[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6386006,"mediaKeyId","2118681-52a10f3a97d38c7d67ef3e9d380356e4","parentId",2118681,"title","Secretary Miller updates lawmakers on WMATA funding dispute, ridership trends and cost pressures","audioSeconds",161,"startMs",774000,"endMs",935000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118681-52a10f3a97d38c7d67ef3e9d380356e4&start=774&end=935","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118681-52a10f3a97d38c7d67ef3e9d380356e4/thumbnail_774000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6386006/Virginia/Secretary-Miller-updates-lawmakers-on-WMATA-funding-dispute-ridership-trends-and-cost-pressures","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386006-d932e514ee346add303741600f77fd1a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980271&Signature=BFtTxr1eWtsHGBDE3OjXNgtaNv-Pf82TbR4zpg9vVZL6rQzHwcEXOiVcfyEJE0eIhlc0WWqZEL03yb8gzxo7XCY7Saq08wKsm5js4CHHbi9fN6EAavbvDxeZwqOY8eBbcuZdrvQ87aRQt8OTPUrhsuTxeYo0Qhg-laQzRfG~SXNFDNrNr3lEMq4GnXz7hj-E2lDgrI8Gpl8eMVXBKUZimxqlW88V6AIZPtw5Ipx3rBNkgwGufSY~cDn0jCyDwEV9AhGxj~IJp4c1LL4Y1arhKz26wRCU~RqntqwUO~-FDqFcjH-JB-LU5JVDoOfMYQT~vKwWFVfjNx4GN0zAFSUguA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Virginia Legislature","date","2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","article","Shep Miller, secretary of transportation, briefed the subcommittee on Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) funding, ridership and cost‑containment work.

Miller said last year’s addition for the Commonwealth’s share of WMATA costs included a true‑up for the first year but left a second‑year placeholder unchanged in the enacted language; department calculations showed a second‑year reduction of roughly $8–11 million and the governor’s proposed budget amendment would reconcile the correct second‑year figure. “I have no skin in the game. I want it to be the right number, is all I care about,” Miller said.

On ridership, Miller said rail remains about 67% of 2019 levels while bus ridership has largely returned to pre‑pandemic volumes. He told the panel the Federal Transit Administration shows WMATA’s cost per trip and other operating metrics remain at the high end compared with peer systems, and that the department is working with WMATA leadership on an operational analysis to identify cost and non‑revenue fare opportunities. Miller and the department are continuing to press WMATA on labor and long‑term infrastructure cost drivers.

Members questioned benchmarks for measuring WMATA performance and asked what success would look like in the coming years. Miller said the department has asked WMATA to submit cost comparisons to peers and to include additional benchmarks and that the agency has accepted the operational analysis request and is cooperating.

The presentation recorded no formal committee motion or vote on funding amounts; Miller said the administration remains committed to funding Virginia’s full legal share once the accounting is reconciled.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Transportation and Public Safety Subcommittee Wednesday, Jan 15, 2025 2:07 PM - 3:13 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Shep Miller told the subcommittee the governor’s budget would fund Virginia’s full share of WMATA expenses but that the enacted second‑year placeholder requires correction; he also said rail ridership remains about two‑thirds of pre‑pandemic levels while bus ridership has returned.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature VA, Virginia","taxId",77687,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386016,"Transportation secretary updates subcommittee on I‑81 corridor, I‑64 gap and HRBT expansion projects",358,1604000,1962000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118681-52a10f3a97d38c7d67ef3e9d380356e4&start=1604&end=1962","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118681-52a10f3a97d38c7d67ef3e9d380356e4/thumbnail_1604000.jpg","/articles/6386016/Virginia/Transportation-secretary-updates-subcommittee-on-I81-corridor-I64-gap-and-HRBT-expansion-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386016-e3cadd62851fb165d6dd299f60c3db5f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980270&Signature=iMcS55Iw7VL0rm6tnolNgv4lRDiJ3lbAh0e0YA76Dv54iR9NzkW92q-bEj7WRaT8nf3-uMswmtvVOiL7O8uPsFpEXWrR7PaBnQq49y4rh~IWBZae8vEmyeMEjNz02PsIm7Kr06-8EkW3C3RX3ClB6D9BHmRK4D2UtgHSfSEwlXjAvbwA2COTAqRyTuuN2CoNXyLhHgzzII91bpmS7U7XF0S9dahnpMeYAFpRY8QYdUc9XpI-Vfm8Nn8pznuA6FhE8irnT6LyP6hoZRu0hKaK96UxTvi2NIf7umVc7MVY~gDNcH52-AcOeLTF1oicdbgFDJhBJ2sypwdQNcpuG~DTgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Shep Miller, Virginia secretary of transportation, briefed the Transportation and Public Safety Subcommittee on the status and scale of three major highway initiatives: the I‑81 corridor improvement program, the I‑64 gap‑closing project and the Hampton Roads Bridge‑Tunnel (HRBT) expansion.

