Dan Genz, The Examiner
2007-06-06 07:00:00.0
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Loudoun County -

Loudoun County supervisors Tuesday asked for more state transportation funding, arguing the $12.2 million provided for new projects over the next six years will fall far short of its road-expansion needs.

“Much more needs to be done, and Loudoun County cannot go it alone in addressing this state responsibility,” the supervisors said in a letter.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board’s six-year plan lays out $1.8 billion in new road projects on top of $8.1 billion already set aside for ongoing projects, and demand for the new dollars is widespread, especially in Northern Virginia.

This week is the deadline for public comment to the funding package, which very large “unmet transportation needs,” Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer said, and the county is not alone in plugging for other projects.

The Loudoun County letter asked the Commonwealth Transportation Board to approve more funds for major improvements to Route 7 west of Leesburg, portions of Route 50 and a host of smaller projects.

“You will see significantly increased construction activity throughout the Northern Virginia area, but it will fall well short of the long-term needs of the region,” Homer said.

The roads Loudoun County officials are trying to widen are high-traffic thoroughfares that will require many times the amount the state is prepared to spend, said Terrie Laycock, the interim Loudoun County director of transportation.

“Twelve million [dollars] to solve a $100 million problem is a drop in the bucket. It is a drop we’re happy to have, but we need a bucketful,” Laycock said.

The letter comes as Loudoun County officials continue to consider whether to legally challenge part of the new spending plan that includes new taxes in Northern Virginia. County Attorney Jack Roberts was to meet with supervisors in a closed session Tuesday to discuss the concerns, Loudoun County Vice Chairman Bruce Tulloch said.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com