virginia politics on demand - july 2010

Volume 1, Number 4. July 2010

Volume 1, Number 4 / July 2010

Bearing DriftVirginia Politics on Demand

J.R. Hoeft, [email protected]

Michael Fletcher, [email protected]

Alan Moore, [email protected]

Jane Dudley, Photo [email protected]

Contributors this issue:

Wade BrumettAnn FlandermeyerDCHJames GabeleShaun KenneyAlan MooreWard SmytheKrystle D. Weeks

© Copyright 2010

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In this Issue4 Letter from Bearing Drift

6 Yeas and Nays

8 Legislator Profile: Tim HugoDCH

12 Interview withSecretary ConnaughtonDCH

14 Extension of Light Rail an EconomicDevelopment OpportunityAnn Flandermeyer

18 The Northern Virginia Megaproject:The Dulles Corridor Metrorail ExpansionAlan Moore

22 Historic Highway One: A Photo EssayKrystle D. Weeks and James Gabele

26 It’s Still a Grand Old FlagWard Smythe

28 The Final Ward

Next Month: Bearing Drift on Energy

Correction: Last month's edition of Bearing Drift E-Zineincorrectly stated that Republican CongressionalCandidate Scott Rigell had donated to Democrat MarkWarner's senatorial campaign. Rigell did not donateto the senate campaign, but did donate to Warner'sgubernatorial campaign and subsequent inauguration.

Graphic Image: DragonArtz Designs


Letter from Bearing Drift

Transportation haslong been an issueabout which manytalk, but about whichvery little is done.

In Virginia politics,getting from point Ato point B could onlybe so difficult

Virginians are a fickle bunchwhen it comes to transport-ation.

We want the roads and rails,but we have trouble figuringout how to pay for it.

In 2002, both regionalreferenda (Northern Virginiaand Hampton Roads) to raisethe sales tax to pay fortransportation failed and aregional bond measure wentdown to defeat in PrinceWilliam County.

In 2004, Gov. Mark Warner,the acclaimed “most populargovernor ever” imposed themother of all tax increases($1.5 billion annually), whichwas supposed to help pay forroads.

Big surprise then that Gov.Tim Kaine (who many sayachieved his post based onWarner’s popularity) wasstill looking to pay for roadsin 2007.

The ill-fated bill that year,H.B. 3202, used a combina-tion of unelected regionalauthorities and abusivedriver fees to scrape to-gether a few dollars for along-term, sustainablerevenue source to maintainthat which gets us frompoint A to point B.

It was found to beunconstitutional.

For the remainder of theKaine administration, hefailed to find any politicalconsensus on transportation.

And, in the first year underGov. Bob McDonnell, it doesnot appear that transport-ation is going to be solvedany time soon.

Transportation has longbeen an issue about whichmany talk, but about whichvery little is done.

The problem is that this is,well, a very complex problem.

In this issue of the e-zine weinterview three of the leadingvoices on the transportationdiscussion. There is no doubtthat Secretary of Transport-ation Sean Connaughton, Del.Tim Hugo, and HamptonRoads Transit chief Phil Shucethave been and will continueto be at the center of thetransportation debate, sotheir insights that that theyprovide here are invaluable.

But transportation is not onlyabout “getting you there”, it’salso partially an adventure,which is why we have a photojournal celebrating U.S. 1.

Finally, transportation is morethan roads – especially as therail issue begins to heat up.

I’m not even going to claimthat this issue is all inclusiveon the subject – I know thereis much more that needs toBe written - but, at least we’reout of the driveway.

J.R. [email protected]

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What Bearing Drift Readers Are Saying

Quick QuipPoor, poor Louisiana

Two presidents. Two disasters.Each perfectly suited to their talentsand experience.

Wouldn’t you know it: the oilman getsthe hurricane and the blowhard getsthe oil spill.

The Right Wing Liberal, May 25, 2010


YEAS

NAYS

Governor McDonnell sits pretty at a 63% approvalrating… which given the national climate shiftingradically away from President Barack Obama andseveral contested GOP races for U.S. House, is easyenough. Still, the steady stream of “jobs, jobs, jobs”is making an impact.

Congratulations go out to Rob Wittman, Scott Rigell,Robert Hurt, Morgan Griffith, and Keith Fimian forwinning their respective primaries. Not a bad line upwhen you consider their opposition...

Another secret winner in the June 8th primaries?Chris LaCivita, whose candidates in both VA-02 andVA-05 carried the day. LaCivita was the leadconsultant for Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s winover Steve Shannon in 2009 and continues to be amajor player.

Speaking of Ken Cuccinelli, he continues to stick to hisguns on the UVA investigative demand. Good forhim… “the University” doth protest too much.

President Obama threatens to “call their[Republicans] bluff” on the budget. House RepublicanWhip Eric Cantor’s response? “I’m not bluffing.”Brilliant.

Federal courts overturn Obama’s ban on energydrilling. Drill, baby, drill!

Interstate 66 is finally getting a second look atwidening the lanes, a long overdue development.We’ll wait for the sticker shock, though… ‘cause it’snot going to be pretty.

Two words: General. Petraeus.

In a rare moment of intellectual clarity, Senator JimWebb voted against the “Tax Extenders Bill” whichwent down to a 45-52 defeat in the Senate. The billwould have given $140 billion in unemploymentextensions and added $80 billion to the federal deficit.

Virginia’s General Assembly gave back $5 million tothe Commonwealth of Virginia. Whether this meansVirginia will start adopting austerity budgets of itsown come 2011 remains to be seen, but it’s a healthydevelopment nonetheless.

