TAGS urges our representatives to meet their commitment of providing new and much-needed funding for the Commonwealth's deteriorating transportation system. In doing this, it is imperative that the 2008 General Assembly not dismantle and/or decrease the current transportation funding package that was set in place last year.

The present funding package is only a short-term solution to our transportation crisis. But with the existing landscape of our transportation system and the Commonwealth's ever-growing transportation needs, Virginians simply cannot afford to have revenue pulled from our current transportation funding package. If funding mechanisms from the current package are cut, they must be replaced with new revenue sources.

The Commonwealth has waited more than 20 years for a significant transportation funding package and it is up to the 2008 General Assembly members to ensure that that no funding be cut from our current transportation package and that the Commonwealth develop new revenue sources for our under-funded transportation system.

TAGS encourages you to contact your local legislators and ask them to fix the current funding package during the 2008 General Assembly session.

When communicating about the transportation funding crisis, please feel free to use the messages below as a reference. When writing a letter to the editor, be sure to check the requirements of your local newspaper to ensure your letter fits the guidelines for submission.

• Transportation affects the quality of life of all Virginians.
• Transportation affects the time we get to spend with our families and friends, the time it takes to do our jobs and even our safety and health.
• In recent years, the highway maintenance budget has been balanced by withdrawing funds from highway construction and all other modes of transportation.
• Road maintenance costs are growing faster than available revenue, so road construction money is declining. Funding for other modes of transportation is also reduced. By 2018, all construction dollars will be used for maintenance (source: VTRANS 2025 Report).
• Twenty years have passed since Virginia made a long-term commitment to improve transportation and the largest revenue source – the 17.5 cents per gallon motor fuel tax – has not increased since 1987.
• The majority of the $848 million that the 2005 General Assembly added to the transportation budget represented the normal growth of existing revenue sources and one-time payments to reduce debt or establish new funds. Only a small portion of the money represented on-going new funds.
• Multimodal solutions to the current transportation funding crisis would ease congestion from our roads.
• Every full bus could remove up to 60 cars from Virginia's roads, but there is no long-term plan in place for public transit improvements (source: Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation).
• Multimodal solutions to the current transportation funding crisis save families time and money.
• Drivers in Northern Virginia lose 72 hours of their lives each year, which is equivalent to nine working days, stuck in traffic .
• Drivers in Virginia Beach lose 28 hours of their lives each year , which is equivalent to three and half working days, stuck in traffic.
• Drivers in Richmond lose nearly 16 hours each year, or two working days, stuck in traffic. (source: Information in a speech delivered by former Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner Philip Shucet).

With the 2008 General Assembly in session it is imperative that we continue to push for a long-term transportation funding solution and urge the General Assembly members to build on the transportation funding package that was put in place last year.

TAGS has drafted a sample letter for our supporters to personalize and send on to their local legislators to reiterate the fact that the funding package in place needs to be fixed, but not dismantled or decreased. The letter can also simply be emailed to your legislator. Let your legislators know you care!