Moran Secures $2 Million For Anti-Gridlock Measure

By Nicholas F. Benton

Rep. Jim Moran has provided another hefty dose of federal funds to address the regional transportation needs, the congressman announced to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) yesterday. He introduced a "End Gridlock Act" appropriating $2 million for a regional management incidence center that was included in the comprehensive surface transportation reauthorization bill (HR 3) that passed the House last week.

The announcement followed last week's report of $2 million that Moran secured in the bill for a multi-modal parking and transportation hub in the City of Falls Church, as well as improvements in Arlington and Alexandria. Moran, a Democrat, represents the 8th District of Northern Virginia. His initiative was co-sponsored by Rep. Tom Davis, a Republican, also of Northern Virginia.

"Our region's transportation needs continue to dwarf the amount of funding available," Moran told the COG yesterday. "This has led to increased congestion and is partly to blame for the Washington metropolitan area's distinction as having the second worst traffic situation in the country."

David Snyder, the City of Falls Church's representative on COG's Transportation Planning Board for the last nine years, said Moran's anti-gridlock money "is critical funding to dramatically improve regional transportation both on a day-to-day basis and in the event of a terrorist incident."

Snyder noted that 60% of the gridlock on regional roadways is caused by non-routine events, such as traffic accidents. A regional coordinating body that can get out information on how to avoid getting trapped in gridlock caused by such incidents would have a major impact on road travel, he said.

The $2 million in the current transportation bill "will go towards the creation of a regional management incidence center, to be known as CAPCOM," Moran said. "The CAPCOM incidence center is modeled loosely on the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut program, TRANSCOM, that has a 24-7 focus on helping the public get around congestion problems as they occur."

Overall, Moran's "End Gridlock Act" calls for $10 million over six years to bestow COG's Transportation Planning Board with resources to fund small, non-controversial, non-road projects such as transit centers, recreational trails and telecommuting programs. It encourages local governments to raise their spending on transportation by requiring a 25% non-federal match.