Senate Finance Committee Approves Governor McDonnell's Transportation Plan

Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement yesterday following approval of his transportation plan by the Senate Finance Committee. The Committee voted 12-2 in favor of the proposal, which was co-patroned by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Colgan (D-Manassas) and Senator William Wampler (R-Bristol).  Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Springfield) among the majority voting in favor.

"I am pleased by the growing bipartisan support for our comprehensive transportation funding plan. Yesterday the majority-Republican House Appropriations Committee approved our proposal. Today, the majority-Democratic Senate Finance Committee did the same. Both Committees approved the plan by wide margins. This plan will get 900 critically important road, rail and transit projects underway across the Commonwealth. Among the projects that will be jumpstarted with this new funding are the Midtown Tunnel tube in Norfolk, the extension of HOV/HOT Lanes on I95/395 and the widening of I-66 in Northern Virginia, work on the Coalfields Expressway in Southwest Virginia, and the widening and improving of multiple sections of Route 58 in southern and western Virginia. The work made possible through this legislation will be seen in every region of our state, and it will allow our citizens to get to work a little quicker in the morning, and home to their families a little sooner in the evening. Good new jobs will be created in the process, and these projects will help spur our economic recovery. For far too long the Commonwealth has failed to invest in transportation. We cannot afford to wait any longer. I thank the members of the Senate Finance Committee for their work today. I look forward to seeing this bill pass the full General Assembly in the next few weeks, and transportation projects getting started all across the Commonwealth in the months ahead. Together, we will get Virginia moving again."