A service of Salisbury University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Low Gas Prices Hit Virginia Revenues

Don Rush

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Low gas prices are hurting the bottom line of some Virginia communities.

The regional gas tax has for years helped communities pay for additional road and transportation projects and memberships to the commuter rail service. But The Free Lance-Star reports that revenue shrunk significantly last year due to low gas prices. Local transportation commissions' figures show that gas tax revenue dropped more than $4.5 million last year for Fredericksburg, Stafford and Spotsylvania.

Local officials pushed in the General Assembly this year to adjust the regional transit tax to replenish the millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.