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R-04-57 A RESOLUTION URGING IMMEDIATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION TO ADDRESS THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA'S TRANSPORTATION CRISIS. WHEREAS, much of Virginia's money for transportation projects comes from the motor vehicle fuels tax, which has not been increased since 1986, and WHEREAS, since 1986, 40% of the state's buying power has been lost because of high building costs, and WHEREAS, by FY 2010, if current trends continue, there will be no money available after operations and maintenance for new road construction, and WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia will be unable to match their requirement to obtain federal funding for new construction, and WHEREAS, tolls as a sole source of revenue have been shown to be insufficient to fund needed transportation infrastructure unless coupled with other funding mechanisms, and WHEREAS, while the state has increased its reliance on debt financing, the required payments diminish the availability of construction revenue, and WHEREAS, the Virginia Public-Private Transportation Act (PP~A) still requires a public funding component which may not be available, and WHEREAS, without real action taken during the 2005 General Assembly session to appropriate additional revenue sources toward identified transportation needs, most interstate corridors will have many segments operating at speeds of 25 mph or below during peak periods, and all Hampton Roads bridge tunnels will operate below 10 mph during peak periods, and WHEREAS, without real action taken during the 2005 General Assembly session to put additional revenue sources into transportation, the Commonwealth of Virginia will compromise: the safety and security of the citizens of the state in the event of a natural disaster or an act of terrorism; Virginia's economy by dramatically impacting tourism and the growth and competitiveness of the Port of Virginia the ability of the military to mobilize our air quality and overall quality of life NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, that the City urges members of Virginia's General Assembly to immediately and aggressively address the state's transportation crisis with enhanced and/or new funding for all modes of transportation, to preserve Virginia's economic future and maintain a better quality of life for all of the citizens of the Commonwealth; and RESOLVED FURTHER that the state's leaders should, at a minimum, consider adjusting the