For Immediate Release October 17, 2005 PRESS RELEASE Contact: Stewart Schwartz, CSG, 202-244-4408 ext 3# Chris Miller, PEC, 540-347-2334 RECONNECTING VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN Coalition for Smarter Growth and Piedmont Environmental Council

VBT Transportation Advertising Campaign Misses the Point

The statewide business-backed campaign, Virginians for Better Transportation, launched a series of TV, radio and print ads today, pushing for more money for transportation. The Coalition for Smarter Growth and Piedmont Environmental Council -- leaders of the competing Reconnecting Virginia campaign – responded:

“VBT’s ads appear to target both supporters of roads and transit to win support for tax and toll increases, but they still miss the point,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “If we don’t address where and how we are growing, both road and transit spending will be wasted.”

“Virginians will be ill-served if the business and development industries make this transportation debate just about spending more money on transportation,” said Chris Miller, President of the Piedmont Environmental Council. He continued, “The VBT campaign is based on questionable and unaffordable needs estimates by VDOT. The VBT folks fail to evaluate better land use and community designs that must be adopted to reduce traffic and make any new investments worthwhile.”

“We call on the business and political leaders to engage the public in addressing where and how we are growing. That’s what we need to be debating right now, not a tax increase without a plan,” concluded Schwartz.

Full Response to VBT and VDOT Transportation Needs Estimates:

http://www.smartergrowth.net/pressroom/PressReleases/2005.10.06.VDOT.html

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