The Virginia State Senate passed a transportation bill in the General Assembly last week, allowing counties to enact local sales and income taxes and reducing funds that can be used for transportation from the state's general fund, according to The Fairfax County Times.

Localities would be able to levy local income taxes of between a quarter and one percent. The bill also authorizes a one percent sales tax increase for any county, and an additional half percent sales tax for Northern Virginia counties.

Other revenue-generating provisions include first-time driver's license fees, a one-cent increase in diesel fuel tax and a car rental tax. About $2 billion in bond sales would also be authorized, The Fairfax County Times reports.

For public transit, the bill provides $25 million for Virginia Railway Express, and $50 million for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

A special transportation fund for Northern Virginia would also be created as well as a "commonwealth airport fund," which would partially channel funds toward the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

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