Investments in Virginia’s transportation infrastructure continue to dramatically prioritize roadway expansion over safer, healthier, and greener options like walking, biking, public transit, and trains. Personal vehicles’ tailpipe emissions generate over half of all statewide carbon pollution, emitting toxic pollutants that contribute to climate change and more than 4 million new cases of child asthma each year. The expansion of roadways creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, encouraging even more personal vehicle use and pollution. Furthermore, roadway expansion fuels traffic congestion and fails to improve the mobility and access needs for the million plus Virginians who cannot drive or do not own a personal vehicle.

We need to fund transportation alternatives that are cleaner, accessible, and equitable for all Virginians. Statewide public transit ridership has been on the rise for decades, cutting carbon emissions and boosting the state’s economy. In 2019 alone, over 412,000 trips a day were taken on public transit, preventing the release of 155,000 metric tons of carbon pollution. That’s equivalent to the CO2 emissions from the energy use of 19,535 households in a year! Furthermore, statewide public transit generated nearly $2.4 billion in economic benefits for the Commonwealth that year, playing a crucial role in preserving job accessibility and reducing transportation costs.

Several pieces of legislation proposed in the General Assembly can secure additional funding for public transit infrastructure to ensure high-quality, reliable public transit service. You can take a deeper dive into increasing public transit funding in Our Common Agenda. To learn more, read our “Modernizing Public Transit” and “Transforming Transportation” policy papers.

(Del. Delores McQuinn) The “Better Bus Stop Bill” would make it easier for localities to build benches, shelters, and sidewalks on state-owned property by cutting red tape and authorizing the local building official, rather than the Department of General Services, to review plans within 60 days of submission. This will help streamline the bus improvement process and eliminate unnecessary, years-long delays.