Transportation
Northern Virginia suffers from some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation. I am constantly seeking forward-thinking multimodal solutions to mitigate the effects of traffic gridlock, remain competitive, and minimize the harmful impact to our environment. Creating a transportation system that meets our 21st century needs requires robust investment in our nation’s roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, harbors, housing, broadband, drinking and wastewater systems, clean energy sector, and more. We know that these investments create jobs and have the potential to create enormous returns on taxpayer dollars. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which I helped pass, is already delivering big wins on this front here in our region and across the country. It is vital that we continue to to invest in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and work to ensure safety and accountability. Metro is necessary for our regional mobility, and preserving the annual $150 million federal investment in Metro - to replace aging rail cars, make safety improvements on platforms, and more - is a top priority. Harmful noise from helicopters and airplanes in the skies above Northern Virginia has been a major concern for my constituents since I took office. As an active member of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus, I am seeking changes to reduce aircraft noise pollution and mitigate that noise’s impact on our community. Creating more affordable and accessible housing is another major infrastructure challenge facing our region, which has been significantly affected by the affordable housing crisis in this country. In Virginia alone there is a shortage of 148,720 rental homes that are affordable and available for extremely low-income renters. I champion a bill called the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, to increase the amount of Low Income Housing Tax Credits allocated to each state by 50% over current levels, expand multifamily housing bond programs, and help build nearly two million new affordable homes across the United States over the next decade. |