Autoblog

Virginia's Gov. McDonnell proposes elimination of gasoline tax

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

The assessment of a gas tax and the role it plays in a state's transportation and overall budgets has been a topic of discussion for a while, and Virginia state governor Bob McDonnell is the latest to offer up another way to secure more revenue from the state's residents to pay for their roads and public transportation. McDonnell's proposal would eliminate Virginia's 17.5-percent gas tax entirely, with funds for infrastructure projects coming from an increase in the sales tax from five percent to 5.8 percent and an annual $100 fee assessed on drivers of alternative-fuel and hybrid vehicles. He would leave in place the tax on diesel fuel, and naturally, the federal gas tax would remain untouched.

Much of the response to the proposal has been, "Um... what?" - as well as "bad policy," "a no-brainer for dumb idea of the week" and "'bold' and 'unprecendented." McDonnell is right to suggest that a possible response to "any innovative and comprehensive transportation plan" is dislike. Still, we think there are holes in parts of his plan. Virginia's gas tax is already one of the lowest in the nation, doesn't rise with inflation and hasn't been increased since 1986. According to McDonnell, the revenue from it has 45 percent less purchasing power now than it did 27 years ago, so "It's a tax that's losing its value every year."

Raising it, or getting it adjusted to inflation, is for some reason not on the menu. The 0.8-percent bump in the sales tax would bring in $600 million more per year than the current gas tax does, yet to eliminate the gas tax entirely seems a bit much; it might not pay as much as it used to, but its still a pretty fair and direct usage fee, so why not take advantage of whatever it can provide?

On top of that, to jettison the gas tax but then tax owners of alternative-fuel and hybrid vehicles because "these vehicles generate little federal gas tax revenue and therefore need to contribute their share to fund the roads they use" seems disingenuous. That means the SUV buyer pays for roads at the cash register, while the Honda Insight buyer has to chip in at the register and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

And on top of all that, the move to a sales-tax funded transportation infrastructure unlinks the "fair share" argument from "the roads they use." People who buy more goods will pay more for their roads, not necessarily people who use the roads more. It's only a proposal at the moment so it has a way to go before becoming law, our guess is that it will have a long fight as well.

Virginia's Gov. McDonnell proposes elimination of gasoline tax originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Truck driver lucky to survive grisly deer swinging escapade

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:46:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos

A rock or a brick dropped from a bridge onto highway traffic below can do a massive amount of damage to cars, not to mention a fatal amount of damage to the people inside them. So how much more dangerous might a falling deer be? The image above tells the tale: as a truck driver on Interstate 295 in Richmond, Virginia was approaching the Buffin Road overpass, somebody threw a dead deer over the side of the bridge. Even crazier, the deer was tied to the bridge with a rope.

The driver said the deer wasn't hanging as he neared the overpass, and he figures it was thrown over just as he got there. When the deer went through the windshield the driver was able to avoid it, but he was hit in the face by the rope and flying glass. The deer came to rest in his cab, and there is still rope tied to the Buffin Road overpass. Check out the video below for the full story as reported by WTVR.

Continue reading Truck driver lucky to survive grisly deer swinging escapade

Truck driver lucky to survive grisly deer swinging escapade originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy dealer sells car for wrong price, apologizes after having buyer arrested

Zach Bowman — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 19:14:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal, Crossover, Chevrolet

A Virginia man spent four hours in jail after purchasing a Chevrolet Traverse from Priority Chevrolet in Chesapeake, VA. The dealer's sales staff accidentally sold the SUV to Danny Sawyer for $5,600 less than they should have, and when Sawyer refused to sign a new, more expensive contract for the correct amount, the dealership called the local police alleging the buyer had stolen the vehicle. Law enforcement then picked Sawyer up and held him for four hours before getting the situation straight.

Dennis Ellmer, president of Priority Chevrolet, says he owes Sawyer an apology on behalf of the dealership, and had intended to do right by the buyer by letting him have the vehicle at the agreed-upon price. But Sawyer's lawyer says it's a little too late for saying, 'sorry.' The briefly-incarcerated owner has filed two lawsuits against the dealer, accusing the business of malicious prosecution, slander, defamation and abuse of process. All told, the suits seek a total of $2.2 million in damages, plus attorney fees.