Virginia’s Tea Party movement may not have claimedmany scalps this primary season (in fact, Virginia wasthe only black spot on an otherwise sterling recordagainst establishment Republicans nationwide), butnationally they are seen as having the most robustorganization in the 50 states. Much of that credit liesat the feet of Jamie Radtke of the Richmond Tea Party,whose diplomacy, experience and tact ensures shewill remain a fixture in Virginia politics for some time.

Yet another nasty, nasty primary season forRepublicans. Candidates who probably thanked theirhatchet men in the weeks before the primary now ruetheir fanaticism, as in two critical races – Virginia’s2nd and 5th Districts – find nominees with a pluralityrather than a majority of base support and somedifficulty riling them up after a bruising primary.Activists should be smarter than their emotions if theyever want to be more than backbenchers.

Obama decides to squeeze private industry for a cool$20 billion. Ignore for just a moment who theysqueezed the money from and whether or not it wasdeserved – does *any* president require a Bismarckian“Reptile Fund” to dole out? And where does the ruleof law come into play?

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Terry McAuliffe keeps popping up in the news.Please, make it stop!!!

Another one that can go away for entirely differentreasons is Catherine “Shoot a Few Congressmen, TheRest Will Sort Out” Crabill. That she even approacheddouble digits in VA-01 is deplorable.

Democratic challenger Krystle Ball successfullymarginalized herself after issuing a bush-league attackon Rep. Rob Wittman and simultaneously ticking offthe editorial pages of The Free Lance-Star. One doesn’tknow whether to wince or applaud such a remarkablefeat, but this Ball will more than likely not bounce back.

Obviously, Bearing Drift is a center-right publication.Though we have no particular love for the policies ofPresident Obama, the utter embarrassment of Obama’smishandling of the BP Oil Spill is a huge downer for theAmerican people. His Oval Office speech only servedto remind America just how bungled this administra-tion really has become. Democrat or Republican, it’sgetting a bit ridiculous.

Tea Parties seem to be fracturing in some locals,particularly in the Hampton Roads area where the TeaParty endorsement was much sought after. Whetherthe organization can overcome some of the bad bloodremains to be seen.


Legislator Profile: Delegate Tim HugoBy DCHBD: Delegate Hugo, welcome back to Bearing Drift.For our readers who don't know you, you were firstelected to the House of Delegates in 2002. In your dayjob, you serve as Executive Director of the Free FileAlliance and your House colleagues recently chooseyou as Majority Caucus Chairman. This is the numberthree leadership post in the House and makes you theonly member of leadership from Northern Virginia.Not only does your work take you between two capitols,Richmond and Washington, but you live with yourfamily in congested Northern Virginia. So to jump rightin, how do your experiences qualify you to address theunique transportation challenges of this region andbeyond?TH: No matter how it is calculated, Northern Virginiais one of the top three most congested areas in thecountry. Traffic congestion impacts how we work,play and worship. All of us living here make decisionsbased on how long it will take to get from A to B. Forinstance, I live 28 miles from my job. In some areas,that's 28 minutes. For me, it's an hour and a half of

commute time. That impacts my decisions - do I pick up a slug? Telework today? Work non-traditional hours?Travel by metro or bus or drive? Metro or bus versusdriving ... We have to evaluate our transportation andconsequently our work and leisure decisions more incongested suburban areas. Because of this reality, weare more sensitive here in Northern Virginia totransportation issues.

We have a lot of work to do to manage congestion,especially in my area and Hampton Roads. We didn'tget into this situation quickly and we won't get out ofit quickly. We will need to think out of the box,encouraging marketplace incentives and teleworkopportunities wherever they make sense. Parts ofVirginia government are actually very good at this.For instance, the Department of Taxation has eliminatedall of its Northern Virginia offices and its employee’stelework. It turns out that they are more satisfied withthis arrangement: productivity has increased andturnover has decreased.

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BD: Speaking of that, why are businesses reluctantto embrace telework?TH: Well there's still a corporate culture that likes tosee you. Employers may be concerned that peoplearen't working if they can't physically come to yourdesk and look at what you are doing. But there areexcellent metrics for measuring productivity and ifsomeone can be very productive in their home inCentreville, Loudoun, or Stafford, then why shouldn'tthey be? I telework a great deal to avoid traffic and mytechnology allows me to answer an email or modify afile from my back porch or the McDonald's parking lot.

BD: The Virginia Department of Transportation isfacing an enormous and growing shortfall in fundsneeded to cover scheduled transportation projects.Every delay makes the projects more expensive and yetwe don't have the funds to get them started. Can yousummarize the General Assembly's work on transport-ation issues during the 2010 session and give us anidea of what you expect to occur next year?TH: Well, we really are moving ahead. GovernorMcDonnell issued a call for half a billion dollars in newtransportation bonds. We are looking at public-privatepartnerships in order to stretch those dollars too. Workelsewhere is moving forward but Arlington County hassued the Commonwealth to halt the $3 billion HOTlanes project on 395. Really this is quite ridiculous andpetty on Arlington's part. Just to give you some back-ground, Pierce Homer was (Democrat) Mark Warner'sSecretary of Transportation and they sued him in hisofficial capacity. When Sean Connaughton took overas Governor McDonnell's Secretary of Transportation,we expected that Arlington County would transfer thesuit to him in his official capacity. Instead, they havecontinued to sue Mr. Homer as a private citizen overthe 395 HOT lanes project. This has an incrediblychilling effect on official action if public servants canexpect to still be liable for attorney fees and penaltiesas a private citizen. In its suit against the Common-wealth, Arlington alleges Stafford is an elitist haven[that will benefit from the road construction at itsexpense] when, in fact, Arlington is less diverse andmore wealthy than Stafford. Chris Zimmerman, chair-man of the Arlington Board of Supervisors, is thebiggest source of congestion in Northern Virginia rightnow. His lawsuit is holding up thousands of jobs and athree billion dollar project..

