n Interview: AUBREY LAYNE, Secretary of Transportation, Commonwealth of Virginia


Removing politics


Layne applies business principles to Virginia’s transportation funding by Jessica Sabbath


A


ubrey Layne has had what few of his prede- cessors had — money to spend.


The year before his appoint-


ment as Virginia’s transporta- tion secretary by Gov. Terry McAuliffe, the General Assembly passed in 2013 a landmark transportation-funding bill, adding new money to the state’s coffers for the first time in almost 30 years. Layne, a CPA and former


real estate executive, knew the new money was a blessing — but also that Virginia had to take its gift seriously. In addition, the fall in gas prices put major holes in anticipated revenues. As a former member of the


Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), Layne was familiar with how political transportation funding decisions could be. But politics, he believes,


In his last two years as secretary, Layne hopes to shore up the legislative changes that have been achieved.


doesn’t always beget the best spending decisions. So Layne set out to apply


On the Web


Find an extended version of this interview online. VirginiaBusiness.com


10 MAY 2016


objective business principles to transportation funding, working with a Republican-dominated legislature to change how Vir- ginia’s transportation dollars are allocated.


House Bill 2, passed by


the General Assembly in 2014, is the centerpiece of the new formula. The legislation created a method for the state to score and prioritize transportation projects. While the CTB isn’t legally required to fund only the highest-scoring projects, Layne says the law requires CTB mem- bers to explain their reasons if they don’t. Virginia is undergoing its


first test of the new system. In January, the Virginia Depart- ment of Transportation released its first scorecard. The CTB is expected to finalize its funding recommendations in June. Another key transportation


bill, HB1887, was passed last year. It is designed to ensure Vir- ginia maintains its current road network. Previously, Layne says, the CTB was reluctant to use money on big maintenance proj- ects — like roads that needed to be rebuilt and bridges that need to be shored up. Instead, a lot of roads were simply repaved over and over again. So now, the first 45 percent


of VDOT’s construction money is used for heavy-duty mainte- nance projects.


Photo by Jay Paul


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