Miller said the I‑81 corridor program, launched in 2019, now has an assembled portfolio with a current program value he cited as approximately $360 million and 65 projects in the plan. He said the program receives more than $200 million annually in dedicated funding sources and that additional tranches of funding from the General Assembly were applied in recent budgets. Miller said fewer than 10% of program dollars have been spent to date because most funds are tied to design and larger capital work; several small technology and short-duration projects have been completed.

On Interstate 64, Miller described a three‑segment construction approach to close a long‑running capacity gap and said work is well underway: he described 10.7 miles widened on the west end with anticipated completion of that contract in 2027, a nine‑mile eastern segment begun in November 2024 also targeting 2027 completion, and a 9.3‑mile middle segment contracted with completion currently estimated in 2029. Miller described the contracting approach — sequencing adjacent segments to leverage contractor mobilization — as a factor that produced competitive bids.

Miller called the HRBT expansion “the largest VDOT project in Virginia history,” and described the program as a capacity doubling that will ultimately provide eight lanes by replacing and rebuilding bridges and adding two new two‑lane tunnels. He said the tunneling element is the most complex portion of the project and reported that a tunnel‑boring machine completed its first pass and was being turned and re‑prepared to bore again; Miller said tunnel boring progress is a critical path item and was expected to be in substantial progress by 2025, though the overall program is modestly delayed from original schedules.

Miller told the subcommittee the projects create local disruption from construction and noted the department’s efforts to limit long stretches of simultaneous work and to find synergies that saved about $70 million by grouping adjacent work. “It’s gotta get worse before it gets better,” Miller said, describing congestion generated by construction activity as a necessary byproduct of major corridor upgrades.

The transcript records questions from legislators about schedules, costs and community impacts. Miller characterized the delivery pace as fast given weather conditions and contractor performance and said the Commonwealth Transportation Board directed four additional projects for I‑81 that are being reevaluated and added to the corridor plan. No formal votes on these project allocations are recorded in the transcript.","Shep Miller told the Transportation and Public Safety Subcommittee that the I‑81 corridor program now totals roughly $360 million in planned work, the I‑64 gap is being widened in three segments with work underway and phased completions, and that the Hampton Roads Bridge‑Tunnel expansion remains the Commonwealth’s largest construction effort.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386025,"Secretary Miller seeks technical fix to toll-relief law, urges waiver of Coleman Bridge repayment",839,701000,1540000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118681-52a10f3a97d38c7d67ef3e9d380356e4&start=701&end=1540","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118681-52a10f3a97d38c7d67ef3e9d380356e4/thumbnail_701000.jpg","/articles/6386025/Virginia/Secretary-Miller-seeks-technical-fix-to-toll-relief-law-urges-waiver-of-Coleman-Bridge-repayment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386025-f5b60a971e135bee87f066f6ff2f3ce7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980270&Signature=nOzQRpFFYEyLjwoEG5b2GCvGMuYArTKQOiGOApjK2uwlqXzI2jPGybXmpQmA5UhqoWLEE-h9VsWeyMC3nzB1oIRmo0T6FzpXHHWMHv8NbAqboDrI6r-Z88DTeXFlcHndvZBI4RTCIhRSMtg0E21xdRKaE6nKZpmLsxKfkKI2kNVfNbnlJpRw61YzsfB2rOKFeYKYoxZB6MK1XJ89WTigGF-7bvVU~4FjD9f-FORlsXoh5MIQ1jdDVxpRv64361kbCOh0xecrnLtvrQ-SbPMUzZlXtnhOeymMpRwWb0y0R4CX3NL47qZcFD4E33cPMLHVpGM52un-E~wOhBa7SLZ3nw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Shep Miller, Virginia secretary of transportation, told the Transportation and Public Safety Subcommittee that the governor’s budget includes corrective language and policy changes to the state-funded toll-relief programs in Hampton Roads and a proposed write-off of VDOT internal debt for the Coleman Bridge.

