Our roads, our governor

By Published by The Editorial Board

Published: June 4, 2008

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine was an early supporter of Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. That has led some people to wonder if Kaine is on Obama’s short list of vice presidential candidates.

Some might consider that kind of attention flattering, but it has cast everything our governor does in the light of national politics at a time when Kaine has his hands full running Virginia. The real question is whether Kaine can get a bill passed later this month that will keep the state in the road-building business.

To push his plan before the June 23 General Assembly special session on transportation, Kaine has been holding town hall meetings around the state. The governor will be in Danville at the Institute for Advance Learning & Research at 3 p.m. Saturday.

We have a proverbial dog in this fight.

If it seems like Piney Forest Road and Riverside Drive are busier than ever, that’s because they are. More cars are on the roads of Danville and Pittsylvania County than 20 years ago, mirroring a statewide trend.

While there are more cars out there, what about the roads? The Danville Expressway and the King Memorial Bridge have been built. Franklin Turnpike has been widened in the county and is under construction in the city.

The Robertson Bridge is the worst regular traffic jam in Danville, and most local roads haven’t changed all that much even though they handle more cars than ever before. That’s the transportation issue in the Dan River Region.

Kaine is trying to sell his plan of modest tax and fee increases, and he faces an uphill climb. In the past, we’ve asked the governor to explain what projects would be delayed or even shelved if his plan doesn’t pass later this month. We don’t know if that’s what Kaine will talk about Saturday, but we believe the best way to put the politics aside is for Virginians to better understand what’s at stake in their communities. Since every corner of the state has plans for new roads and bridges, we ought to know what will happen to those local projects if nothing changes.

The governor’s controversial transportation plan is worth 90 minutes time Saturday for every local resident who cares about this issue. It’s not about what Obama thinks, it’s about what we think about Kaine’s proposed solution to this tough problem.