Virginia Governor's Race Hinges On Transportation

"Virginia has the third-largest state-maintained road system in the country, but funds to run and repair it are drying up. No wonder: The last governor to boost transportation funding significantly was Gerald L. Baliles a generation ago. Virginia's population and road usage have since boomed while the portion of the state's budget dedicated to transportation has dwindled. Over the next 20 years, the state expects to spend about $95 billion maintaining and expanding the transportation network; over the same period, the estimated need will be about $203 billion. The resulting shortfall of $108 billion amounts to nearly 40 times the state's total annual spending on transportation. Wear and tear is a particular problem; about a quarter of Virginia's major roads and bridges need repairs."