An efficient transportation system that meets the needs of business is key to a strong regional economy. Fortunately, in Hampton Roads we have observed firsthand the beginning of a successful regional effort to advance many of our region’s strategic transportation projects. Through the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO), our region’s elected officials have identified and prioritized our region’s most important transportation projects. Funding plans and strategies for these projects have been developed by the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission (HRTAC). The majority of the funds being used by HRTAC to advance these projects has come from a regional gas tax and sales and use tax, which only exists in two Virginia regions; Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia.