Minutes 01/22/1985 - Laserfiche WebLink

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January 22, 1985 2.) Primary roadways are considered major arterials in the and/or~rfederal expense and in most counties are maintained structed in most cities are maintained by the city. state and are constructed at state by the state. Primary roads con- 3.) Urban roadways are in cities and are primarily for roads that allow commercial access and are not necessarily regional road systems of th~ Commonwealth. Urban roads are maintained by the city. The Highway Department allocates urban funds to cities each year to allow for accumulatio of such urban funds toward the construction of roads identified by each City Council as high priority roads within their jurisdictional limits. It would normally be assumed that urban funds would be used on roads such as Twin Pines Road, Towne Point Road, Elm AVenue, Airline Boulevard, etc. However, the State has set aside funds allocated to Portsmouth for urban road for the last five years and will continue to do so beyond the year 2000, not for any of the road ystems mentioned, but for the Western Freeway. The Western Freeway is definitely a worthwhile project. However, it is estimate that when the project ms completed, approximately 63% of all the traffic usage will be outside our jurisdictional limits. Certainly such a road designed as an interstate, constructed as an interstate, should be funded as an interstate or at least a primary road system of the State. It is unjust and inequitable to the people of Portsmouth to fund the Western Freeway through urban road allocation. I know of no other city in Virginia that is asked to fund a federally designed roadway. Attached is a list of roaJ projects which need to be addressed now versus the year 2000. Therefore, it is recommended that Council adopt the attached resolution re-establishing the priority of the Western Freeway and requesting alternate funding other ~t~ City's urba~ road allocation.' On motion of Mrs. Lucas and seconded by Mr. Beamer, the following resolution was adopted, and by the following vote: "A RESOLUTION REESTABLISHING THE PRIORITY OF THE WESTERN FREEWAY PROJECT; REQUESTING ALTERNATIVE FUNDING OF THE PROJECT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION; INSTRUCTING THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS THE STATUS OF THE PROJECT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION AND THE PORTSMOUTH DELEGATION ~0 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. WHEREAS, the proposed Western Freeway has been the first priority highway project of the City of Portsmouth for a number of years; and WHEREAS,"said project has been classified by the Department of Highways and Transportatio as a four lane limited access highway to be constructed in accordance with federal interstate standards; and WHEREAS, the project as presently established will not be funded one hundred per cent (100%) by the Commonwealth of Virginia, but will be considered as part of the City's Urban Allocation which requires expenditure of City funds for construction and maintenance; and WHEREAS, the cost to construct the project has been placed at forty million dollars ($40,000,0001 with the City's share at five per cent (5%) or two million dollars ($2,000,000) in addition to the ninety five per cent (9S%) or thirty-eight million dollars ($38,000,000) which will be derived from the City of Portsmouth UrBan Road Allocation from now until beyond the year 2000; and WHEREAS, the result of such funding plan will require that the City of Portsmouth be responsible for the full cost of construction and maintenance of the Western Freeway Project use of its Urban Allocation and direct payment of its five per cent (5%~ share; and WHEREAS, projected use of the Western Freeway cent (63.2%) of the use thereof will be for travel areas of the region; and mndicates that sixty-three point two per outside the City of Portsmouth to other WHEREAS, the Western Freeway is designed to become a part of the regional transportation network linking the cities of Portsmouth, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Norfolk and Newport News; and WHEREAS, other cities in the region are not being required to allocate their Urban Road Funds to the portions of this road system within their boundaries; and WHEREAS, under the present method of funding Portsmouth will receive no Urban Road Fund Allocations for construction of new streets or reconstruction of existing streets other th~n the Western Freeway Project until after the year 2000; and WHEREAS, it is the opinion of the Council method of funding of the Western Freeway as an network sould be established. of the City of Portsmouth that an alternate essential part of the regional transportation NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia: 1. That it reestablishes its priority for the Western Freeway Project as an essential part of the regional highway system; provided, however, that Urban Hiehway Funds of the City o Pornsmouth shall not be allocated to said project.