That $5,600 seems awfully cheap now.

The lawsuit says Sawyer originally purchased a blue Traverse on May 7, but took the SUV back the next day for a black one. The dealer's sales manager made the swap, allegedly without saying anything about a price differential between the two. Either way, Sawyer signed a final contract for around $34,000 when the vehicle he took home had an actual price of closer to $39,000. On June 15, Sawyer was taken into custody by police, but the Commonwealth dropped the charges after finding insufficient evidence to pursue the case.

Chevy dealer sells car for wrong price, apologizes after having buyer arrested originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drive for quieter pavement could lead to carpet-like roads

Jeff Sabatini — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology

Road construction isn't usually something to get excited about, but what if those resurfacing projects were also making roads quieter? While increased traffic has turned some roads into aural nuisances, engineers are working to reduce tire noise by changing the design of pavement surfaces.

According to The Wall Street Journal, new pavement surfaces have the potential to cut tire noise by three to five decibels, which is enough to make roads noticeably quieter. Among the techniques used are giving the pavement a texture and mixing different substances, like rubber, into the concrete. The problem with these approaches, however, is that over time their effects are mitigated by wear and tear. Dirt clogs the textured pavement, and the quiet roads can wear out more prematurely than standard surfaces, according to the report.

Experiments continue, however, with test roads deployed in Arizona, California, Virginia and Washington state. In Europe, legislation has even been passed to require cities to use quieter pavement to reduce noise, according to the report.

Drive for quieter pavement could lead to carpet-like roads originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Federal court upholds forced entry stemming from DUI

Zach Bowman — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

The Supreme Court has long maintained that police can not forcibly enter someone's home without a warrant on the suspicion of driving under the influence, but a federal appeals court recently upheld a case in which a Virginia officer did just that.

On October 3, 2004, Alan J. Cilman had dinner at a local restaurant where he drank and watched a football game. When he left the establishment, officer M.A. Reeves saw Cilman take off at a high rate of speed and proceeded to follow the sports fan to his home. Reeves claims that Cilman ran a stop sign, didn't use his turning indicators and accelerated quickly from each turn.

It's unclear whether Reeves actually activated his cruiser's lights while following Cilman. What is clear is that Cilman made it to his home and quickly walked to his front door while Reeves told him to stop, but did not say that he was under arrest. Cilman then locked his door and told the officer to get off of his property. Reeves called for back up, proceeded to kick in Cilman's door and arrested him for being drunk in public and evasion without force. Those charges were later dropped when a U.S. district court found that entering Cilman's property without a warrant was a violation of his Fourth Amendment rights.

Reeves then proceeded to appeal the decision. Virginia state law declares that if he were later found guilty of a another constitutional infringement, he would be removed from duty. The appellate judges decided that there is no precedent protecting someone from warrantless entry in a case like Cilman's. The court reversed every decision in Cilman's favor and dismissed the case entirely.

Federal court upholds forced entry stemming from DUI originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bugatti looking for a student intern to drive Veyrons, fetch dry cleaning

Noah Joseph — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 08:57:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Bugatti

2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ah, to be in college again. The enlightenment. The drinking. The promiscuity. The million-dollar supercars. Wait, what?

That's right. Bugatti is looking for a student intern at their office in Herndon, Virginia, to help coordinate their marketing and press relations activities. Like any internship, most of the job will probably come down to making coffee for and giving back rubs to your superiors. But in this case, the position entails scheduling - and crucially, transporting - the Bugatti press fleet, organizing events and the like.

You'll need to be a college student to apply, and since the listing specifies they'll be testing for drugs, that may narrow down the field considerably. That, and you'll need to be located near Herndon, Virginia, which is fortunately just half an hour out of DC. So if you're studying at Georgetown, GW, American U or any of the other campuses in or near the nation's capital, keep your nose clean and like being around seven-figure exotics, click through the link below to apply.