I can also mention that the Metro extension to Dulles isongoing. Current expectations involve a completiondate in 2020. The Wilson Bridge is being widened andHOT lanes expansion on 495 is moving forward. Therehas been a lot of progress - the missing piece isimprovement to 95/395 that Arlington County isblocking

BD: Good news, apparently Commonwealth taxrevenues have been stronger than anticipated.TH: We are running ahead - 1 to 2 % over projections.

In addition, Governor McDonnell is trying to reduceinefficiencies in government and that frees up funds todevote to priorities like transportation.

BD: Short and sweet, do you think tax increases arenecessary to address Northern Virginia's congestioncrisis?TH: No. This is not the time or place for a tax increase;government already spends too much and wastes toomuch. We need to be innovative in our solutions andaggressive in reducing government inefficiencies inorder to address our transportation needs.

BD: What do you think is the right balance for fundingbetween public transportation and private transportationand who should decide on how those funds are allocated?TH: I favor leaving as much decision making as possibleto the affected regions. There's a right regional balancein different areas of Virginia: roads are priority in ruralareas; more transit is helpful in areas like NorthernVirginia & Hampton Roads. I worked in Congress ontransportation issues. Because of burdensome Federalregulations, if you put one federal dollar into a project,it can add 20-30% to its cost. That's yet another reasonwhy state and local decision making puts people towork and gets the job done faster and more efficiently.

Continued on Page 10

We have a lot of work to do to managecongestion, especially in my area and

Hampton Roads. We didn't get into thissituation quickly and we won't get out

of it quickly.


Legislator Profile: Delegate Tim HugoContinued from Page 9BD: Most of us have become accustomed to the factthat our commute is going to cost us dearly in time ormoney - or worse yet, both. Some of us are willing topay a little extra in order to have a more predictablecommute. What are the prospects for using marketbased solutions to address the congestion nightmare inNorthern Virginia and/or other parts of the Common-Wealth?

TH: I think HOT lanes will happen. This part of thesolution is most effective when focused on adding newcapacity to existing roads because it forces people tomake rational travel decisions based on the market. Ithink that's the way to proceed. I don't think HOT lanesare the solution, I think they are part of the solution -along with new roads, transit, telework, prioritizingtransportation funding, and cutting spending in otherareas. I'm in favor of all solutions except a tax increase.

BD: Moving on to your new role in the HouseRepublican Caucus: can you explain to our readers(a) what your job is as the caucus chairman, and (b)what specific goals do you personally bring to this job?

TH: As caucus chairman I help the speaker, majorityleader and whip move forward with a conservative,pragmatic Republican agenda and help GovernorMcDonnell advance our goals: create jobs, arrestcongestion, and help the business community withoutraising taxes. Specifically, I also serve as a sub-committee chairman on both the Commerce and Laborand Finance committees. In those roles I do considerablework on jobs issues and on finance, working to protectthe taxpayer and create a healthy business climate.

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BD: Talk with us about redistricting. Looking ahead tothe next session, how will the process work for redraw-ing district lines? Will the process be highly partisan ordo you think an agreeable compromise will be easilyreached? Geographically, what areas do you expect togain and lose seats in the General Assembly?TH: Let me just say that we are going to try to work ina fair manner to make sure districts are created thatare even in population. It's early in the process nowbut we'll know more once the census data is compiled.We are expecting a special session to address this issuein April or May of next year.

BD: Looking back on the last session, what piece oflegislation that you carried or worked on stands out toyou? How did it turn out and what made it worthwhileor you?TH: Well, this is one the Washington Post editorialboard has attacked me for. By way of background, inmy community, day laborers have been using ourlibrary and a local shopping center as a de facto daylabor center. Some women and families won't use thelibrary anymore. Area businesses have been negativelyaffected. In response, one Republican supervisor hasbeen trying to create a permanent day labor centertrailer and that has met with very mixed reactions. It'snot the local solution I favor but I do believe thissituation should be able to be addressed at the locallevel.So, I worked on a bipartisan measure this year to allowlocalities to regulate the sale of goods and services onpublic roadways - including day labor services. Thisreally gives localities a regulatory tool that they canuse if they want to. Tom Rust sponsored the bill andhe and I worked with Senator Louis Lucas to pass it ona bi-partisan basis.You know, 325 people came out for a town hallmeeting on this issue. I heard merchants who are legalimmigrants saying that the many illegal immigrantshiring out as day laborers in Centreville are harmingbusiness to the point that they may have to sell theirstores. I am hopeful Fairfax County will use this toolto regulate day labor centers and maintain goodbusinesses and healthy neighborhoods.

