SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2009 SESSION


CHAPTER 690
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-229, 15.2-2232, 33.1-12, and 33.1-23.03 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Statewide Transportation Plan; transportation corridors.
[S 1398]
Approved March 30, 2009

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That §§ 2.2-229, 15.2-2232, 33.1-12, and 33.1-23.03 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 2.2-229. Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment of the Secretary of Transportation.

There is hereby established the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment of the Secretary of Transportation, consisting of a director, appointed by the Secretary of Transportation, and such additional transportation professionals as the Secretary of Transportation shall determine. The goals of the Office are to provide solutions that link existing systems; promote the coordination of transportation investments and land use planning; reduce congestion; improve safety, mobility, and accessibility; and provide for greater travel options. It shall be the duty of the director of the office to advise the Secretary, the Virginia Aviation Board, the Virginia Port Authority Board, and the Commonwealth Transportation Board on intermodal issues, generally.

The purpose responsibilities of the Office shall be:

1. To coordinate and oversee major multimodal corridor studies as directed by the Secretary identify transportation solutions to promote economic development and all transportation modes, intermodal connectivity, environmental quality, accessibility for people and freight, and transportation safety;

2. To assist the Commonwealth Transportation Board in the Development development of the Statewide Transportation Plan pursuant to § 33.1-23.03;

3. To advocate multimodal planning solutions as part of coordinate and oversee studies of potential highway, transit, rail, and other improvements or strategies, to help address mobility and accessibility within corridors of statewide significance and regional networks, and promote commuter choice inclusion in the six-year improvement program;

4. To work with and coordinate action of the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, the Virginia Port Authority, and the Virginia Department of Aviation to promote intermodal and multimodal solutions in each agency's strategic and long-range plans;

5. To work with and review plans of regional transportation agencies and authorities to promote intermodal and multimodal solutions;

6. To assess implementation of intermodal planning, including periodic comparisons between and among statewide and regional multimodal plans;

7. To work with and coordinate actions of the agencies of the transportation Secretariat to assess freight movements and promote intermodal and multimodal solutions to address freight needs, including assessment of intermodal facilities;

8 7. To assess and coordinate transportation safety needs related to passenger and freight movements by all transportation modes;

9 8. To coordinate the adequate accommodation of pedestrian, bicycle, and other forms of nonmotorized transportation in the six-year improvement program and other state and regional transportation plans;

9. To work with and coordinate actions of the agencies of the transportation Secretariat to implement a comprehensive, multimodal transportation policy;

10. To develop quantifiable and achievable goals pursuant to § 33.1-23.03 and transportation and land use performance measures and prepare an annual performance report on state and regional efforts. The Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment shall work with applicable regional organizations to develop such goals;

11. To inventory and assess intermodal facilities of statewide importance, prioritize new facilities, and recommend facilities for consideration in the six-year improvement program; and

12. To identify and facilitate public and private partnerships to achieve the goals of state and regional plans;

12. To provide technical assistance to local governments and regional entities to establish and promote urban development areas pursuant to § 15.2-2223.1; and

13. To establish standards for the coordination of transportation investments and land use planning to promote commuter choice and transportation system efficiency.

§ 15.2-2232. Legal status of plan.

A. Whenever a local planning commission recommends a comprehensive plan or part thereof for the locality and such plan has been approved and adopted by the governing body, it shall control the general or approximate location, character and extent of each feature shown on the plan. Thereafter, unless a feature is already shown on the adopted master plan or part thereof or is deemed so under subsection D, no street or connection to an existing street, park or other public area, public building or public structure, public utility facility or public service corporation facility other than a railroad facility or an underground natural gas or underground electric distribution facility of a public utility as defined in subdivision (b) of § 56-265.1 within its certificated service territory, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be constructed, established or authorized, unless and until the general location or approximate location, character, and extent thereof has been submitted to and approved by the commission as being substantially in accord with the adopted comprehensive plan or part thereof. In connection with any such determination, the commission may, and at the direction of the governing body shall, hold a public hearing, after notice as required by § 15.2-2204. Following the adoption of the Statewide Transportation Plan by the Commonwealth Transportation Board pursuant to § 33.1-23.03 and written notification to the affected local governments, each local government through which one or more of the designated corridors of statewide significance traverses, shall, at a minimum, note such corridor or corridors on the transportation plan map included in its comprehensive plan for information purposes at the next regular update of the transportation plan map. Prior to the next regular update of the transportation plan map, the local government shall acknowledge the existence of corridors of statewide significance within its boundaries.

B. The commission shall communicate its findings to the governing body, indicating its approval or disapproval with written reasons therefor. The governing body may overrule the action of the commission by a vote of a majority of its membership. Failure of the commission to act within sixty days of a submission, unless the time is extended by the governing body, shall be deemed approval. The owner or owners or their agents may appeal the decision of the commission to the governing body within ten days after the decision of the commission. The appeal shall be by written petition to the governing body setting forth the reasons for the appeal. The appeal shall be heard and determined within sixty days from its filing. A majority vote of the governing body shall overrule the commission.

C. Widening, narrowing, extension, enlargement, vacation or change of use of streets or public areas shall likewise be submitted for approval, but paving, repair, reconstruction, improvement, drainage or similar work and normal service extensions of public utilities or public service corporations shall not require approval unless such work involves a change in location or extent of a street or public area.

D. Any public area, facility or use as set forth in subsection A which is identified within, but not the entire subject of, a submission under either § 15.2-2258 for subdivision or subdivision A 8 of § 15.2-2286 for development or both may be deemed a feature already shown on the adopted master plan, and, therefore, excepted from the requirement for submittal to and approval by the commission or the governing body; provided, that the governing body has by ordinance or resolution defined standards governing the construction, establishment or authorization of such public area, facility or use or has approved it through acceptance of a proffer made pursuant to § 15.2-2303.