Gallery: 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport: First Drive

Photos copyright (C)2010 Rex Roy / AOL

[Source: Volkswagen of America via Jalopnik]

Bugatti looking for a student intern to drive Veyrons, fetch dry cleaning originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Virginia rankles motorists by closing half of all rest-stops amidst budget woes

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

Motorists traveling through Virginia take note: It's time to get used to crossing your legs just a wee bit tighter on long trips through the Old Dominion as the Virginia Department of Transportation has closed nearly half of all its interstate rest areas. The cited reason? Budgetary shortfalls... what else?

According to VDOT, the closure of these 18 rest areas will save $9 million per year and will be joined by delayed construction projects and a slew of laid off workers. Virginia politicians have apparently been arguing the issue for months and a suitable compromise has yet to be reached.

In addition to the obvious loss of restroom choices, critics argue that the shuttering of rest stops may have a negative impact on the safety of travelers as weary drivers and tired truckers will have far fewer places to stop for some shuteye or to get a quick coffee. With more and more states facing severe budget shortfalls, could your state be next? Click past the break for a press release and a full list of closed VA rest areas. Thanks for the tip, Robin!

[Source: Roanoke.com]

Continue reading REPORT: Virginia rankles motorists by closing half of all rest-stops amidst budget woes

REPORT: Virginia rankles motorists by closing half of all rest-stops amidst budget woes originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whither Suburbia? Virginia all but outlaws cul-de-sac construction in face of traffic costs

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials, Lifestyle

Virginia lawmakers are taking a metaphorical battering ram to suburban culs-de-sac, those little dead-end roundabouts that are almost all adorned with a yellow sign saying "No Outlet." Caught out by spiraling maintenance and development costs, the Washington Post reports that legislators are now mandating that the state will only maintain new subdivision roadways that meet its revised requirements for narrower dimensions and increased connectivity. That maintenance includes not only things like pothole patches and striping, but also plowing in winter, meaning that the state's new laws will carry very real consequences for planners and developers who choose not to comply.

The rise of culs-de-sac occurred when suburban city planners and private developers decided it was better to have a few roads act as central spines instead of connecting all roads in a grid. Unfortunately, the result has been that the large thoroughfares connecting all those culs-de-sac suffer from traffic jams, high maintenance costs, as well as a constant need for widening as populations increase. They're also annoying to ambulance drivers who can't take alternate routes while responding to an emergency because side streets off of main arteries often don't connect, resulting in longer response and transport times.

Suburban dwellers are, of course, against the change. They chose culs-de-sac for particular reasons, notably because they are generally safer for children and quieter than connected streets. Cul-de-sac homeowners are worried that if connector streets are added, speeding commuters will start flying through their formerly safe developments like they do on the few connecting roads currently exist.

While there is little that homeowners can do now to change the rules, urban planners and designers are looking at making more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly subdivisions with enough connectivity that there isn't just one road that's either clear or gridlocked. Said one council member, "We're trying to create flexibility... instead of a one size fits all."

Kids, play in the streets while you can, because the times, they are a-changin'...

[Source: Washington Post via Wallet Pop]

Whither Suburbia? Virginia all but outlaws cul-de-sac construction in face of traffic costs originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VA driver's licenses going black-and-white to thwart counterfeiters

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology

To aid in the fight against counterfeiting, Virginia is combining new tech with old: lasers and black & white photography. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has ceased issuing licenses made from layers of plastic, replacing them with cards that use neither layers nor photographs.

The new licenses have a color background, but the photographs are laser etched in black-and-white since lasers can't yet etch in color. The new IDs also sport a bit of microprinting and a transparent second picture, behind which is the person's name in some squiggly print. It's not the prettiest driver's license in the world, but if it helps you hold onto your identity, that's got to count for something. It also gives someone in the DMV purchasing department a chance to say "I've been looking for a good reason to buy a laser..."

