Two rest areas saved, but residency office still on cutting board

Chris Graham

Two Central Shenandoah Valley rest areas have escaped the Virginia Department of Transportation chopping block as the transportation department finalizes its recommendations for budget cuts to the Commonwealth Transportation Board. The rest areas at Fairfield on southbound Interstate 81 and New Market on northbound I-81 had been slated for closure in an earlier round of…

In the News

Chris Graham

– Local News: Left eastbound I-64 lane on Afton Mountain to close for cleanup, posted Monday, 2:45 p.m. – Chris Graham on Facebook: Sports and religion – Local News: I-64 clear after early-morning accident on Afton Mountain, posted Monday, 9:15 a.m. – Event: MHA-A golf tournament on tap, posted Monday, 9:15 a.m. – Local News:…

Road to nowhere, fast

Chris Graham

Headline: VDOT cuts another 230 jobs. Observation: We’re not cutting fat anymore. Or muscle. We’re digging into bone. “None of these are easy decisions for us to make,” Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner David Ekern said. “We know that these decisions will impact the public and the lives of our valued professional staff, but we…

In the News

Chris Graham

– Programming Note: Listen to AFP editor Chris Graham on WKDW Tuesday morning, posted Monday, 8:45 a.m. – Local News: Music Academy announces spring schedule, posted Monday, 9:30 a.m. – State News: Chopra named to White House post, posted Monday, 9:30 a.m. – Event: Travel Expo at SVRA, posted Monday, 9:30 a.m. – Event: Items…

In the News

Chris Graham

– Local News: Waynesboro PD investigating cab burglary, posted Monday, 10:35 a.m. – Economy: Gas prices stable, posted Monday, 10:15 a.m. – State News: Blogger can complain about dirt pile on developer’s property, posted Monday, 10:10 a.m. – Local News: VDOT road work schedule, posted Monday, 10:15 a.m.

Time to declare victory and come home

Chris Graham

I agree with Kate Wofford that it’s time for the Virginia Department of Transportation “to abandon the costly and destructive plan for I-81” that would widen the interstate throughout Western Virginia. And then I think, We’re pretty much there now already whether VDOT is or not, right? “Our state transportation budget has evaporated and taxpayers…

No rest for the pols

Chris Graham

Steve Landes has written to local Commonwealth Transportation Board member James Davis to get him to reconsider closing two Augusta County-area interstate rest stops. Chris Saxman is doing him one better, as he plans to ask members of the local congressional delegation to grant Virginia a waiver that would allow the Commonwealth to allow private…

Greg Marrow | Transportation fix

Chris Graham

Recently there has been much discussion, which is gathering momentum, to privatize the 41 rest areas along the 325 miles of I-81 in an effort to save the Virginia Department of Transportation about $12 million. While this may sound appealing in the short term, it will do little, if anything, to solve the much larger…