BD: Virginians are often cynical about politics andpoliticians. I'm sure you hear from plenty of angryconstituents and face considerable pressure - especiallyduring session and election seasons. Yet, you alwaysseem to enjoy your job. How do you stay optimistic?TH: I am optimistic - partly that's in my nature but thisreally is a great country and a great state. I'm optimisticwhen I see 325 people show up to protest a day laborcenter, when I go to a Tea Party, when I see activism...Republicans, Independents, and Democrats who taketime out of their schedules and show up at town hallmeetings. I think people are awakened by what's goingon nationally and that makes me optimistic.Listen - they are trying to close a school in my district.200 people showed up at 5 o'clock in the afternoon tosay "NO." I like it when people show up and make theirvoices heard. I think the smart politicians listen.I think the tea party has had tremendous impact - and apositive one.

BD: Delegate Hugo, thank you again for joining us.We at Bearing Drift wish you and your family awonderful summer!TH: Thanks for what you are doing. I'm a big believerin blogging. Going back to what I said about optimism,I think blogs are a return to what we had in the 1700s -hundreds of opinions out there and small town com-munity papers everywhere. It makes me a better citizento be able to read, quickly - and whenever I want to -what a diverse group of active citizens are thinking aboutany given issue.I think some of the main stream media had choked offa diversity of thought and I think the new media is reallya great service to the nation as a whole because it makespeople think and forces people to defend their argumentsin the public square.

BD: Yes, there's actually been talk about "bailing out"the newspaper industry lately because their businessmodel is failing. Is it important for the media to havegovernment support?TH: There is no need for welfare for reporters. Ifnewspapers, blogs, and TV can't stand on their ownthen something is wrong. If government startssubsidizing media, it will be exercising a form of controlover the media. Blogs and entrepreneurial media providea service and make people think about ideas. That's avery good thing.


Bearing DriftInterviewsSecretary ofTransportationSean T. Connaughton

In January, Governor Bob McDonnellnamed Sean T. Connaughton to serve asSecretary of Transportation for theCommonwealth. As Secretary, he overseesseven state agencies with more than9,700 employees and combined annualbudgets of $4 billion. Bearing Drift wasdelighted to have the opportunity tointerview Secretary Connaughton for ourissue on Tranportation.

By DCH

BD: Welcome to Bearing Drift, Secretary Connaughton.We appreciate your taking a few moments to tell usabout transportation progress in the Commonwealth.As the former Board of Supervisors Chairman in PrinceWilliam County, you know all about congestion inNorthern Virginia - and now you have the unenviabletask of addressing it during a financially challengingtime for the Commonwealth. First of all, how are youapproaching your new job? What are your priorities?

SC: During his campaign, the Governor created adetailed transportation plan - 17 pages long. it is ourgoal to implement that plan, to cut costs and reducebureaucracy. Virginians will be able to see some ofour accomplishments in six months. right now, we arelaunching audits of all or our transportation programs.We have reconfigured the public-private partnershipprogram and reissued the Route 460 proposal. We aremoving forward on HOT lanes in the I-95/395 corridor,in fact Virginia just saw a partial victory in the lawsuitthat is currently holding up HOT lanes progress.

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BD: You've made it clear that raising taxes to pay fortransportation needs is off the table for the McDonnelladministration. What's on the table?

SC: What's on the table is a reform of the way thegovernment does business. We are currently in amulti-stage process to improve the efficiency of theDepartment of Transportation. We are looking at 150possible changes to Virginia statures, 40 federalstatutes that impact our decisions and state levelregulations that could also be changed. Right now weare in the process of drawing up ideas for reform in allof these areas. We will post these ideas for publiccomment in stages and then turn them over to theGovernment Reform Commission. We'll be looking atthe funding component in the fall and that willcertainly be an area for robust debate.

BD: Talk with us about tolls. They are contro-versial: sometimes hated, yet undeniably lucrative.What role do you see tolls in reducing congestionand / or raising funds for transportationneeds? The Commonwealth has long been interestedn tolling parts of I-81. Recently, the federal govern-

ment granted us that authority. Now you are seekingto transfer the authority to I-95 instead. Can youexplain your reasoning for the change? Would thetolls be located at the borders of the Commonwealthor all along the interstate?

SC: Well, the tolls would be at the border of theCommonwealth. The federal approval for tolling onI-81 was tied to construction of truck-tolling. Thatproject is no longer viable, so we really aren't in aposition to continue the tolling plan there. Instead theGovernor has pledged to seek tolling authority for I-95.Right now we have $900 million in unfunded trans-portation projects lined up and all the toll revenueswould be used to meet those needs.

BD: Give us an update on rail in Northern Virginia:when is Metro expected to reach Dulles? What kindof long-term financial commitment to the Metrosystem is the Commonwealth looking at?

SC: Right now, the first phase of the Metro extensionis running on time and under budget. Rail is set to runbeyond Dulles by 2013 and to Dulles airport by 2016.

The state portion of the financing for the project wassatisfied by turning the Dulles Toll Road over to theWashington Metropolitan Area TransportationAuthority (WMATA). The local commitment wasatisfied with a regional commercial property tax.

BD: Do you see a role for HOT lanes / roads withcongestion pricing in the Commonwealth's transport-ation plan? If yes, when?

SC: If the Commonwealth is successful in defendingagainst the suit brought by Arlington County,commuters could see construction beginning on theI-95/395 corridor in late 2011 or early 2012.

BD: You recently spoke at a Loudoun County Chamberof Commerce breakfast and drew local media attentionfor suggesting that, since the Commonwealth doesnot have the resources to address a lot of localtransportation needs, wealthier counties should stepup and provide their own funding. Basically, onlymaintenance for primary roads is funded in thecurrent plan and several projects are on hold. Whatcan you tell us about a local funding strategy? Is theCommonwealth expecting localities to pick up the billfor needed projects and maintenance? Is this atemporary or long-term solution?

