Less than 16 months after its formation, the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) took action to appropriate a first round of regional funds to transportation projects. On Friday, December 3, 2021, the Authority hosted a public hearing to gather input on a commitment of FY 2021 and FY 2022 regional transportation revenues to a slate of proposed regionally significant projects. The seventeen-member Authority, chaired by Frank J. Thornton (Henrico), voted to commit $113,871,073 in revenues to advance regional transportation projects. Chairman Thornton expressed that “this is a great day to be a resident of the Richmond Region. Through the collaborative efforts and hard work of our nine localities, this fledgling organization makes these financial commitments to advance our transportation network for the benefit of all our citizens, across all nine of our jurisdictions.”
Projects approved for funding from revenues projected for Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022 are:
- Multi-Jurisdictional (Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico Counties, the Town of Ashland, and the City of Richmond)- The Fall Line
- Charles City County- Virginia Capital Trail Crossings
- Goochland County- I-64 / Ashland Rd Interchange and I-64 / Oilville Rd Interchange
- New Kent County- Bottoms Bridge Park and Ride
- Powhatan County- Stavemill Rd Turn Lane
The inaugural allocation of regional revenues administered by the CVTA represent a consensus among the nine member localities in identifying the region’s priority shovel ready projects. All jurisdictions have actively participated in the development of the regional project prioritization process and today’s decision represents the first steps in achieving regional consensus building.
Vice Chairman Kevin Carroll acknowledges the importance of the CVTA to advancing priority projects. “We are thrilled with the CVTA board’s support for the Fall Line Trail, which is exactly the type of regional project the General Assembly envisioned when it passed legislation creating the authority. With about 16 miles of multi-use trail planned within our boundaries, the most of any participating jurisdiction, CVTA appropriations will complement other funding sources and help position Chesterfield to construct our portion of the project far sooner than would otherwise be possible.”
Finance Committee Chairman Mayor Stoney (Richmond) shared that “through the CVTA, this region is now able to advance infrastructure improvements that help us grow and enhance the quality of life for all of our residents. The Fall Line Trail is just one of those improvements. We are excited about the future opportunities this dedicated revenue source will provide in the years to come.”
“The Fall Line is a regional 43-mile shared-use trail connecting Ashland to Petersburg,” said W. Canova Peterson of Hanover County. “This trail, in conjunction with the Capital Trail, will provide citizens and visitors a unique and safe way to experience RVA’s urban, suburban, and rural facets while participating in an active and healthy lifestyle. Tourism is a key economic driver in the Richmond Region and this trail will significantly increase our attractiveness to people from around the nation and the globe to visit us and share in our rich heritage. This project which traverses 7 localities, 5 of which are members of the CVTA, exemplifies our commitment to regional cooperation and our joint dedication to making our home one of the most desirable places to live and visit in the world. The Fall Line will be a vibrant regional asset serving everyone for many years to come.”
Projects listed as items 2-5 above represent submittals of priority projects by each of the four jurisdictions surrounding the Fall Line Trail participating jurisdictions. Patricia Paige from New Kent County remarked that “it is a long-awaited moment in our region to have dedicated revenues to meet our transportation needs. The opportunity to accelerate the timeline for putting these projects in motion is a testament to the leadership in our communities and the willingness to come together with our state representatives to move the region forward.”
The CVTA was enacted July 1, 2020, through action of the General Assembly’s 2020 Session and convened its first official meeting on August 27, 2020. Despite challenges from the pandemic, the CVTA has accomplished its initial organizational objectives following formation: to establish governance and operating structure, complete a Transit Governance Report and establish a regional project prioritization methodology for allocation of regional revenues. The Authority is charged with administering transportation funding generated through levy of an additional 0.7 percent sales and use tax (revenue collection began October 2020) and a wholesale gas tax of 7.6 cents per gallon of gasoline and 7.7 cents per gallon of diesel fuel (revenue collection began July 2020) across the region.
Following today’s announcement, CVTA will prepare future funding allocations and officially launch regional transportation projects across the region. A timeline for future project prioritization was also approved on December 3.
The Central Virginia Transportation Authority is a newly created authority in central Virginia that provides new funding opportunities for priority transportation investments across the region. This Authority was established by the 2020 General Assembly of Virginia and RRTPO is a resource for the Authority through both expert planning advice and staff support.
The Central Virginia Transportation Authority comprises the counties, town and city located in Planning District 15: Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan, Ashland, and Richmond.