Periodically since 1966 the Council has undertaken studies and made recommendations with respect to urban streets and highways and their relation to the total highway system of the Commonwealth.

In its report to the 1970 General Assembly, the Council made it clear that the goals of the Highway Commission's nine-year plan for highway construction, endorsed by the 1966 General Assembly, would not be met by the target date of 1975, The Council at that time urged consideration of the possibilities of increasing revenues, altering priorities and changing the methods of allocating resources for highway construction.

As a result, the General Assembly by means of House Joint Resolution No. 14, directed the Council to continue its study of the Commonwealth's highway needs, with particular emphasis on the urban areas. Pursuant thereto, the Council appointed a committee of three of its members -- Delegate Lewis A. McMurran, Jr. of Newport News, who served as Chairman, Senator Edward E. Willey of Richmond, and Delegate Garnett S. Moore of Pulaski-to undertake this study.

The committee has worked closely with the Department of Highways in seeking ways to meet the Commonwealth's road system needs. The Department submitted its own report to the Council and the General Assembly, which is included as Appendix B of this report. It is the Council's desire to summarize and give emphasis to the recommendations contained therein.

In the two years that have intervened since the Council last reported on this problem, the impossibility of meeting the goals of the nine-year plan has become more evident. Delays in federal funding for the interstate system, higher standards of design and construction for safety and environmental purposes and, most importantly, inflation have put the 1975 target date beyond reach. Clearly major policy changes are needed to counteract the anticipated gap of $1.5 billion in financing the total plan.

As a result the Department of Highways and the Council recommend a new time schedule for achievement of the highest priority aspects of the original nine-year plan, during the decade from 1972 to 1982. This would include all of the remaining projects in the interstate and arterial networks, the highest priority items in the primary and secondary system improvement programs, increased State funds to municipalities for both construction and street maintenance and increased emphasis on urban transit-related projects.