Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Commuting

“Anti-Livability” Bills Threaten to Clip Arlington’s Wings

A pair of bills making their way through Virginia's House of Delegates threaten to slam the brakes on smart growth and livability efforts in Arlington and throughout Northern Virginia.

Virginia House Delegate Jim LeMunyon wants to make highways and congestion reduction the centerpiece of transportation policy in Northern Virginia. Photo: ##http://www.lemunyon.com/?page_id=2## LeMunyon.com##
Virginia House Delegate Jim LeMunyon wants to make highways and congestion reduction the centerpiece of transportation policy in Northern Virginia. Photo: ##http://www.lemunyon.com/?page_id=2## LeMunyon.com##

House Bills 1998 and 1999, put forward by Delegate Jim LeMunyon (R-Fairfax), have been dubbed the "Anti-Livability" bills by local transportation reformers. HB 1998 seeks to mandate that congestion reduction be used as the primary criterion for evaluating transportation projects. HB 1999 would require that highway construction take priority in all funds flowing from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.

Dan Malouff, a transportation planner with the Arlington County Department of Transportation, said his organization has been watching the bills with concern, particularly HB 1999, which employs the more hard-line inducement of the purse strings.

"If 1999 passed, we would be very strictly reduced to spending money only on a few key highways," Malouff said. "It means we can’t think about local growth. It means we can’t think about local streets. It means we can’t think about transit."

"It essentially forces us to spend money only applying Band-aids instead of addressing real problems."

Reporting on the progress of HB 1998, David Alpert of Streetsblog Network blog Greater Greater Washington said:

This bill is, in essence, the exact opposite of the USDOT's "livability" push. That agency has been retooling the formulas for federal transit funding to move away from only favoring projects that move the most people the longest distance.

HB 1998, was passed out of committee with bi-partisan support on Tuesday for wider consideration in the House. HB 1999 remains in the Appropriations Committee.

According to sources in Arlington, a local pro-roads lobbying group, the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, has been pushing the measures. The group is made up of construction, real estate, business and transportation interests.

Greater Greater Washington is encouraging Virginia residents to contact their local representatives and express opposition to the bills.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

‘A Direct Attack’: Top Dem on House Transport Committee Slams Trump’s Green Infrastructure Clawback

The Trump administration's attempts to claw back already-awarded grants for active transportation are on questionable legal footing, the top transportation Democrat says – and he won't stop fighting to save pedestrian and cyclist lives.

March 18, 2025

No Earmarks in Tuesday’s Headlines

The continuing resolution Congress passed last week cedes more power on transportation and other spending to the Trump administration.

March 18, 2025

Vandals Attack Great Highway Park

Echoing the national trend, a contingent of anti-Prop. K folks have decided to reject democratic process.

March 17, 2025

Op-Ed: Anti-Speeding Technology Could Have Saved My Son

A new Washington state bill could help end speeding. And similar bills are spreading across the country.

March 17, 2025

What Will ‘Safe Streets and Road For All’ Mean Under Sec. Duffy?

Last week, Secretary Duffy directed staff to start the process of clawing back millions in discretionary dollars for bike lanes. How will he spend it instead?

March 17, 2025
See all posts