SC: I was really surprised by the controversy andmisunderstanding surrounding my statements there.Look, I was talking about subdivision road issues and,really, just stating the obvious. The state can't - andfor some time hasn't been able to - fund theconstruction and maintenance of secondary roads. Itis more than apparent that we need to re-examine thestate / local relationship regarding these roads. Virginiais one of only two states where the state is responsiblefor all roads and we just aren't being able to keep upwith it now, yet alone in the future. Governmentreform is a cornerstone for Governor McDonnell andwe are going to have a very healthy debate coming upabout state and local roles in transportation funding.

BD: Thank you for joining us, Secretary Connaughton.Happy commuting!

We are going to have a very healthydebate coming up about state and localroles in transportation funding.


Extension of Light Railan Economic DevelopmentOpportunityBy Ann Flandermeyer

With the recent hire of Phil Shucet asCEO of Hampton Roads Transit (HRT),the City of Norfolk is fast on its way tocompleting construction of the only lightrail project in Hampton Roads. Of theseven cities covered by HRT, Norfolk hasinvested the most and has the mostpublic transit services. The City sees lightrail as a solution for moving people tocompliment and promote urban living.

Shucet is charged with bringing theproject to completion – on time and onbudget. This would be based on the newtimeframe and budget that had to bebuilt after he was brought on to rescuethe project. During development, theproject had met with problem afterproblem. As he says, the project inNorfolk has to be finished, but eitherway, “it’s worth doing.” According toShucet, light rail will change downtownNorfolk in a positive way and promotethe goals that the city has set for itself.

This project did not just happen overnight.The conversation began in the 90’s, andis now finally moving to completion.Multiple studies, a selection amongalternative plans, preliminary engineering,final design, determination of fundingand then finally construction are processesthat can take a decade.

The city of Virginia Beach is just beginningsuch processes. A full environmentalimpact study (EIS) was done years ago,and now HRT is conducting a supple-mental EIS as a part of a broader study –the Virginia Beach Transit Extension Study. This study will include not only the environ-mental impact, but other informationincluding cost estimates, alternative plans,recommendations for station locations,and estimated ridership.

Virginia Beach is uniquely suited for thelight rail extension, as it has already madearrangements to purchase the 10.6 mile

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Norfolk Southern right-of-way, an out-of-service railline traveling directly East-West from NewtownRoad to the Oceanfront area. Already having alocation to put the light rail extension will meanease of construction and avoiding multiple problemssuch as figuring out a complicated rail path, usingeminent domain to obtain the property, andpotential lawsuits that could accompany such action.

Mike Barrett, President of Virginia Beach Vision andChairman of the Hampton Roads Economic Develop-ment Alliance said, “It’s almost impossible tooverstate how beneficial light rail will be to thebusiness community.” He sees the incredibleeconomic development that will naturally be builtaround each of the light rail stations. The city’sstrategic growth areas mostly follow where theanticipated light rail stations will be. “The potentialis in the billions of dollars in growth and develop-ment,” Barrett said, “and it’s quality growth anddevelopment.”

By “quality growth and development”, Barrett isreferring to redevelopment that would have toadhere to stricter environmental requirements.Lynnhaven River Now, an environmental groupdedicated to restoring and protecting the LynnhavenRiver, sees several ways where light rail can be abenefit. According to Executive Director KarenForget, “Light rail in Virginia Beach could help tostimulate growth around the rail line reducingsprawl and reducing the need for new or expandedroad ways and parking areas.” She then stated,“Most importantly, we believe that with advancesin land use planning and the science and practiceof storm water management that we can reducepollution coming from the developed areas in ourwatershed.”

In addition to economic development and environ-mental benefits, Virginia Beach City CouncilmanGlen Davis points out another important factor.“The military is Hampton Roads’ biggest employer,”he said, “and for them, it’s a readiness issue.” TheNavy has sent a letter to City Council indicating itsstrong support for light rail.

Ultimately the Navy would like to see light rail

extend to the Norfolk Naval Base to cut down oncommuter traffic. An estimated 80,000 cars a daytravel to the base, creating major congestion. Thescope of the Virginia Beach Transit Extension Studyincludes a potential study of a light rail extension tothe naval base, but this portion of the study is notcurrently funded.

An extension to the base would be years down theroad, but as Barrett noted, “Light rail needs toconnect to ODU, the airport, the naval base, but itnever will go anywhere unless it connects to VirginiaBeach first. This is where the riders live who wantto get to those places.” And as Shucet noted, “it’simportant to look at the entire opportunity forexpansion.” As he sees it, creating an extensionfrom Oceanfront to the Navy base would be “agame changer.”

Davis also noted the important connection betweenlight rail and high speed rail. Having a region unitedin pursuit of light rail will speak volumes whendecisions are made, not only about bringing highspeed rail to Hampton Roads, but also regardingits funding. “The perception is, if a region can’tcome together on light rail, how can they cometogether to support high speed rail? So whyshould they give us grants?” Thelma Drake,head of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, believes that higher speed passengerrail could be making trips between Richmond andNorfolk in as little as three years.



Extension of Light Railan Economic Development OpportunityContinued from Page 13Critics of a possible light rail extension say that it won’t the federal level are extremely competitive, with thebe profitable and will require huge governmentsubsidies. But as Davis points out, “every mode oftransportation today is being subsidized, from theairports to the roads. Why not subsidize the form oftransportation that is almost guaranteed to bring anincrease in economic development?”

