The Fairfax Board of Supervisors, prompted by "hundreds of resident complaints," voted Tuesday to send a letter to Virginia's transportation officials to complain about the deteriorating conditions of county roads.

The Virginia Department of Transportation, which manages the maintenance of Fairfax's roads, has been shirking its maintenance duties, according to Supervisor Jeff McKay, D-Lee District, who proposed sending the letter.

"I've got crosswalks in front of Metro stations that don't have paint on them anymore," McKay said. "I've got school crossings that don't have paint anymore, I've got medians that aren't mowed and I've got trash laying along the roadsides."

McKay said VDOT officials must address those issues or advise the county on ways local officials and residents could assist in maintaining area roadways.

"If VDOT's not going to do anything about these issues, then they need to tell us how we can do something," McKay said.

Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton said earlier this month that it was becoming "increasingly difficult" for the state to maintain local streets.

"We have limited resources," Connaughton said, adding that the state's first priority was the maintenance and improvement of Virginia's interstates and other highways.

Virginia's transportation department in May announced a program encouraging volunteers to cut the grass on local medians. But the state requires volunteers to obtain permits before breaking out their mowers, and the permit process is onerous and complicated.

"You'd need a lawyer to get that permit," McKay said. "[VDOT] needs to simplify the process by which people can help."

Calls to the state's transportation department Tuesday were not immediately returned.

Supervisor John Cook, R-Braddock, said the board should look beyond blaming the state and work with Virginia officials to develop a solution.

McKay agreed, but said nothing could happen without the General Assembly's rubber stamp.

"This [letter] is not so much a complaint as it is a call to action," he said.

The supervisors voted unanimously to send the letter to the state's transportation officials, and plan to have a draft prepared by the end of the week.