Miller said the budget language will return the Commonwealth-funded expansion of the Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) toll-relief program to its original intended geography — Norfolk and Portsmouth — and allow the new state-funded component to be used to cover any shortfall in the underlying ERC vendor-funded rebate so participants continue to receive the full benefit. “If the projection indicates the funding will not be sufficient, then we would adjust it as need be,” Miller said.

The existing ERC program provides a 50% rebate on two-axle, transponder-based tolls for qualifying residents; Miller said a second, commonwealth-funded component would offer an additional 50% rebate for households under $50,000. Miller told the panel the program currently has roughly 21,000 enrollees and a monthly average of about 13,000 active participants, and that average monthly credit per user is about $23.95 (figures from the department presentation). He said the program’s average participant makes roughly 18.2 transactions per month.

Miller also urged the subcommittee to waive repayment of outstanding balances that VDOT technically owes itself for the Coleman Bridge project. He said the outstanding internal liability totals about $29.6 million and that the toll-facility revolving account holds roughly $80 million in cash and about $200 million in accounts receivable. Miller said the toll collection system for the Coleman Bridge needs an immediate upgrade that would cost about $6 million and that, because the vendor will soon stop supporting the current system, the Commonwealth would spend that money on hardware it expects to “throw away” shortly thereafter. “I just think it’s a terrible waste of money,” Miller said, explaining his preference to write off the outstanding internal debt instead of incurring new equipment costs.

Miller described several program mechanics: the ERC rebate applies the following day via the EZ-Pass Virginia account and is capped at 14 rebate-eligible trips per week; eligibility originally targeted Norfolk and Portsmouth residents under $65,000 and the newer state-funded component targets households under $50,000. He said the legislature’s earlier drafting inadvertently expanded eligibility to other cities and that the corrected language would restore the original intent.

On debt forgiveness, Miller recommended removing an income restriction that was inadvertently tied to the debt-relief language and said the administration intends to cancel unpaid toll debt in Norfolk and Portsmouth going back to 2012 regardless of current income, and to remove the $40 DMV reinstatement fee for affected registrants.

Discussion points recorded in the transcript included whether the Back Creek Channel dredging is a federal project (Miller said the federal side will pay most of it), the magnitude of enrollment growth in the ERC program, and the operational share of toll revenue spent on toll collection (Miller estimated about 45% of the Coleman Bridge toll was covering operating costs). No formal motion or vote on the proposed write-off or the corrected budget language is recorded in the transcript.

Miller said the administration worked with Senate staff to correct a technical drafting problem that prevented implementation of some toll-relief features and that the amended language in the proposed budget would restore the intent of last session’s policy.

Looking ahead, the secretary said the Commonwealth Transportation Board and VDOT will have authority under the underlying ERC program to make operational adjustments as needed to keep the program functioning within funding limits.

