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2004 SESSION
WHEREAS, the Virginia portion of Interstate 81 stretches from Bristol to Winchester at a distance of over 1,300 lane miles, making it the longest interstate in Virginia; and
WHEREAS, the Virginia portion of Interstate 81 passes through 13 counties, 21 cities and towns, and nearly one-fifth of Virginia’s population; and
WHEREAS, the Virginia portion of Interstate 81 consists of over 90 interchanges, nearly all of which are in proximity to some form of commercial activity; and
WHEREAS, the Virginia portion of Interstate 81 is one of the top eight truck routes in the United States and a critical part of a major traffic corridor for the transportation of goods along the East Coast; and
WHEREAS, hundreds of businesses in a variety of sizes and industries are based along the Virginia portion of Interstate 81, contributing billions in revenue and thousands of jobs to Virginia’s economy and enjoy a competitive advantage due to the central location of Interstate 81 along the East Coast; and
WHEREAS, timely maintenance and improvements to the Virginia portion of Interstate 81 over the past 40 years has contributed to the economic growth of the region along Interstate 81 and throughout the entire Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, the twin challenges of relieving congestion and maintaining safety have grown to critical levels along the Interstate 81 corridor; and
WHEREAS, traffic levels along Interstate 81 have grown significantly over the past 40 years, especially over the past decade, where average daily traffic levels have doubled from 25,000 vehicles per day in 1990 to nearly 50,000 vehicles per day in 2000; and
WHEREAS, several large colleges and universities are located along Interstate 81, leading to increased traffic in late spring and early fall; and
WHEREAS, truck traffic along Interstate 81 was originally estimated to account for 15 percent of all traffic, but now accounts for around 30 percent of all traffic; and
WHEREAS, the number of fatal crashes along Interstate 81 from 2000 to 2002 was 73, outpacing the number of fatal crashes along Interstate 64 (64 fatal crashes) and nearly equaling the number on Interstate 95 (78 fatal crashes); and
WHEREAS, fatal crashes make up one percent of all crashes along Interstate 81, which is almost twice as high as the percentage of all crashes along Interstate 64 (.58 percent) or Interstate 95 (.61 percent); and
WHEREAS, Interstate 81 is currently the deadliest Interstate in Virginia; and
WHEREAS, improvements are necessary to address the twin problems of congestion and unsafe conditions; and
WHEREAS, under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) have solicited conceptual proposals to design, build, maintain, and operate improvements to all or parts of Interstate 81; and
WHEREAS, VDOT and the Federal Highway Administration have signed an agreement allowing for an 18-month environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, which will help to safeguard our natural and cultural resources as improvements are considered for Interstate 81; and
WHEREAS, the length of time for proposals submitted under the PPTA to be completed has been estimated to be at least 10 years; and
WHEREAS, one particular improvement that could be made in a shorter time frame that would address both safety and congestion concerns would be the construction of so-called “truck climbing” lanes on portions of Interstate 81 where grades are steep and difficult for heavily laden trucks to traverse at the same speed as non-truck traffic; and
WHEREAS, construction of these "truck climbing" lanes would enhance safety by separating slow-moving trucks from faster traffic, and also serve to avoid aggressive driving that sometimes results from frustrated motorists; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Commonwealth Transportation Board and the Virginia Department of Transportation be encouraged, upon completion of the 18-month NEPA environmental review, to consider various ways to address congestion and safety problems on Interstate 81. As part of its continuing review of construction plans for Interstate 81, the Board and Department are encouraged to (i) examine the potential for construction of "truck climbing" lanes along portions of Interstate 81; (ii) examine the portions of Interstate 81 that are potential candidates for “truck climbing” lanes, placing emphasis on those candidates that would not require the acquisition of additional right-of-way; (iii) investigate additional ways to address safety concerns along Interstate 81, especially during high volume periods surrounding the beginning and end of the college year; and (iv) determine the feasibility of interim safety measures along Interstate 81, including the placing and regular rotation of empty patrol vehicles in the median strip at various locations. The Secretary of Public Safety, the Secretary of Education, and the Virginia State Police are requested to provide technical assistance to the Commonwealth Transportation Board and the Secretary of Transportation, upon request; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit copies of this resolution to the Virginia Secretary of Transportation, the Virginia Secretary of Education, the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety, the Superintendent of State Police, the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner, and the other members of the Commonwealth Transportation Board in order that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly in this matter.