Transportation

Requests for maintenance of our roads and reduction of traffic congestion are a large part of the calls from constituents that I receive. We take these issues very seriously, and I have worked with local officials and other General Assembly representatives to get these issues resolved. My team and I are always coordinating with the Virginia Department of Transportation to repair our roads, whether they be in your neighborhood, along Route 1, or anywhere else along your commute. We have a serious traffic congestion issue in Northern Virginia and along Route 1, and only a holistic approach will solve this problem. I have worked with Senator Scott Surovell and local officials to get hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for the widening of Route 1 and implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit system. I also worked with Congressman Beyer to push for a faster timetable on the recent traffic safety study of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. However, there are still more projects that need funding and attention.

Transportation spending in Virginia lags the national average in spending per GDP and per capita, yet we have some of the worst traffic in the United States. We must dedicate more funding for transportation projects if we want to account for the rapidly growing population in Northern Virginia. That means investing in public transportation like high speed rail. We can start with extending Metro’s Yellow Line to Hybla Valley and then down to Fort Belvoir. We must also invest in multimodal transportation options, and increase safety and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrian traffic. The more options that commuters have to get safely from place to place, the less congestion we will see on Route 1. Make no mistake, there is a cost to not dealing with these issues. Sitting in traffic has a cost for your gas, your time, and your vehicle. It is my goal to make sure you spend less time in traffic and more time with your friends and family.