Gov. McDonnell proposes using enhancement funds for welcome centers

Money that the CTB wants to use to promote core transportation, Gov McDonnell wants to use for scenic/historic highways and welcome centers. From FABB.

Comments

[TurbineBlade]

Sent my email!

[Tom]

I sent an email as well. Welcome centers for highway travelers are the LAST thing we need to do with funding that can support non-motorized transportation. We almost nothing for bicycle projects in our communities. We could do so much with a very small share of what we spend on car infrastructure today.

[Chris]

Re-opening the welcome centers was, pretty much, a campaign promise. Given that tourism is a very important industry in VA, it kind of makes sense from that perspective, though it seems short-sighted to take funds away from bicycle projects, which can also be touted as tourism-promoting.

[JeffB]

What mission do Welcome centers fill today. When I was a kid they were places you stopped at to collect brochures for all the nearby attractions.

Today haven't most people already garnered the necessary information off the internet?

Better to keep the campgrounds and parks open.

[Chris]

I use them when I travel, all the time!

[SJE]

I use travel centers too. I suppose the question is whether the shift in resources is fair or reasonable./

[Chris]

I think they should fund both - but I guess Republicans don't do that!

[Jim Titus]

When you have to go, you have to go. An open rest stop probably saves hundreds of cars per hour an extra mile or so of detours looking for a gas station. Probably hurts sales of junk food too. In short, pretty competitive with bike lanes as a health-promoting, fuel-saving expenditure.

[MB]

For whatever it's worth, a number of people I met in Southwestern Virginia took Kaine's closing of the rest stops as some sort of liberal plot against them. Seriously.

Also, I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with rest stops (and it (correctly) makes Virginia look a pathetic mess, that they're closed). But TE funds to support them? No. And no again.

[SJE]

I agree with MB that McDonnell's actions are consistent with the NOVA/ROVA split, along with insistence on having Richmond with a seat at WMATA. I suppose this is what happens when the regional split aligns with the GOP/DEM split.