“It’s not a perfect bill,” the Governor said about HB 3202. It certainly wasn’t perfect when he received it, as we have detailed here previously. And no one–not the most ardent supporter of a transportation solution–is pretending these amendments are perfect either.

The Governor has made some major fixes. First, he fixed the technical amendments that created such problems with the original legislation.

Second, there is now a dedicated revenue stream backing up the bonds. Because of that, the total amount of bonds sold can actually be raised.

The most important fix for Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads is the fix to the regional plans. When HB 3202 arrived on the third floor, it contained regional taxing plans that were simply nonstarters. At least the package included in these amendments is something local governments say they can support.

But let’s not kid ourselves. This isn’t a transportation “solution.” It’s a step.