.
I agree that funding is an issue and any transfer of responsibility from the state to Fairfax County would have to come with a transfer of at least the current level of state funding. Further enhancements to our transportation system would likely require local dollars. But remember a local system means all our local dollars stay right here in Fairfax, instead of Fairfax dollars going to Richmond where only a fraction return. And with the state’s focus on major roads such as interstates, secondary (neighborhood) roads get short shrift. Under a local system, county government would focus on local roads, and state government would focus on the large roads.
How would the County pay for better secondary roads? A good first step would be removing the car registration fee, which generates roughly $27 million, from the General Fund and apportioning it to transportation projects. Further user fees could be considered. The County should also approve my proposal for public-private transportation projects, so toll roads and HOT lanes could be on the local menu. It’s all about options, and right now we in Fairfax do not have enough transportation choices on the menu.
I do not suggest that moving towards local control of local roads is a simple issue. Much care and thought must be given to any potential change. But Fairfax County is an urbanizing suburb and it needs a 21 st century system for its local roads, one where decision-making authority rests here, not in Richmond. It’s time for our Board to be less timid, and to face the challenges we were elected to face. Let’s stop talking about transportation and start doing something about it.
