Md., Va. Revive Hopes For Roads

Virginia is facing $2.7 billion in cuts from its highway and transit construction budget. Maryland has $150 million in transportation projects ready for construction but frozen by budget pressures.

But the Democratic leaders of those states may have somewhere to turn for financial help: President-elect Barack Obama.

Obama's proposed stimulus package may still be in its infancy, yet politicians in Maryland and Virginia already see the potential for new federal spending in helping to address the Washington area's chronic transportation woes. The stimulus package could turn into a bailout, of sorts, for Washington commuters who are about to get walloped by even more bad news.

Virginia had already announced $1.1 billion in cuts, but Transportation Secretary Pierce R. Homer said yesterday he expects to trim another $1.6 billion from the six-year plan used to determine which construction projects are funded. Dozens of projects will probably be put on hold.

The reductions could go deeper by the time final cuts are announced in January. Cuts in June already shelved dozens of other planned projects, including widening Interstate 95 from six to eight lanes in Prince William County, widening Route 7 from four to six lanes in Fairfax County, and widening Belmont Ridge Road in Loudoun County.

Maryland has also been hit by a painful round of budget cuts for transportation. Earlier in the fall, Maryland officials announced that the state was paring $1.1 billion from its $10.5 billion, six-year capital transportation budget, with another round of cutbacks expected soon.

"The top sources of revenue for transportation are the gas tax and motor vehicle sales tax revenue, and the economy has hurt both of those," said Jeffrey Caldwell, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Transportation, which plans to hold hearings on projects that must be eliminated from the budget.

But with Obama voicing a willingness to turn on the federal spigot for infrastructure projects, cash-strapped local officials from across the country are already developing wish lists.

In an effort to jump-start the economy, Obama is proposing as much as $700 billion in new spending to create jobs by building highways, schools and renewable energy sources. The nation's governors are hoping that a big chunk of that money is funneled directly into state public-works projects.

Regional officials say the Washington region will begin the new year with increased clout in the White House and in Congress. Maryland and Virginia played crucial roles in Obama's drive for the Democratic nomination -- he overwhelmingly swept the Feb. 12 primaries in both states and the District. In the general election, Obama captured not only traditionally Democratic Maryland but also Virginia, which had not been carried by a Democratic presidential nominee since 1964.

Obama also has a close relationship with Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D).

"Kaine was the first governor [outside Illinois] to endorse him, so I would hope it helps," said Virginia Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax). "It's going to be an overall stimulus package, but it won't hurt to have Kaine."