Sunday, September 30, 2007
Editorial: Blacksburg goes its own way
Other localities should follow the town's lead on road construction.
From the RoundTable blog
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Blacksburg seceded from the Virginia Department of Transportation last week. Other localities should do the same.
It has always been a bit strange that the state transportation department oversees every road in Virginia. Highways and major arteries make sense. Local streets, not so much.
Transportation bureaucrats in Richmond or a regional field office, as good a job as they usually do, cannot factor in all of the nuances and competing demands for town, county and city infrastructure. Local motorists and engineers better understand how to prioritize projects.
The VDOT Urban Construction Initiative -- also called First Cities -- has allowed localities to take control of their road projects since 2005. From now on, Blacksburg will plan, prioritize and execute transportation projects on its own.
It's a big responsibility, and town officials are courageous for accepting it. Much of the state will watch to see if local transportation management can work in Virginia. Only seven other localities have so far signed onto the program.
As long as Blacksburg devotes appropriate resources, taxpayers have little to worry about and can expect a solid return on their investment. The town already plans to hire a manager for road projects.
The cash will still come from VDOT, to the tune of $7.5 million to start and $2.5 million per year thereafter. There will just be one less layer of administration.
Town staff has already demonstrated it can manage road projects well.
In June, Blacksburg opened the Toms Creek interchange bridge. Town engineers had managed the project under a different VDOT independence program. They delivered it about $300,000 under budget and three weeks ahead of schedule.
As the town embarks on this path, it should also plan now to keep the public as involved. In a town that drips with citizen activism, being upfront with transportation planning will be essential.
Meanwhile, other localities should start thinking about taking over their own transportation projects. They will have more work to do, but they will also have the chance to make smarter road improvements without some of the inefficiencies of the current system.