The presentation did not include a formal motion or committee vote on the items discussed; the transcript records Miller answering members’ questions and explaining the administration’s proposals.","Shep Miller, Virginia secretary of transportation, told the Transportation and Public Safety Subcommittee that the governor’s budget contains technical corrections and policy steps to restore and target toll relief in Hampton Roads and to waive internal repayment for the Coleman Bridge.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386000,"Virginia emergency managers ask lawmakers to fund permanent positions and boost local pass‑throughs",913,2613000,3526000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118681-52a10f3a97d38c7d67ef3e9d380356e4&start=2613&end=3526","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118681-52a10f3a97d38c7d67ef3e9d380356e4/thumbnail_2613000.jpg","/articles/6386000/Virginia/Virginia-emergency-managers-ask-lawmakers-to-fund-permanent-positions-and-boost-local-passthroughs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386000-bc3b065b37b847d9da02046f4a5b7a96/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980270&Signature=H9SK-TU2BIdhW~Kpe58AP~b1YRoJua07uapBSbL4Dp79dJM-qDchi8PgBmXHKhVrdOzGrf6y7ZXFmGp-oLGZyHjWvjWWprBPkO9ovtvePaXqXsV~DfsKOcTGINEklQL-fxcT4YwtdIhJzjtaMlnzyOYs65K7F2o99wQl0JcewUuFboTRyvchEbqLe3XdD~Q0C~GaHtJacvHIK4uzlzDx7z~JRLFEDcvFZ-NuIST9gZgpovYdHFmmLdcpDaTuODJHhGApcn4xuRo8D9dDbTANQ2vV8lY9reDJjyMRMXkUMDKtj4Q6ROoslmLGa846orVe41Q6U9hnpclkM3r6IfdG5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jessica Robinson, president of the Virginia Emergency Management Association, and Brian Meisner, the group’s legislative co‑chair, told the Transportation and Public Safety Subcommittee the Commonwealth needs more stable funding and local capacity for emergency management.

Robinson said the association represents about 900 emergency management professionals across government, health care, education and the private sector and described the core work of emergency managers: hazard and vulnerability assessments, relationship building across stakeholders, local emergency operations plans, community preparedness outreach and exercises. “We spend our days planning for the worst days we hope will never come,” Robinson said.

Meisner told the panel that only about 25% of political subdivisions report having a full‑time emergency manager whose primary job is emergency management and that the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) funds roughly 65% of its core functions with competitive and formula federal grant awards. He said that heavy reliance on federal grants is not sustainable and creates vulnerability to continuing resolution environments in Washington, where funding timetables and award cycles can be delayed.

The presenters urged the legislature to consider the governor’s request to stabilize staffing by transitioning roughly 81 positions from federal grant funding to general fund support; they said the agency requested approximately $1.56 million to begin that transition. They also asked the committee to consider increasing local pass‑through amounts (the presenters noted a current common pass‑through of about $7,500 to localities) so jurisdictions could afford at least a baseline local capability — the presenters suggested a matched example that might look like $50,000 local/$50,000 match as a target level for a meaningful local grant.

Robinson and Meisner described mitigation as cost‑effective: they cited widely used federal research showing that each dollar invested in mitigation saves multiple dollars in later recovery costs. They said public outreach and preparedness training are staff‑intensive and that localities without dedicated professionals have varying success responding to and recovering from disasters.

