Monica Backmon leads the way for transportation improvement in Northern Virginia

Despite growing demands for transportation improvements and shrinking revenue streams, Monica Backmon aims to improve transportation for residents of Northern Virginia.

A juggling act — managing a regional board and dealing with revenue losses

As Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), Backmon manages a 17-member board of directors comprised mostly of elected officials from various Northern Virginia jurisdictions, including Prince William, as well as appointees made by the governor.

“One of the best things about my job and working for the 17-member Authority is the members understand and embrace the importance of regionalism — this is what makes the Authority successful in fulfilling its mission and goals,” Backmon said.

“With four funding programs adopted to date, I say with much pride, that the investments the Authority has made to the region’s transportation network, not only relieve congestion but improves the quality of life for residents by reducing commute times.”

The NVTA recently lost two of their major revenue streams granted to it when state legislators hiked gas taxes to pay for transportation improvements in 2013, the first increase of its kind in 28 years. But they are adjusting their projections accordingly.

“Two of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority’s three revenue streams that were included in HB 2313 were repealed. Those two revenue streams are Transient Occupancy Tax [TOT, a tax paid by those staying in area hotels] and Grantor’s Tax. The two revenue sources were estimated to generate approximately $75 million annually for the Authority,” Backmon’s email states.

“However, due to the loss of both the TOT and Grantor’s Tax, we revised our projections to reflect the reduction in revenues,” she said. “Although the funding sources have decreased, the region’s transportation needs have not.”

Finding transportation solutions for a decade

Backmon has a history in the transportation game that goes back at least 10 years.

“Prior to my current role as Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, I worked as a planner and then as the Regional Transportation Planner for Prince William County for 10 years. In this capacity, I coordinated with the National Capital Region’s Transportation Planning Board, the Virginia Railway Express, the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and other localities throughout the region,” Backmon stated in an email.

Backmon also served as the Chair for the NVTA’s Jurisdictional and Agency Coordinating Committee for four-and-a-half years. Despite having no staff or funding at the time, they were responsible for carrying out the statutory requirements of the authority.

She was also the project manager for NVTA’s TransAction 2040 long-range transportation plan, which according to Backmon was a catalyst for the 2013 historic transportation funding bill.

Backmon’s vision for transportation improvement

“Transportation improvement in [Northern Virginia] must be multi-modal. The transportation needs of the region are diverse. There is no single mode that will improve and relieve congestion in this region. As such, the Authority’s funding programs are representative of the diverse transportation needs with multi-modal solutions to address them,” Backmon stated in an email.

According to Backmon, some of the projects residents can expect to see in the coming years include:

• Bus rapid transit on Route 1
• Widening of Route 1 in Fairfax and Prince William Counties and the Town of Dumfries
• Platform expansions for VRE enabling 8-car trains to accommodate additional passengers
• Widening of Route 28 in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William Counties
• Intelligent Transportation System Projects
• Regional bike routes on the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail
• New buses for the localities transit systems
• Potomac Yards Metro Station
• New bus garages due to new and expanded bus service
• Improvements to Route 15 in Loudoun County

Though Backmon has played a key part in so many transportation initiatives in the area, she says she couldn’t do it alone.

“It truly takes a collaborative effort for an entity such as the Authority to be the success that it is,” Backmon’s email states.

“I personally would like to thank the Authority members, the member localities and agencies and all of the citizens who take time out of their day to provide feedback and attend our meetings.”