DATE: Thursday, October 2, 1997             TAG: 9710020553

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY KAREN WEINTRAUB AND DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITERS 

                                            LENGTH:  294 lines

HAMPTON ROADS IN 2017?AT LEAST $9 BILLION IS NEEDED OVER NEXT 20 YEARS TO PREVENT SNARLS SIMILAR TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA'S

Hampton Roads needs at least $9 billion over the next 20 years to keep its highways from becoming parking lots, state transportation experts say.

That's enough money to rebuild every school in the area - twice. It's enough to build 60 Lake Gaston pipelines and 173 Nauticuses. It's enough to run Virginia Beach for nine years.

But it's not enough to include a light rail system, and it vastly underestimates the cost of building a third bridge-tunnel to the Peninsula and a parallel Midtown Tunnel, according to state figures.

If Hampton Roads can't get more money, within 20 years the residents will experience gridlock to rival Northern Virginia's, transportation planners say.

Route 44 at Witchduck and Route 64 at Bowers Hill will slow to 25 mph or less during rush hours, and traffic on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel will come to a complete stop 21 times every day - up from less than once a day now.

``It's an extremely serious problem,'' said Newport News Mayor Joe Frank, chairman of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and a champion of transportation funding. ``You don't need to be a traffic engineer to know how critical the needs are and how they're only going to get worse.''

Just paying the mortgage on the proposed third bridge-tunnel linking South Hampton Roads and the Peninsula, for instance, would eat up the region's entire annual highway construction budget of $165 million.

Which means there would be no money for anything else. No new Route 168 in Chesapeake. No Southeastern Parkway and Greenbelt. No lane additions to Interstates 64 and 264.

Several hundred road projects are slated for funding over the next 20 years, but these do not include 60 more major roads - including some of the most heavily traveled in the region - which would still be jammed after the scheduled work is completed, according to Dwight Farmer, transportation director for the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.

Building all of the needed roads would cost $9 billion between now and 2015, according to a ``moderate'' estimate of Hampton Road's construction needs, calculated by the state Department of Transportation. Adding the revised cost estimates for the third crossing would bring that figure up to $10.5 billion, Farmer said.

But state and federal funding for those two decades is estimated to be $3 billion.

Statewide, the problem is even bigger: There's $46.7 billion more roadwork needed than current funding would allow.

``The worst of it is I don't see anyone who has an ability to make a difference with it and to take it as seriously as it needs to be taken,'' Mayor Frank said. ``Elected officials are reluctant to face the revenue issues that need to be faced. Nobody wants to raise taxes. Nobody wants to talk about tolls.''

Road-building is just about the most expensive project local and state governments accomplish, but also one of the most crucial: Where and whether highways get built have a profound effect on businesses, land use and residential quality of life.

As traffic slows to a crawl, the cost of doing business will rise. Companies won't want to locate here and those already here will have to pay more to get their products to customers and their materials from suppliers.

That, in turn, will continue to keep salaries - and purchasing power - low.

Gridlock will determine how far people are willing to live from their jobs, what condition commuters are in when they get to work, and where people will pray, study and shop.

It will affect property values and whether the still-pristine areas of Hampton Roads will stay that way.

And without the taxes generated by industries, localities will be forced to raise taxes on residents to keep programs and services afloat.

A report released this summer by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission concludes that not building the third bridge-tunnel would choke off growth at the port, limit tourist development and hurt colleges, universities, museums, cultural events, airports and medical facilities on both sides of Hampton Roads.

``It's so obvious we need these things,'' Mayor Frank said. ``It's hard to imagine how anybody but the most myopic fails to understand how critical these needs are if the area is going to maintain its quality of life.''

``Left unattended, we'll be in perpetual gridlock,'' Frank said. ``Transportation impacts on virtually every form of life, even down to the ambulance trying to get to someone's house to save a life, to the police responding to events, to the firemen getting to a fire.''

If the region can't get more money for transportation, residents and businesses had better start thinking about new ways to get around, warned Barry DuVal, president of the Hampton Roads Partnership, a regional group of business, military, education and political leaders.

``We'll probably have to have a serious discussion about changing transportation patterns in Hampton Roads, alternating what time people go to work, more carpooling incentives . . .,'' DuVal said. ``If you have a fixed amount of road and fixed amount of money, you have to look at alternative modes, when the traffic gets created and how to influence those traffic patterns.

``In essence, we're talking about a significant change in lifestyle if we don't have the transportation dollars necessary,'' he said.

Think of Hampton Roads as a family with a budget crunch.