Legislators thanked the presenters and noted recent state responses to a Central Virginia water crisis and recent earthquakes and fires around the country. The transcript records no formal committee vote; the presenters asked lawmakers to consider HB 1992 (bill carried by a delegate present) and to adopt funding that would make some VDEM positions a permanent line‑item rather than being grant dependent.","Jessica Robinson and Brian Meisner of the Virginia Emergency Management Association told the subcommittee that only about 25% of localities report a full‑time emergency manager and that VDEM relies on roughly 65% federal grant funding, making a case to transition 81 positions to the general fund.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386010,"Secretary outlines DMV IT cloud migration, airport loan authority and HQ renovation plans",1733,472000,2205000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118681-52a10f3a97d38c7d67ef3e9d380356e4&start=472&end=2205","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118681-52a10f3a97d38c7d67ef3e9d380356e4/thumbnail_472000.jpg","/articles/6386010/Virginia/Secretary-outlines-DMV-IT-cloud-migration-airport-loan-authority-and-HQ-renovation-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386010-85ab55238b9126cfbac8cad726c11f8c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980270&Signature=fo2qdk1a4mqlG7TPS1pexWAo5xY2xX7IOKvyBjfMdVFl4P5pqeUjyL0o6J2L~Wrwb~hDjcA8mK0C84QVoHlj3CxFlYdoGagP3WiRU8As-sZr0Ch6yjwHuBRHPQOB~pqyB3PzppZdoNFImqPbk8mPt1-HS3P8ZXOKpLAULHaBiF3CIP05SpJlp6Sjx~r6YTEKqtywo2yxnfVj8evRJ-XmBEHZ2h60-molXgsdYOPC~FEMFGTgSa3LPPmH8TGBQlBuqA5oPWfDGZ4NXKhbuFBFk8p13mVleX8QRUEkF2Rup3CSCHZnYm9QtSb5l3M9r5mWXOuQxNSetNiOEHrcWJ89FQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Shep Miller, Virginia secretary of transportation, briefed the subcommittee on department budget amendments affecting aviation, DMV headquarters renovation and the long‑planned DMV core IT modernization.

On aviation, Miller said the department has savings in the Department of Aviation from outsourcing and moving some publications online; the administration proposes reallocating those savings toward airport operational grants. Miller also described a proposed treasury loan authorization of up to $20 million to support a Roanoke‑Blacksburg Airport runway extension if the airport completes an FAA‑endorsed master plan that recommends lengthening the runway. Miller summarized the FAA process: an FAA endorsement in a master plan enables a sponsor to compete for federal funding, and typically the FAA funds about 80% of eligible project costs.

Miller said the budget would permit spending $16 million of a non‑general fund appropriation to advance the next phase of the DMV headquarters renovation but that officials were “taking a little bit of a second look” at the real estate decision before proceeding. On DMV IT modernization, Miller said the agency formed a cross‑functional team with the secretary’s office, DMV IT staff, VITA and contractors to move the DMV core system into the cloud. He said the Commonwealth has experienced multiple outages when redundant carrier lines were cut and that the older mainframe technology has driven the need to modernize.

Miller outlined a two‑stage IT plan: a proof‑of‑concept phase followed by a full build‑out. He gave an estimated total program cost of about $94 million (including internal staff time and contingency) and said the administration had spent roughly $600,000 to date; the governor’s budget authorizes the first $25 million of spending from a special fund to begin the work. Miller emphasized the multidisciplinary team overseeing the project and said the Commonwealth is committed to completing the modernization because the legacy system causes operational outages for DMV transactions and state agencies.

Questions from legislators focused on prudence of the HQ renovation decision and the need to ensure the IT modernization is executed carefully. The transcript records the secretary saying the administration will “take a little bit of a second look” on renovation timing and budgets before committing non‑general fund resources.","Transportation Secretary Shep Miller told the subcommittee the administration seeks authority to spend non‑general fund money on DMV headquarters renovation, advance DMV core IT modernization into the cloud with a multi‑stage plan and provide a loan authorization tied to Roanoke‑Blacksburg Airport master plan and FAA endorsement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Secretary Miller updates lawmakers on WMATA funding dispute, ridership trends and cost pressures

Transportation secretary updates subcommittee on I‑81 corridor, I‑64 gap and HRBT expansion projects

Secretary Miller seeks technical fix to toll-relief law, urges waiver of Coleman Bridge repayment

Virginia emergency managers ask lawmakers to fund permanent positions and boost local pass‑throughs

Secretary outlines DMV IT cloud migration, airport loan authority and HQ renovation plans