Others say that no one will ride light rail, it will bemerely empty cars shuttling back and forth. However,as Barrett pointed out, light rail has completelyrevitalized downtown areas all over the country,including Charlotte, Phoenix and Denver. Davis noted,“We may not have the ridership today, but it isn’t builttoday. We’re building this for the next generation whowill be riding it ten years from now.”

The results of the Virginia Beach study, which will bedone in early 2011, will be presented to City Counciland enter a long process including public hearings andthe securing of funding sources. Available monies at

amount of funds appropriated being far less than therequests for projects to be funded.

Shucet sees the incredible importance of extendingthe light rail to Virginia Beach and beyond. “We’rebuilding 7.4 miles [in Norfolk]. The effectiveness ofthose 7.4 miles will only be fully realized if light rail isextended to the large population centers.” As he seesit, light rail needs to be a regional system, “it really fitsthe future of transportation. The future is not going tobe another state interstate system.”

Barrett agrees, “The roads facilitated the economicdevelopment in the past, but the Commonwealth is notspending money on them anymore. The future vision oftransportation in Virginia Beach is focused on light rail.”Combining this with the economic development light railwill bring, Barrett sees it as a win-win for Virginia Beach,“We’re on our way out of the recession right now, theinvestors are ready. Light rail is the stimulus.”

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The Northern Virginia Megaproject:The Dulles Corridor Metrorail ExpansionBy Alan MooreThe Dulles Corridor Metrorail project is the mostextensive and expensive transportation venturecurrently in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Thenorthern Virginia plan will extend the Metrorail 23miles from East Falls Church to the Dulles InternationalAirport in Loudoun County. It will include 11 newstations including stops in hotspots and business hubslike Reston and Tyson’s Corner. With constructionunderway, this megaproject has been the brainchildof area transportation officials since Dulles Airportwas constructed in 1958. After many failed proposalsand setbacks, the vision of so many individuals andgoverning boards is finally becoming a reality.

In March of last year construction officially kicked off.The project is broken down into two major phases.Phase one will extend the Orange Line through Tyson’sCorner and one stop in Reston. That phase is expectedto be finished by 2013. 21 different utilities will have tobe relocated in Tyson’s Corner alone. Phase two willextend the Metrorail from Reston and Herndon to theDulles Airport. There is no official construction date forthat as of yet but it is generally assumed that it will becompleted in 2016.

The project was first approved in 2002 by the Washing-ton Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) andthe Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB).Federal approvals hinged on an Environmental ImpactStatement, which was approved in 2005. The construc-tion is managed by the Metropolitan WashingtonAirports Authority (MWAA).

The airport is also expanding to accommodate morecustomers as the region continues to grow. DullesDevelopment (D2) was approved in 2000 and consistsof a number of projects like a new Air Traffic ControlTower, more runways, two new parking garages, andan underground train system to connect terminals.

The total cost of the Metrorail expansion is projectedat $5.25 billion with the biggest chunk of $900 millioncoming from the federal government. Virginia will pay5.2%, or approximately $275 million. Local govern-ments must pay for a quarter of the project and therest of the funding will come from Dulles Toll Roadrevenues. Rep. Gerry Connolly was also able to steeran earmark to the project so it would receive close to$85 million sooner rather than later.

As with any government project, funding is always themost contentious component. In 2008 the federalgovernment pulled support for the project, leaving agap of almost $1 billion. At the time the head of theFederal Transit Administration, James Simpson, labeledthe project as not a “prudent investment.” Manyelected officials felt that the project was dead andfurther attempts to attain that type of funding was futile.

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Then Senator Ken Cuccinelli (R-Fairfax) was jubilantover the decision, "I have to tell you, I am pleased forthe sake of the taxpayers that it appears that rail toDulles is on its deathbed," Cuccinelli said at a newsconference. "This is something we have to put behindus if we are going to move ahead with actual trans-portation solutions that reduce congestion in NorthernVirginia."

Officials like Cuccinelli and Delegate Bob Marshall(R-Prince William) felt that the project was tooexpensive and a major burden on Virginia taxpayers.“Given the continued cost escalations and theuncertainty of possible future cost escalationsassociated with this project, we must abandon theMetro to Dulles project and come up with an alternateplan,” Marshall said. They agreed that transportationis a major problem in northern Virginia but believedthat alternatives were better suited to handle theproblem. One of those alternatives that gained a lotof steam was a bus rapid transit system funded bypublic-private partnerships.

Also at issue was a major setback in funding comingfrom the Commonwealth owned Dulles Toll Road.Since over half the project was to be funded by DullesToll Road revenues, this aspect of the project had tobe secured. In a major blunder, Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA)transferred the road to the MWAA without approvalfrom the General Assembly. In 2008 the VirginiaSupreme Court allowed a lawsuit to continue thatchallenged this move.

In October 2008 the case was dismissed by a statejudge. However, with the Supreme Court decision onthe books, opposition is emboldened. While it isprobably safe to assume that the Metrorail expansionwill proceed until it is finished, a new funding sourcemay have to be found as similar lawsuits are pending.In a worse case scenario the General Assembly wouldhave to approve the plan and at this stage in the gameit would be difficult to vote against something alreadyso far in motion.



The Northern Virginia Megaproject:The Dulles Corridor Metrorail ExpansionContinued from Page 17

Some officials felt tolls needed to be raised to fund theproject just so long as they were not intolerable. "Myconcern is not if they raise the toll but how high theyraise it," said Fairfax County Board of Supervisorsmember Pat Herrity (R-Springfield). "We don't want tostrangle the Dulles corridor. We don't want employersnot building around the toll road, and we certainlydon't want employees avoiding the toll road becausethe tolls are too high."

