By Wyatt Gordon, Virginia Correspondent, Greater Greater Washington; March 31, 2020
From new vehicle safety measures to the possibility of zero-fare transit pilots, the litany of policy changes inside Governor Ralph Northam’s recently passed transportation omnibus reads like a wishlist for urbanists. However, the one reform that could permanently transform transportation in the Commonwealth is the creation of a long-awaited Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA).
After decades of railroad corporations’ stranglehold on Virginia’s rail expansion plans, the Commonwealth will now join the elite handful of states featuring a legal entity with a mandate to own, manage, and expand rail infrastructure for the public good and the benefit of businesses across the region.