Kaine Pursues Sprawl, Traffic

Unveiling of Policies Today Will Spotlight Local Growth Curbs

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine wants to allow localities to halt construction. (Robert A. Reeder - The Washington Post)

RICHMOND, Jan. 15 -- Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will call for new controls on growth and development Monday night, saying the only way to solve congestion on the state's roads is to slow the march of suburban sprawl.

In his first policy address to the General Assembly, the new governor will urge passage of a law that gives local governments the right to halt housing construction if roads are not adequate. The proposal will be part of a package of transportation initiatives he will unveil during his speech, according to a senior Kaine adviser who asked not to be named because the speech has not been authorized for release.

Kaine also will acknowledge the need for more money to build wider highways, buy more buses and trains and erect bridges. But he will not suggest an increase in gas or sales taxes or offer specific legislation that details how he thinks the state should raise the new funds, the adviser said.

Kaine also hopes to make good on a promise he made during the campaign to lock up the state's transportation fund so road and transit money can't be used for other purposes.

"I am proposing initiatives that better link land use and transportation decisions so that uncoordinated development doesn't overwhelm our roads and infrastructure," Kaine says in a draft of the speech, a portion of which was read to a reporter.

The fact that the centerpiece of Monday's speech will be about growth makes Kaine the first Virginia governor in modern times to tackle the politically touchy issue, which is usually left to city councils and boards of supervisors.

Northern Virginia governments, especially in the outer suburbs, have been struggling for years to find the right balance between growth and property rights. Some officials have said they fear lawsuits from developers if they turn down requests to build because of congested roads.

In October, Kaine ran a television ad promising to give local governments more control over development. Political observers said those ads helped deliver suburban voters -- and the election victory -- to Kaine in November.

The speech will be the first indication from Kaine -- fresh from his inauguration in Williamsburg -- of how he intends to move beyond the vague direction he offered as a candidate and the thematic generalities he discussed in his inaugural speech Saturday.

The governor has spent the past two months hosting town hall meetings across the state to discuss transportation issues. But he did little talking at the meetings, leaving lawmakers and others to wonder aloud about what exactly Kaine hoped to achieve during the legislative session, which began last week.

The speech might disappoint some business executives, lawmakers and transportation advocates, who have for years demanded more money to pay for road and transit construction.

Michael Anzilotti, a Northern Virginia banker who co-chairs the transportation committee for the Greater Washington Board of Trade, questioned whether Kaine's proposals go far enough.