Long-Feeble N. Virginia Panel Finds Itself Suddenly Empowered

The money raised for projects, expected to be $350 million to $400 million a year, will come up short of the estimated $700 million that authority members say is needed annually to fix the region's transportation system.

"It's a half to two-thirds toward the goal," said David F. Snyder, a council member from Falls Church and a former chairman of the authority. "But no one would have dreamed this was possible four months ago."

The authority has complicated rules, designed to protect the interests of the smallest and largest jurisdictions, that guide how it will decide which projects get built.

Any measure must be approved by two-thirds of all members and two-thirds of the nine local government members. Plus, the local government members voting in favor must represent two-thirds of the population of member jurisdictions.

The region has about 2 million people, and two-thirds of the population would be about 1.3 million. That gives Fairfax County, with a population of nearly 1.1 million, something close to veto power.

"It's an absolute concern," said Bryan E. Polk, vice mayor of Manassas Park and the city's representative to the authority. "There are concerns on our part that the inner jurisdictions' transportation requirements are a little different than the outer jurisdictions of Prince William, Loudoun, Manassas and Manassas Park."

Authority members said picking projects has been made easier because of the authority's one significant accomplishment of the past five years: compilation of a prioritized list of $16.6 billion worth of needs.

The authority's "TransAction 2030" plan, completed in 2005, sets out a long list of road, transit and trail projects to improve commutes across the region. The projects differ from those funded or scheduled for construction.

Projects are grouped by corridor, such as Route 7 or Route 28, rather than jurisdiction, in the hopes of leading to a regional view of relieving congestion.

"There's no secret in what comes next; just look at the 2030 plan," said Gerald E. Connolly (D), Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chairman and its representative.

Still, although there is a plan, there is no mechanism to decide which projects go first. Also, the money raised by the new taxes will not come close to building all the projects, so members will have to decide which to postpone. Several members said they will seek input on priorities from their local elected boards and lobby for those.

No process for public participation has been worked out, although members pledged to include public comments and participation in procedures. Some members also said they expect to hold public hearings.

Staff writer Timothy Dwyer contributed to this report.