After intense pressure and a full court press from localofficials like Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10) and Rep. Tom Davis(R-11) – the FTA funding commitment was restored inMarch, 2009. $900 million would go to help fundphase 1 and the project was back on track.

Led by the Western Alliance for Rail to Dulles (WARD)a tax district was approved by the Fairfax County Boardof Supervisors in late 2009 to help pay the commitmentmade by Fairfax. $330 million in funding is expected tobe raised from landowners to help construct the railstations in Reston and Herndon. Residential land-owners are exempt and there have been at least twocourt challenges against this tax district. FFW Enter-prises sued the Fairfax County Government in circuitcourt and lost. They have since appealed the decisionand the Virginia Supreme Court agreed to hear thecase in April. Their main argument is the VirginiaConstitution states that all taxes must be uniform, andspecial tax districts are therefore unconstitutional.The Dulles Corridor Users Group has also filed suit tofight against the special tax district.

If the required funds are not raised in the special taxdistricts, Fairfax County may still need to pay the billthrough other means. Commercial landowners will beinitially charged five cents per $100 of property value.That tax is supposed to increase to 20 cents by 2013.

Photos by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

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Chief among the reasons for concern is the tax districtdoes not automatically end when funds reach a certainthreshold. Having the Fairfax County Board ofSupervisors vote to end the tax district will be a majorbattle for another day. That battle could be similar tothe District of Columbia where the local governmentraised taxes to pay for the Washington NationalsStadium. Now instead of relinquishing that tax theyare using it to pay off other debts. Since only a minuteamount of landowners are affected by this tax it willbe difficult to sway public opinion to pressure theBoard to give up the tax. Even though over 60% of thelandowners signed on to support this tax increase,they may have gotten more than they bargained.

Another contentious issue is the new rail lines will bealmost completely above ground. This will cause moretraffic delays during construction with the dismantlingof often accessed roads. Some say it will also beunsightly to residents. TysonsTunnel, Inc. is a groupthat attempted to explore legal options to put themetro underground, but so far nothing has comefrom it.

The Dulles Corridor Metrorail project is a massive

undertaking that will take years to complete. With allmegaprojects they always tend to cost more thananticipated. There almost certainly will be misseddeadlines, cost overruns, labor issues, more courtbattles, higher taxes, and bruised egos. Not finishingthe project will not be an option. However, if costsoverrun too much, that could prevent other parts of thestate from getting funding for repairs and their ownprojects. Many detractors have compared the project to the Boston, Massachusetts Big Dig boondoggle whichhad projected costs of $2.6 billion but with interest,came closer to $22 billion. State taxpayers and tollroad users were originally slated to pay around $345million but ended up shelling out a staggering $18 billion.

However it might not be fair to compare the DullesMetrorail project with the Big Dig this early in theactual construction. If its supporters are correct then itwill greatly open up one of the most severely congestedareas in the country. Businesses will thrive with betteraccess and transportation. Property values will go upand a lot of people will become prosperous.

With every potential reward comes great risk. Onlytime will tell how painful or fruitful this project will become.


Before the arrival of the Interstate system,the way to head North, or South from Virginia was U.S. Highway 1, a thread ofhighway stretching from Maine to theFlorida Keys.

On May 11, Lieutenant Governor BillBolling announced a new Historic Route 1streetscape tourism project which includesbanners, a welcome sign and landscapingalong Historic Route 1. Speaking at anevent at the Historic Half-Way HouseRestaurant in Chester, the Lt. Governorsaid, “There are a lot of beautifulcommunities and wonderful things to seein Virginia, but to see many of them youhave to get off the Interstate and explorethe back roads. Historic Route 1 is aperfect example of this.”

Route 1 crosses the 14th Street Bridge inWashington, D.C. and enters Virginia inthe City of Alexandria. It travels duesouth through Fredericksburg, Richmond,Petersburg and heads into North Carolinajust below South Hill.

In the early 1900s, the United Daughtersof the Confederacy launched an effort toname the roads following the path that isnow U.S. Highway 1 as the JeffersonDavis Highway. The General Assemblygave it the official designation in 1922.

This past Session, the General Assemblygave the Route the official designation of“Historic Route 1.”

Bearing Drift To find out more about thedesignation and about the highway fromMaine to Florida, visit Historic Route One.

Historic Route 1:A Bearing Drift Photo Essay

Historic Route 1 enters Virginia on the shores of the Potomac River inAlexandria. The City was founded in 1749 and because of it's history andarchitechture is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fredericksburg. Photo by Krystle D. Weeks

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Historic OccoquanPhoto: Virginia Tourism Corporation

Captain John Smith journeyed up theRappahannock in August 1608 to just

below the fall line at modern-dayFredericksburg.

Photo: Krystle D. Weeks

Photo: James Gabele

Photo: James Gabele


Wine, being among the earliest luxuries in which we indulge ourselves,it is desirable that it should be made here and we have every soil, aspectand climate of the best wine countries. – Thomas Jefferson

James River Cellars, Photo: Krystle D. Weeks

Photo: James Gabele

Caroline CountyPhotos: Krystle D. Weeks

Historic Route 1:A Bearing Drift Photo EssayContinued

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Ashland, The “Center of the Universe”Photo: Krystle D. Weeks

Photograph of the main eastern theater of war,the siege of Petersburg, June 1864-April 1865.

