For decades state legislators and local officials throughout the Commonwealth have argued over the fairness of various transportation funding allocations formulas.

Well, now there will be no more arguing or fighting.

On June 17, 2009 Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer reported to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) that Virginia’s transportation funding crisis has reached the point that, “There’s nothing left to allocate.”

The reality is that starting in 2011 there will be zero dollars going through formulas to localities for primary, secondary, urban or unpaved roads. In fact funds going through formulas today are only for contracts already underway.

The reason is that once debt, maintenance and other legislatively mandated obligations are met, not enough dollars remain to pass through statewide formulas.

Any available future dollars will be allocated by the CTB on a project-by-project basis.

In other words your dear mother’s advice to you and your siblings – “There’s nothing worth fighting over” – now applies to state transportation formulas.