[Source: The Associated Press via NBCWashington.com]

VA driver's licenses going black-and-white to thwart counterfeiters originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: 6-year-old learns to drive in GTA, takes mom's Taurus to school

Noah Joseph — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Safety

Click above to jump to the video

"How many times have I told you to stop playing those video games and go to school?" For any kid addicted to his xBox or PlayStation 3, that's bound to sound familiar. The clever (or fortunate) ones will manage to keep the fun rolling with a PSP or Nintendo DS, but at least one child has taken things a step further.

When the six-year-old son of David Eugene Dodson and Jacqulyn Deana Waltman of Wicomico Church, Virginia, missed the bus to school in the morning, he grabbed the keys to the family's Ford Taurus and drove himself. Well, almost. The young driver made it surprisingly far, over a bridge and around a few corners, until he crashed the Taurus into an electrical piling...and then proceeded on foot, determined to make it to school.

The child is now in protective custody together with his four-year-old brother while his parents face child endangerment charges. When asked by state troopers how he learned to drive, he freely told the officials that he honed his chops in front of the television, playing video games like Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam. Who said video games were a waste of time? Follow the jump to view the AP television news report.

[Source: The Seattle Times]

Continue reading VIDEO: 6-year-old learns to drive in GTA, takes mom's Taurus to school

VIDEO: 6-year-old learns to drive in GTA, takes mom's Taurus to school originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raising taxes through speed traps

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, First Drives

As many states and local municipalities struggle to balance budgets and find funding for services like police protection, it seems like many are turning to alternative means of raising revenues. Since politicians are invariably loathe to actually raise taxes to pay for the services that people expect, speed traps are becoming increasingly popular. According to Detroit News columnist John McCormick, not only are more speed traps being used, the fines are getting increasingly punitive. Drivers in Virginia might want to be particularly watchful of speed limits. Surpassing the limit by 15 mph will now cost you $1,250 plus court costs. Topping 80 mph will cost you double that and possibly jail time. All this seems pretty extreme, especially if a driver isn't driving recklessly or the speed limit is set artificially low. Speeding in a residential area is unacceptable, but going 80 on a wide open highway in clear conditions is not necessarily dangerous.

[Source: Detroit News]

Raising taxes through speed traps originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Improvements in Virginia brought to you by new fines on speeders

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:34:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

So they're not out to break a speeder's bank like Indiana, but Virginia has created a host of civil fines for speeders that will pay for the state's new annual $1 billion transportation package. That means that after July 1, not only will you get a bill from the judge for speeding, you will then get a much larger bill from the state. Fr'instance, drive without a license, pay $75 to the court and $900 to VA. Do 20 mph over the limit, pay $200 to the court, pay $1,050 to VA. We really love this one: if you have eight points on your license and get a speeding ticket, you'll pay an additional $75 for every point above eight, and another $100 for simply having more than eight points. That smacks of double jeopardy to us, but what do we know?

For the record, almost no one -- and not just speeders -- likes it. Court clerks are expecting to face the anger when people find out about the new fees at the courthouse window. Defense attorneys are getting ready for legal challenges. Judges are expecting people to start pleading not guilty to avoid paying the fees. Which means prosecutors will face more trials.

The "abuser fees" are only for "major" infractions, and only paid by Virginia residents. The new revenue will pay for building roads, snow removal, pothole repair, and grass mowing. David Albo, one of the legislative sponsors of the bill, took New Jersey's similar fee system as a template, and called it "a voluntary tax." After all, "if you don't commit a crime ... you don't pay anything."

Thanks for the tip, Josh

[Source: Washington Post]

Improvements in Virginia brought to you by new fines on speeders originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia adds replica car category to title process

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Classics, Government/Legal

Beginning on July 1, kit/replica/component car buyers in Virginia will be able to title their vehicles in a different way. It seems the Virginia General Assembly has approved a new law allowing these vehicles to be registered as whatever model year the replica represents. The big advantage there lies in the fact that owners will be getting around those knuckle- and wallet-busting safety and emissions requirements for newly-built cars. This means Virginia will be joining Washington, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Montana and Rhode Island as states with similar titling laws on the books.

