Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-10


levies would be distributed ac-
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keloted Story. Poee 81
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cording to need and, as one
highway official put it, If North
ern Virginia doesn't need the
money, no other area does
The penny gas boost and in
creased registration fees aver
aging So per car annually are
major recommendations of a
|consultant's report on highway
problems submitted to the Vir-
ginia Advisory Legislative Coun-
ell yesterday.
After an all-day closed session,
the VALC made the report pub
lie without taking any action on
ut. A public hearing was set for
March Is at the State Capitol.
Other Proposals
Other important proposals
contained in the voluminous re-
port are:
/. Exclude Federal aid inter-
state grants when computing
ALLEGATIONS to the secondary
roads system. At present, all
funds available for highway
construction are Jumped to-
Igether before SO per cent is ear.
marked for secondary roads
Secondary roads are all roads
in the State system which are
mot primary or interstate high
lways.)
2. SCI UP a separate inter.
state system fund consisting Of
all Federal aid money for in.
terstate work. plus State
matching funds, and distribute
1T according to needs.
3. Acquire rights-of- way fol-
new highways well in advance Of
construction.
4. Consider replacement of the
present court-appointed com
missioner system in fixing lane
values where property must bt
condemned. tThe report notes
that the commissioners tend tt
save the property owner. Jury
trials in condemnation cases are
lsuggested.)
Less Convict Labor
5. Hold the use of convict labor
to a minimum since it apparent
lily is uneconomical.
6 Increase the technical staff
of the highway department, par
ticularly in district and county
Offices.
Money raised by the higher
gas tax and registration fees
would be set up in a new equali-
cation fund, which the consult
ants propose as an antidote fol
Iinequities of the present alloca-
ton system.
Distribution of this new
equalization fund according to
need would represent a major
departure from long-standing
Virginia highway policy. Rigid
formula. bearing little relation
to traffic needs, additionally had
determined how much money is
lspent in different parts of the
State for highway improvement.
Instead of scrapping the old
formula system completely. how
ever. the consultants proposed
that income from existing levies
be spent without much change
except the proposed exclusion of
Federal interstate funds from
secondary ALLEGATION calcula-
tons. Only new income from the
additional one-cent gas tax and
highway registration fees would
be given out according to need,
Benefits Cited
Thus, as the consultants en-
phasize. no highway system OF
subdivision would have its pres.
ent ALLEGATION reduced, and those
receiving less than their pro.
portionate share of funds Gun.
der the present method) woulc
have their ALLEGATION increased.
With the addition of this so.
called equalization fund financed
by the increased levies, the con.
sultants predict that all of Vir.
giania highway needs can be full.
filled in % years. At the end o.
l3 years, it is estimated roughly
70 per cent of the States road,
needs can be met.
Without the extra money anC
proposed distribution method
the consultant said Virginia
barely can manage to reduce al
existing backlog Of road need
by 40 per cent in the next 2,
years, or by 10 per cent in tn,
next Is years.
The total amount of construc.
ton needed in Virginia during
the l3-year period beginning
July l is calculated at $2.17'
billion. The present backlog Il
estimated at $634,9 million. TIL,
report takes into account thu
additional money Virginia stands
to receive under the new Fedora
interstate highway program
which also is geared to a 13-yeal
period beginning July /.
Richmond Dairy Asks