Woodbridge, Va. –– The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission has appealed to the governor for its own continued existence.
A new bill in Virginia’s General Assembly sponsored by Del. David Albo (R-52 Fairfax) aims to consolidate PRTC, charged with overseeing operations of OmniRide and OmniLink buses and Virginia Railway Express, and Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and other transit agencies into one organization that serves Northern Virginia.
In all, four Northern Virginia Transportation organizations exist – Northern Virginia Transportation Comission, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, PRTC and VRE.
Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has voiced his support for consolidation, but PRTC says each organization is responsible for different things.
“The facts are that the facts are the organizations have a long history of successful collaboration of matters of mutual interest, teaming with one another in matters of transportation planning and programming matters and meeting jointly when circumstances warrant,” stated Prince William County Supervisor John D. Jenkins, a PRTC board member, in a letter to McDonnell.
A consolidated board would also force current PRTC members to wrangle with issues related to Metro, something that is now reserved for NVTC.
PRTC representatives plan to testify in Richmond on this topic Thursday.
