I want to commend state Sen. Richard Stuart for his initiative in tackling the tough issues of our district ["Area legislators put bills into the hopper," Jan. 15]. He understands that traffic congestion is one of the top issues in the Fredericksburg region.
I was delighted to see that his VDOT community service bill (Senate Bill 153) is sailing through the Senate. It's a bill that allows non-violent offenders convicted of misdemeanors to mow rights of way and attend to other landscaping matters for the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Virginia has thousands of miles of rights of way, and the vast majority of VDOT's budget is used in maintenance. This should allow money budgeted for maintenance to go toward construction of roads. It also gives a real consequence for those breaking the law.
This is a great first step toward what I hope are many things to come from our new senator. I thank Mr. Stuart for a job well done.
