More Details on Kaine's Transportation Plan

Tim Kaine's transportation plan will look a lot like the Warner administration's current transportation policy -- with extra emphasis on land use. His four-part platform includes:

• Amending Virginia’s constitution to make sure that transportation dollars are spent on transportation. "In the meantime," he says, "I’ll veto any budget that tries to raid the transportation trust fund."
• Continuing the improvements in on-time and on-budget performance "that Mark Warner and I have made over the last three years."
• Working to improve Virginia train service to take commuters, travelers, and goods off the roads and onto the rails so that "everyone gets where they’re going faster."
• Integrating transportation with land use planning so that "as Virginia grows, we're smart about how we keep Virginians moving."

The details of Kaine's plan can be found on his website.

From a quick analysis of his plan, two things stand out. First, Kaine does not advocate higher taxes for transportation. He would be willing to invest budget surpluses in one-time transportation projects, and he would support HOT lanes and public-private partnerships that raise revenues through tolls.

The other key tenet of the Kaine plan is its emphasis on tying land use and transportation planning. He would strengthen the role of Metropolitan Planning Organizations in developing regional plans, promote redevelopment and infill development where infrastructure already exists, and encourage the development of pedestrian-friendly mixed-use communities that "give people the choice to live close to where they work and shop [and] reduce the demand for new roads."