Norfolk’s light rail will be called “The Tide”.

Americans are driving less, even with gas prices temporarily down below $2/gallon. This is great news, except that it means gas tax revenue is way down. The gas tax only accounts for a fraction of total infrastructure spending in this country, but is the main source of revenue for the 50 state departments of transportation, who receive money from the federal government based on a pre-determined formula. With less tax revenue, all the state DOTs are slashing their budgets left and right.

Virginia cut half a billion in October, Maryland followed in November, and now Virginia is at it again. The Commonwealth Transportation Board, the body that controls Virginia transport spending, yesterday slashed $2.2 billion from its 6-year construction program.

But the news is not all bad. Bush DOT boss Mary Peters’ solution to this problem at the federal level was to cut transit spending to preserve the highway budget. Virginia, it turns out, is a lot more forward-thinking.

The cuts, at least in Northern Virginia, target projects that were questionable to begin with. $55 million to repave I-66? Gone. $29 million to do one of three spot widenings on I-66 in Arlington (against Arlington’s will)? Gone. New or expanded interchanges across Northern Virginia? See ya later.

On the other hand, the transit budget is more or less intact. Of course it was smaller to begin with, and there are some cuts, but the commonwealth did not cut Dulles Metro, did not cut Norfolk light rail, and in fact may expand intercity rail service from Washington to Richmond and Lynchburg.

Just a few years ago this sort of scenario would have been unthinkable. That a state like Virginia recognizes the importance of transit in such lean times is extremely encouraging.