Photo: John Reekie

The Historic Half-Way House located on Route 1in Chester was built in The Half Way House was

built in 1760 on a grant of land from George II ofEngland, by a patent dated 1743.

The Town of South Hill


It’s Still a Grand Old FlagBy Ward Smythe

On the day after Cincode Mayo, cable news, talk

radio, and the Internet wereall abuzz with the story from

Live Oak High School in MorganHill, California where five students -

Daniel Galli, Austin Carvalho, MattDariano, Dominic Maciel, and ClaytonHoward chose to wear American flag

t-shirts and bandanas to school. Some ofthe Mexican students complained and Assist-

ant Principal Miguel Rodriguez ask the boys toturn their shirts inside out. When they refused,

they were threatened with suspension. Theychose instead to leave school for the day.

If you’re old enough to remember the 70’s or before,you know that there was a time when wearing the

American flag as clothing was viewed as disrespectful.I have an American flag tie from that era. Actually it

belonged to my older brother. At the time it wasconsidered a form of protest. The one I acquired

some thirty years later, in the post 9/11 world, is anexpression of patriotism. Times and ideas change.

Following the attacks of that September morning in2001, the American flag appeared everywhere. On

houses, trucks, clothing, lapels. It was about ourfreedom. It was about standing together as a nation.

But to Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez, theAmerican flag is "incendiary.” All because those fiveboys chose to wear it on Cinco de Mayo, a date thatrecognizes Mexico’s defeat of the French in a single

battle. But a battle in a war that Mexico lost. It’s notabout Mexican independence. It’s not a nationalholiday in Mexico. And, for most Americans, it’s

about the beer.

All that being said, I would have supported Mr.Rodriguez if he’d only told the boys wearing

bandanas to remove them. Not because theycarried the image of the American flag. But because

they have no business wearing bandanas on theirhead while in school. But, I digress.

The following day, around 200 Mexican students

walked out of class in protest. They marched downthe street with the Mexican flag and demanded theboys be suspended. Rather than threaten theseapparently non-incendiary students with discipline,the district superintendent promised a rap-sessionso that they could express their feelings.

What? They weren’t expressing their feelingswhen they walked out? Again, I digress.

One young woman said that wearing the Americanflag on Cinco de Mayo was the same as Mexicanswearing the Mexican flag on the Fourth of July.

We repeat. Cinco de Mayo = Not IndependenceDay. Fourth of July = Independence Day.

Live Oak sophomore Jessica Cortez said, "It's dis-respectful to do it on Cinco de Mayo. They can bea patriot on some other day. Not that specific day."

A week later, yet again in California, a Salinasmiddle school student said that her teacher stoppedher from drawing the American flag because it was“offensive.” The same teacher praised anotherstudent’s drawing of Barack Obama. What?Nobody’s offended that he’s the President?

Sorry, I’m digressing again.

How did we get to this point? How did we get fromthat Star Spangled Banner waving over the land ofthe free and home of the brave to declaring thevery depiction of Old Glory as offensive?

Maybe it’s because we have an Administrationwho directs that the American flag not be flownover American military operations.

In the recent response to the devastating earthquakein Haiti, the United States, as she has done for gen-erations, arrived on the seen with humanitarian aiddelivered in great part by our American military.But the Obama Administration said that flying theAmerican flag in Port-au-Prince could send the

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2001 Photo by Thomas E. Franklin

1980 Photo by Heinz Kluetmeier

wrong idea. They feared that it would send the signal that the U.S. Isan occupying force, rather than on a mission of humanitarian relief.It is absolutely disgraceful that any of these events occurred. It does anincredible disservice to the men and women who have given their lives to fightin defense of the freedom we share in this country. How did we get here?

The design of our flag came together in 1776 and Betsy Ross sewed the firstversion in May of that year. In June, 1777, the Continental Congress passedthe first Flag Act: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made ofthirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars,white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."

Symbolism runs deep in colors of the flag: Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor,White symbolizes Purity and Innocence and Blue represents Vigilance, Persever-ance and Justice. Over the years the number of stars in the field of blue hasgrown as each state entered the Union. The 50th star for Hawaii in 1959.

The flag has flown over our government buildings, over our schools, from ourfront porches and stands as a symbol, a reminder of our freedom. It was raisedin triumph on Iwo Jima. It was skated round the ice as the U.S. Hockey teamscored an amazing victory over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics.It was raised above the ashes of the World Trade Center. It has draped thecoffins of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for that freedom.

Yes, the flag has been abused, spit upon and burned, by our enemies, and byour own citizens. But it remains the banner of our nation. This great nationthat Ronald Reagan spoke of as “that shining city on a hill:”

“I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I everquite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tallproud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, andteeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with freeports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be citywalls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will andthe heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still”(Ronald Reagan, Farewell Address, January 11, 1989).

The American flag flies above that city. Long may she wave!

It is beyond time that all American children, European-American, Mexican-American, African-American, Asian-American or Kid-Down-The-Street-American, be taught to respect and appreciate our American flag.

Celebrate any heritage you so desire. But celebrate with the understandingthat you do so as an American - on American soil. Under the protection andfreedoms symbolized by the American flag.

And to Miss Cortez, a gentle reminder. That flag you so despise is the verysymbol of the freedom you so desire.


The Final WardSnarkery and Cartoons from Ward Smythe & Friends.

Now available at Red Store Virginia.

Primary Night – VPOD 96: Scott Rigell

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