RICHMOND -- Gov. Tim Kaine told state lawmakers Monday night that he will propose a long-term transportation investment plan in the coming week "to reduce congestion, promote economic development and keep Virginia moving forward."

Just two days after taking office, Kaine addressed a joint General Assembly session to outline his priorities in several policy areas, including education, economic development, health care and natural resources. But the new governor devoted nearly half of his speech to the issue that figures to dominate the agenda in his first legislative session -- finding long-term fixes for the state's well-documented transportation problems.

Kaine said the public demand for sweeping change was evident in each of the 11 town hall-style meetings on transportation that he held throughout the state between his November election and his Saturday inauguration.

"The message from Virginia is clear," he said. "It is time for action. It is time for a new approach -- one that will focus on accountability and protecting the dollars families pay for transportation; one that changes the way we do business; and one that addresses our most critical priorities."

Kaine held back key details of the new approach he plans to take, offering no specifics on how he will address the state's long-term transportation funding needs and whether he will consider new taxes as part of his plan. Kaine said he will unveil a funding plan by Monday, his deadline for submitting amendments to the two-year, $72.2 billion budget plan crafted by his predecessor, Gov. Mark Warner.

But Kaine indicated a willingness to consider a wide variety of ideas, including some championed by Republican legislators. He raised the prospects of tolling, of imposing higher fees for serious driving infractions, of giving localities more options for funding regional road projects and examining "the appropriate role of responsible debt and financing."

"I will work in good faith with everyone who wants to participate in this dialogue, because each of us has a stake in addressing our transportation needs," Kaine told legislators packed into the temporary House of Delegates chambers in the Patrick Henry Building.

Republican legislative leaders welcomed Kaine's gesture of bipartisanship. But several lawmakers also left the speech wanting more details.

"If we're going to deal with this transportation problem in any long-term way, we need to get moving," said Del. William Fralin, R-Roanoke. "He's an important player in the process. I take him at his word that he will have something innovative and new, and I hope he does."

House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith characterized Kaine's speech as "unflavored oatmeal with a few raisins thrown in."

"We're still waiting to see exactly what the plan is," Griffith said.

Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, offered a more upbeat assessment, saying: "I'm more optimistic now we might get something done, if not this winter then in a special session."

But, Edwards added, "We still need to put some more flesh on that one."

Kaine did detail other pieces of his transportation agenda, including a demand that tax revenue now earmarked for transportation be protected from transfers by lawmakers. As he did during his campaign, he called for a state constitutional amendment that would prohibit diversions from the transportation trust fund. And he vowed to block efforts to permanently steer dollars from the state's general operating fund, which pays for basic services such as schools, health care and law enforcement.

Kaine said he would support one-time uses of general fund dollars for transportation when the state has budget surpluses. But, he added, "a long-term reliance on general fund dollars for transportation is a road to fiscal disaster; a road paved with school books, nursing home beds and public safety resources."

Kaine's vow to shield the general fund drew praise from Sen. John Chichester, R-Northumberland County, chairman of the Finance Committee.

"I'm very pleased that he was really articulate about not using general funds," Chichester said. "That's not a long-term source of revenue for success in transportation."

Hours before Kaine's speech, a key House committee chairman outlined a series of proposals that would shift more than $1 billion a year from the state's general operating fund to transportation programs. Del. Leo Wardrup, R-Virginia Beach, said his plan would steer all revenue from the state's recordation tax on real estate transactions to a transportation projects fund; direct all insurance license tax revenues into a transportation trust fund; and earmark another 0.25 percent of the state's sales tax revenue for the transportation trust fund. The state now directs a 0.5 percent share of the 5 percent tax to transportation.

"I don't disagree that there will be valid concerns people will raise," Wardrup said of his plan. "But transportation is either in a crisis mode and our top priority or it is not."

Kaine said he also will propose measures to coordinate transportation and land use planning. One measure would clarify the right of local governments to deny rezoning requests if the new development would overwhelm the transportation system. Another would require developers to submit traffic impact statements with rezoning requests.

Kaine covered several other policy areas in his speech. In education, he said he will amend Warner's budget to move teachers' salaries closer to the national average, but provided no specifics. He also announced that he had signed an executive order creating a statewide council to develop guidelines for enrolling more 4-year-olds in "high quality" prekindergarden programs. Kaine wants to make prekindergarten programs available to all 4-year-olds before he leaves office.

Kaine reiterated his support for legislation creating the New College Institute in Martinsville, which will start as a collaboration of public and private colleges and could become the foundation for a stand-alone college.

He also voiced support for legislation making the state's "economic strike force" a permanent entity. Warner established the strike force four years ago to assist economically distressed areas that were reeling from manufacturing layoffs.

In natural resources, Kaine said he will amend the budget to earmark a portion of the sales tax proceeds from hunting, fishing and wildlife equipment for conservation and recreation, fulfilling the intent of 1998 legislation sponsored by retired Del. Vic Thomas, D-Roanoke.

Staff writer Mason Adams contributed to this report.