Bacon's Rebellion

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Suffolk Takes Over Road Maintenance from VDOT

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by

James A. Bacon
in

The Virginia Department of Transportation is ceding responsibility for maintaining roads in the City of Suffolk — and turning over $4 million a quarter to pay for it.

I cannot comment upon the significance of this development, as the Virginian-Pilot article describes the turn-over without explaining why it is happening. But the shift does seem to be consistent with a devolution of responsibility for local roads from VDOT to local governments that is taking place in other localities across the Commonwealth. The key points in the agreement, according to the Pilot:

– The city will begin handling all permitting and licensing procedures that were previously handled by VDOT, such a reviewing subdivision street plans and overweight-hauling approvals.

– The city will handle all grass, ditch and stormwater issues. The city has contracted with a private company to handle mowing along all the city’s primary roadways, beginning July 1.

– VDOT will allocate urban-construction funds to the city based on population. That agency will continue to oversee all new construction, although the city can request to handle special projects, Nielsen said.

– VDOT will retain all ownership for the portions of Interstate 664 and Route 164 in Suffolk. Also, the truck scales on U.S. 58 will remain state property.

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2 responses to “Suffolk Takes Over Road Maintenance from VDOT”

  1. Toomanytaxes Avatar
    Toomanytaxes

    As I recall, Fairfax County examined a similar option in the early 90s and again a few years ago, but decided against it. One of the chief concerns was a fear that citizen expectations and their associated costs would rise substantially with local control.

    While local governments, especially those in NoVA, regularly rail against Richmond and, of course, the Dillon Rule, those same governments fully appreciate the ability to cast blame to the south and probably would not be willing to accept the responsibility and accountability for true local control. I remember attending a public meeting once where Vince Callahan indicated that, when Virginia’s constitution was last revised, there was a proposal to abolish or, at least, substantially weaken the Dillon Rule. There was strong opposition to those type of changes from local government officials, according to Callahan.

  2. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Under state law, when a consolidation of local governments occurs [e.g., city and county], the consolidated government has the option of retaining VDOT’s services for up to ten years after the merger. That enables the former city area to continue to maintain the municipal streets and VDOT to maintain the secondary roads in the former county. The idea is to give the new consolidated entity time to assume full responsibility for all the roads.

    I have been told that after the 1971 merger that created the current City of Suffolk, there was no buring desire on the part of the new city to take over the total road maintainence after ten years and there was similar reluctance on the part of VDOT to give up that responsibility. The reasons are known but to those responsible. As Suffolk became a fast-growing locality in Hampton Roads, however, city leaders felt that they could provide better service than VDOT without significant cost increases.

    I think the 1990 Fairfax study to which you refer was one of their each-decade examination of becoming an independent city. For Fairfax County to assume responsibility for road maintenance, it would require action by the General Assembly.

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