With the Virginia General Assembly more than halfway through its 2014 session, Suffolk looks set to get some of its most important and pressing needs met by the state legislature this year.

There have been a couple of misses among the city’s legislative agenda. It does not now appear likely the city will get its wish for an exemption from the recovery of state costs associated with operation of the Western Tidewater Regional Jail. That would mean the city and its partners in the jail must come up with a plan to offset revenues lost when the jail had to reduce the charge for keeping federal prisoners in order to keep from losing the majority of those prisoners — and the revenue they bring the jail — to Virginia Beach.

Also, the failure of Suffolk’s request for legislation that would have permitted alternate criteria for establishing an enterprise zone could affect officials’ ability to pitch the city to prospective industries looking for the tax breaks such zones allow. Suffolk lost its enterprise zone because of increasing household incomes. But Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s administration has agreed to study the matter with an eye toward expanding the program statewide, so there is hope that Suffolk could still get its enterprise zone reinstated in coming years.

But at least one thing that took place in Richmond during this legislative session could have a more immediate and tangible effect on the quality of life here. If they survive the budget process, two budget amendments would provide the city with considerable resources to help mitigate the traffic disruptions resulting from railroad crossings in various parts of the city, especially along Nansemond Parkway.

One would allocate $20 million from a 2008 balance toward creating underpasses and overpasses at some of the grade crossings, and another would direct the Commonwealth Transportation Board to earmark additional unallocated money to the Nansemond Parkway crossings. With Suffolk facing the prospect of ever-increasing train traffic headed to and from Virginia’s ports, motorists are becoming desperate for a solution to the problem of frequent traffic jams created when those trains cross heavily traveled roads in the city.

A couple of studies that could provide new economic opportunities in Suffolk passed the Senate unanimously and await action in the House of Delegates. One would direct the Virginia Department of Transportation to examine moving its regional office from its current location on North Main Street, which has been targeted as a prime growth area in the central part of the city. The other would examine the feasibility of combining a new library on West Washington Street with resources from Paul D. Camp Community College, a move that could help make the downtown area a new academic hub.

Suffolk officials aren’t going to get everything they wanted from the General Assembly this year, but there’s a good chance they’ll get some of the biggest items on their wish list granted. That’s good news for everybody.