TALKING RICHMOND: Del. Joshua Cole
Fredericksburg Is Growing. Our Transportation Tools Aren’t.
By Del. Joshua Cole
REPRESENTING HD-65
Virginia is growing, and nowhere is that more evident than in the Fredericksburg region. We are one of the fastest-growing areas in the Commonwealth, yet we remain one of the few major regions without a Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). That gap is holding us back.
Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads all have RTAs that allow them to raise dedicated regional funding and invest in transportation projects that match their growth. These authorities fund roads, transit, safety improvements, and congestion relief without constantly waiting on the state and SMARTscale to provide funds. Even the Petersburg area is pursuing a regional transportation solution this session.
The Fredericksburg region, meanwhile, is still trying to solve regional problems with its hands tied behind its back. We feel it every day on I-95 and on our overburdened roads. Demand for adequate transit infrastructure has held us back for decades now. Stafford, Spotsylvania, and the City of Fredericksburg are deeply interconnected, but our funding system does not reflect that reality.
Without an RTA, local governments are left with bad options. Raise property taxes, take on more debt, or delay long-needed projects. None of those choices serve families, workers, or businesses who depend on a transportation system that actually works.
A Fredericksburg-area Regional Transportation Authority would put us on equal footing with the rest of Virginia. It would allow us to generate regional revenue to be invested locally, while allowing us to leverage those funds to pursue state and federal matching funds. Instead of falling behind, we can move projects forward instead of letting congestion strangle our economy, and for costs from continuing to rise.
This is not about creating bureaucracy or imposing taxes for the sake of it. It is about fairness, local control, and having the tools to match our growth. The Fredericksburg region deserves the same opportunities as every other major region in the Commonwealth.
We can keep arguing in meeting rooms while congestion worsens, or we can act and deliver results.
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