A history of roads in Virginia: Energy crisis revisited

Public transit became important to commuters in the 1970s for reasons of convenience and economics.

Another worrisome fuel shortage occurred in the summer of 1979, and left nagging questions about highway-related transportation for the years ahead. This time, as before, traffic declined, automobile sales dropped sharply, and many commuters sought public transportation or car and van pools as means of getting to and from work. Again, that meant a decrease in revenue from the motor fuel tax, the largest single source of income for road construction and maintenance.

As the state, its localities, and the commission became increasingly engaged providing improved public transportation, it was apparent that transit for most communities meant buses. But buses, like automobiles, required adequate highways and streets to operate safely and effectively.

Amid the questions and uncertainty, the energy situation led to a reduction in the traditional growth rate of fuel, tax, and other road-use tax revenue. In the past, growth had helped partly to offset the higher construction and maintenance costs brought on by inflation.

Progress on interstate and arterial systems had slowed somewhat due to the shortage in revenues. Highway officials had expected completion of the two systems by the early ‘80s. More than three-quarters of the interstate system was completed by 1972, but it would take another 20 years to complete the remaining 25 percent.

With the shortage in revenues and steadily increasing road maintenance requirements, the highway construction program was set back substantially, and the future of this program in Virginia was tinged with doubt as a new decade began.

Produced by the
Virginia Department of Transportation
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1401 E. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
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