When there isn't enough money to pay the bills, the family reduces spending, refinances the mortgage and considers second jobs.

The husband and wife discuss their options and come to a solution together.

But, in Hampton Roads, there's no one with the power to make those choices, and few people are even talking about the problems.

The individual family members, or, in this case, cities, have financial troubles to attend to before they can address the regional problems. They can't afford to put aside pressing needs like Kempsville Road or Lynnhaven Parkway to build a third crossing to the Peninsula.

The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission is charged with addressing regional issues, but only has control over little more than 10 percent of the area's transportation dollars. It can - and did - tell the municipalities that the region will stagnate without another bridge-tunnel, but the commission can't make the cities do anything about it.

And choosing between solving local or regional problems isn't really a choice at all, several leaders said.

Not building or repairing major roads will trap commuters in their neighborhoods; not building or repairing highways will drive away business and destroy quality of life.

Harry Lester, president of Virginia Beach Visions, a group of Beach business leaders, said the business community is starting to realize the enormity of the problem and to spark a conversation about it.

``I think there's beginning to be a real recognition by all the regional groups that . . . we need to be thinking a bit bigger than: that's how much money there is,'' Lester said. ``We need to be thinking about which things do we really need and how do we pay for them.''

The obvious answer is to raise taxes.

But, the magnitude of the problem is so great that raising taxes will not be enough, Farmer said.

It's not practical or possible to increase gasoline taxes statewide by 36 cents a gallon - the amount Farmer calculates would be required to meet highway needs. To raise the same funds through other means would require raising sales taxes on vehicles from 3 percent to 14.5 percent; general sales taxes from 4.5 percent to 7 percent; or vehicle registration by $227 a year, Farmer said.

``The needs shortfall is so huge that any of the traditional methods singularly could not reasonably accomplish our mission,'' Farmer said. ``And even in combination, the traditional mechanisms would have a difficult time accomplishing our goal of paying for these needs.''

Officials at the state level - including the two gubernatorial candidates who are championing tax cuts - say the problem will resolve itself.

The campaigns of Lt. Gov. Donald S. Beyer Jr. and former Attorney General James Gilmore III say statewide economic growth and the promise of more federal dollars will provide enough revenue to meet Virginia's transportation needs.

State Transportation Secretary Robert E. Martinez said more money isn't the only answer; balancing priorities is crucial, too.

``Yes, we would still have a shortfall . . . and everybody will be screaming for more,'' Martinez said. ``But a balance needs to be struck under which we need to live.''

``We have to strike a balance between what we can do, with the kind of pro-growth strategy we want in Virginia, with relatively lower levels of taxation,'' he said.

Regionally and statewide, community leaders are getting tired of hearing the state and the candidates minimize the funding shortfall. In August, business leaders from across the state - including some from Hampton Roads - chided the gubernatorial candidates for supporting tax cuts when state roads and schools have so many needs.

``It's to the point where there's no escaping our responsibility as a community, as a state, to confront this problem and try to deal with it,'' said Norfolk businessman Brad Face, president of Future Hampton Roads, a think-tank pursuing regional cooperation.

``It's generally perceived that if the responsibility is shirked this time, there's no way of fixing it the next time out,'' he said, ``because the amount of money required . . . would be unobtainable - the problem would just be too much to fix.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

D. KEVIN ELLIOTT photography

JOHN CORBITT computer-altered photo illustration

The Virginian-Pilot

THE STORY

If Hampton Roads can't get more money than current planning calls

for, within 20 years the region will experience gridlock that might

choke off growth and degrade the quality of life, transportation

planners say.

Where we're headed

Perpetual gridlock. For example, experts say Route 44 at

Witchduck and Route 64 at Bowers Hill will slow to 25 mph or less

during rush hour, and traffic on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

will come to a complete stop 21 times every day - up from less than

once a day now.

What's at stake

Not building or repairing the major roads and highways will trap

commuters in their neighborhoods and drive away business. It will

have a profound effect on businesses, land use and the standard of

living.

FUTURE GRIDLOCK?

Major roads that will be jammed in 2015 (after region's $3

billion in transportation funding is spent):

Centerville Turnpike from Route 168 to Mount Pleasant Road.

Greenbrier Parkway from Military Highway to Volvo Parkway.

Interstate 664 from Hampton to Bowers Hill.

Interstate 464 from Poindexter Street to Interstate 264.

Jordan Bridge.

Portsmouth Boulevard from Taylor Road to Turnpike Road.

*City Line Road from Indian River Road to Military Highway

(proposed).

