VDOT Must Take Another Ax to its Budget

VDOT must find another $851 million in cuts in the six-year transportation plan to balance the books, according to NVDaily.com.

These cuts could result in more transportation projects around the state being abandoned. This could affect property values if traffic congestion makes certain neighborhoods less marketable to new residents.

"The news wasn't as awful as it could have been, but it was still plenty bad.

The Virginia Department of Transportation needs to find another $851 million in cuts in the six-year transportation plan to balance the books, officials said Thursday.

Falling tax collections in almost every source have the agency looking to trim its construction and maintenance budget yet again, this time to the tune of $851 million.

Agency officials had warned in August that the cuts could be as high as $900 million, in addition to $1 billion already sliced this year.

Commonwealth Transportation Board members have cut $4.6 billion in spending from the state's long-range plan since spring 2008.

'VDOT is working to address these revenue reductions by executing long-term strategic changes to our business that will allow us to better address the available resources and demands of our customers,' said David S. Ekern, the agency's commissioner."

Read the full story about VDOT's budget cut.