In a tour of Northern Virginia, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine stated that he would push for land use reforms and extra transportation funding in the 2007 session of the General Assembly. In previous statements, he had said that he would steer clear of transportation issues until after the fall 2007 elections when voters would have a chance to throw out opponents to his proposed tax increases.
Although the governor is sticking to his guns regarding the need for more transportation revenues, he apparently sees limited areas of agreement with a House of Delegates where low-tax sentiments run strong. According to a report filed by Washington Post reporter Amy Gardner, Kaine said he would:
- Focus on how to spend the $339 million in surplus General Fund revenues that House Republicans agree can be steered to transportation without raising taxes.
- Resurrect a campaign proposal to give local governments more authority to reject rezoning projects that would swamp local transportation infrastructure.
- Revisit legislation authorizing the Virginia Department of Transportation to conduct traffic-impact analyses of major rezoning projects. With the General Assembly crafting permanent legislation, the measure may encounter more opposition than the pilot project did last year.
Gardner also noted that the legislature is likely to take up proposals that would make developers more responsible for maintaining the subdivision roads they build, and also to require greater connectivity between subdivisions, which would provide more options for traffic flow. The Kaine administration is examining both issues, but Gardner provided no details on the governor’s current thinking.