But lest you think this gives you carte blanche to build your own backyard burner and terrorize the local citizenry, know that there are some restrictions. First of all, the law defines a replica as "a vehicle not fully constructed by a licensed manufacturer but either constructed or assembled from components." Secondly, as a gesture of good will between thankful hobbyists and concerned officials, "replica vehicles titled under this law will be limited to no more than 5,000 miles per year as shown by the vehicle's odometer." So it has to be a true kit car, not a tuner, and you have to keep your driving down to about 100 miles per weekend or 400 miles a month.

In particular this will help manufacturers of cars like the Shelby Cobra kits we see all over the place. In fact, the Cobra clubs in Virginia were instrumental in getting this bill passed. Being heavily involved in the industry, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) was also part of the process. SEMA has actually been at the forefront in encouraging states to pass this kind of legislation. They are also working on similar initiatives in Florida, Arkansas, New York, Massachusetts and Nevada.

[Source: SEMA]

Virginia adds replica car category to title process originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota poised to build plant number eight in US

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 07:52:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Toyota is in the process of scouting locations and performing feasibility studies on opening another plant in the U.S.

The addition of another manufacturing center within the States would make the total number of ToMoCo plants rise to eight, further shoring up production capacity in one of its most prosperous markets.

According to sources cited by the WSJ, Toyota has five locations in mind, all of which are in the southern U.S., and currently include Chattanooga, TN and Marion, AR. Back in mid-December, the SouthernAutoCorridor.com reported that sites in North Carolina and Southwest Virginia were being reconed as well.

There may be an announcement about Toyota's intentions later this month and according to the WSJ's sources, the plant will likely produce Highlander SUVs to the tune of about 200k per year, when the plant opens in 2009.

[Source: Drive.com.au, Wall Street Journal, SouthernAutoCorridor.com]

Toyota poised to build plant number eight in US originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Jan 2007 07:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Funny licenses prove Virginia will let anyone drive

John Neff — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos

You may have seen what's widely considered to be the hottest drivers licenese picture in the world. Then there's the other end of the spectrum. The guys behind the Jackass-meets-SNL DVD called Teenagers from Uranus decided to test the limit of Virginia's tolerance for ugly head shots in the video after the jump. Needless to say, such a limit does not exist in the state of Virginia, and the DMV in that state welcomes all with a pulse.

If you're truly concerned about showing up photogenic the day you get your drivers license renewed, check out this link for tips from Tyra Banks on how to take a FIERCE photo at the DMV. Seriously, what would we do without Tyra?

Thanks to macky for the tip!

Continue reading VIDEO: Funny licenses prove Virginia will let anyone drive

VIDEO: Funny licenses prove Virginia will let anyone drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two steps forward for Ford, one step way back for two Ford plants

John Neff — Sun, 16 Apr 2006 07:04:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

Mark Fields revealed last week during his update speech detailing Ford's progress with its "Way Forward Plan" that two Blue Oval plants will be idled in 2008. The two plants affected include the Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul, MN and the Norfolk Assembly Plant in Virginia.

One word can sum up why these plants were chosen to be idled: inflexibility. Both were built in 1925 around the time dirt was invented. Though the Norfolk plant assembles the F-150, the best selling vehicle in history that's on pace to sell a record 900,000 units for the third year in a row, Ford realized that flexible manufacturing at fewer plant sites could maintain its full-size truck production. The Twin Cities plant, however, was betrayed by its own product - the Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series small pickups. Ranger sales are down 15.9 in the first quarter and the aged trucks haven't received a major redesign since 1992 (MY1993).

The idling (read: closing) will affect 4,318 hourly and salaried workers. Ford did say that it would reveal its plans surrounding a Ranger replacement closer to the time the Twin Cities plant goes dark in 2008.

Follow the jump for some additional stats and a history of production for each plant.

[Source: Ford]
[Photo: AP Photo/Janet Hostetter]

Continue reading Two steps forward for Ford, one step way back for two Ford plants

Two steps forward for Ford, one step way back for two Ford plants originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Apr 2006 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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