Brambleton Avenue from Interstate 264 to Hampton Boulevard.

Military Highway from Interstate 264 to Virginia Beach Boulevard.

Northampton Boulevard from Interstate 64 to Wesleyan Drive.

Princess Anne Road from Ingleside Drive to Military Highway.

Tidewater Drive from Lafayette Boulevard to Goff Street.

Adm. Taussig Boulevard from Hampton Boulevard to Interstate 564.

Hampton Boulevard from Brambleton Avenue to 38th Street.

Hampton Boulevard from International Terminal Boulevard to Adm.

Taussig Boulevard.

Downtown Tunnel.

Route 44 from the Norfolk city line to Independence Boulevard.

Shore Drive between Little Creek Road and Diamond Springs Road.

Uptown Crossing between Churchland and Sewells Point.

Midtown Tunnel.

Interstate 264 between Victory Boulevard and Bowers Hill.

Interstate 264 between Effingham Street and the Downtown Tunnel.

Interstate 264 from Brambleton Avenue to Military Highway.

*Third Hampton Roads crossing.

Bridge Road (Route 17) from Isle of Wight to Interstate 664.

Route 13 from Mineral Springs to the North Carolina line.

Dam Neck Road from Princess Anne Road to Indian River Road.

General Booth Boulevard from Dam Neck Road to Rudee Inlet Bridge.

Independence Boulevard from Virginia Beach Boulevard to Holland

Road.

Indian River Road from Interstate 64 to Kempsville Road.

Ferrell Parkway from Princess Anne Road to Indian River Road.

Route 614 in Gloucester from Route 631 to Route 17.

Route 216 in Gloucester from Route 17 to Route 649.

York River crossing from Interstate 64 to Route 17.

Armistead Avenue in Hampton from Hampton Roads Center Parkway to

Mercury Boulevard.

Hampton Roads Center Parkway in Hampton from Big Bethel Road to

Armistead Avenue.

Briarfield Road in Hampton from Newport News city line to

Aberdeen Road.

Pine Chapel Road in Hampton from Armistead Avenue to Freeman

Drive.

Mercury Boulevard in Hampton from Cunningham Drive to Fox Hill

Road.

Big Bethel Road in Hampton from Mercury Boulevard to York County

line.

Interstate 64 from Interstate 664 to Interstate 264.

Route 31 in James City County from Route 199 to Route 359.

Relocated Route 614 in James City County from Route 614 to Route

5.

*Outer Bypass in James City County from Route 60 to Route 614.

Richmond Road in James City County from Route 607 to Airport

Road.

Longhill Road in James City County from Route 614 to Route 199.

Route 614 in James City County from Route 60 to relocated Route

614.

Jefferson Avenue in Newport News from 50th Street to Denbigh

Boulevard.

Warwick Boulevard in Newport News from J. Clyde Morris Boulevard

to 23rd Street.

Monticello Avenue extension in Williamsburg from Bypass Road to

Richmond Road.

*Lafayette Connector in Williamsburg from Lafayette Street to

Richmond Road.

Yorktown Road in Yorktown from Newport News city line to Goosley

Road.

*Connector between routes 17 and 105 in Yorktown.

*Connector between Snidow Boulevard extension and Denbigh

Boulevard in Yorktown.

Denbigh Boulevard in Yorktown from Newport News city line to

Route 17.

Goodwin Neck Road in Yorktown from Route 17 to Seaford Road.

Route 17 in Yorktown from Route 171 to Newport News city line.

Route 171 in Yorktown from Big Bethel Road to Poquoson city line.

Hampton Highway in Yorktown from Big Bethel Road to Hampton city

line.

Big Bethel Road in Yorktown from Route 134 to Hampton city line.

Route 132 from Route 143 in Yorktown to Lafayette Street in

Williamsburg.

*Proposed routes not funded in the 20-year plan.

Source: Hampton Roads Planning District Commission

EACH LOCALITY'S NEEDS

Hampton $1.57 billion

Virginia Beach $1.42 billion

Norfolk $1.4 billion

Chesapeake $1.35 billion

Newport News $1.3 billion

Portsmouth $588 million

York County $395 million

Suffolk $321 million

James City County $286 million

Isle of Wight County $174 million

Gloucester County $62 million

Smithfield $42 million

Williamsburg $39 million

Southampton County $27 million

Poquoson $16 million

Franklin $12 million

Total $9 billion

Source: Hampton Roads Planning District Commission; based on 1994

state and federal funding figures. KEYWORDS: REGIONAL ROAD CONSTRUCTION TRANSPORTATION

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