E. Approval and funding of a public telecommunications facility by the Virginia Public Broadcasting Board pursuant to Article 12 (§ 2.2-2426 et seq.) of Chapter 24 of Title 2.2 shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this section and local zoning ordinances with respect to such facility with the exception of television and radio towers and structures not necessary to house electronic apparatus. The exemption provided for in this subsection shall not apply to facilities existing or approved by the Virginia Public Telecommunications Board prior to July 1, 1990. The Virginia Public Broadcasting Board shall notify the governing body of the locality in advance of any meeting where approval of any such facility shall be acted upon.

F. On any application for a telecommunications facility, the commission's decision shall comply with the requirements of the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. Failure of the commission to act on any such application for a telecommunications facility under subsection A submitted on or after July 1, 1998, within ninety days of such submission shall be deemed approval of the application by the commission unless the governing body has authorized an extension of time for consideration or the applicant has agreed to an extension of time. The governing body may extend the time required for action by the local commission by no more than sixty additional days. If the commission has not acted on the application by the end of the extension, or by the end of such longer period as may be agreed to by the applicant, the application is deemed approved by the commission.

§ 33.1-12. General powers and duties of Board, etc.; definitions.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board shall be vested with the following powers and shall have the following duties:

(1) Location of routes. To locate and establish the routes to be followed by the roads comprising systems of state highways between the points designated in the establishment of such systems. Such routes shall include corridors of statewide significance pursuant to § 33.1-23.03.

(2) Construction and maintenance contracts and activities related to passenger and freight rail and public transportation.

(a) To let all contracts to be administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation or the Department of Rail and Public Transportation for the construction, maintenance, and improvement of the roads comprising systems of state highways and for all activities related to passenger and freight rail and public transportation in excess of $2 million. The Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner shall have authority to let all Virginia Department of Transportation-administered contracts for highway construction, maintenance, and improvements up to $2 million in value. The Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation shall have the authority to let contracts for passenger and freight rail and public transportation improvements up to $2 million in value. The Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner is authorized to enter into agreements with localities, authorities, and transportation districts to administer projects and to allow those localities, authorities, and transportation districts to let contracts for highway construction, maintenance, and improvements within their jurisdictions. The Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation is authorized to enter into agreements with localities, authorities, and transportation districts to administer projects and to allow those localities, authorities, and transportation districts to let contracts for passenger and freight rail and public transportation activities within their jurisdictions. The Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner and the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation shall report on their respective transportation contracting activities at least quarterly to the Board.

(b) The Commonwealth Transportation Board may award contracts for the construction of transportation projects on a design-build basis. These contracts may be awarded after a written determination is made by the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner or the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, pursuant to objective criteria previously adopted by the Board regarding the use of design-build, that delivery of the projects must be expedited and that it is not in the public interest to comply with the design and construction contracting procedures normally followed. Such objective criteria will include requirements for prequalification of contractors and competitive bidding processes. These contracts shall be of such size and scope to encourage maximum competition and participation by agency prequalified and otherwise qualified contractors. Such determination shall be retained for public inspection in the official records of the Department of Transportation or the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, as the case may be, and shall include a description of the nature and scope of the project and the reasons for the Commissioner's or Director's determination that awarding a design-build contract will best serve the public interest. The provisions of this section shall supersede contrary provisions of subsection D of § 2.2-4303 and § 2.2-4306.

(c) For transportation construction projects valued in excess of $100 million, the Commonwealth Transportation Board shall require that a financial plan be prepared. This plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (i) a complete cost estimate for all major project elements; (ii) an implementation plan with the project schedule and cost-to-complete information presented for each year; (iii) identified revenues by funding source available each year to meet project costs; (iv) a detailed cash-flow analysis for each year of the proposed project; and (v) efforts to be made to ensure maximum involvement of private enterprise and private capital.

(d) The Commonwealth Transportation Board may award contracts for the provision of equipment, materials, and supplies to be used in construction of transportation projects on a fixed-price basis. Any such contract may provide that the price to be paid for the provision of equipment, materials, and supplies to be furnished in connection with the projects shall not be increased but shall remain fixed until completion of the projects specified in the contracts. Material components of any such contract for annual and multi-year programs, including but not limited to maintenance, may be fixed at the outset of the projects and until completion based on best achievable prices.

(3) Traffic regulations. To make rules and regulations, from time to time, not in conflict with the laws of the Commonwealth, for the protection of and covering traffic on and the use of systems of state highways and to add to, amend or repeal the same.

(4) Naming highways, bridges, and interchanges. To give suitable names to state highways, bridges, and interchanges and change the names of any highways, bridges, or interchanges forming a part of the systems of state highways, except such highways, bridges, or interchanges as have been or may hereafter be named by the General Assembly; provided that the name of living persons shall not be used for such purposes. The Department of Transportation shall place and maintain appropriate signs indicating the names of highways, bridges, and interchanges named by the Board or by the General Assembly. The costs of producing, placing, and maintaining these signs shall be paid by the counties, cities, and towns in which they are located. No name shall be given to any state highway, bridge or interchange by the Commonwealth Transportation Board unless and until the Commonwealth Transportation Board shall have received from the local governing body of the locality within which a portion of the facility to be named is located a resolution of that governing body requesting such naming.

(5) Compliance with federal acts. To comply fully with the provisions of the present or future federal aid acts. The Board may enter into all contracts or agreements with the United States government and may do all other things necessary to carry out fully the cooperation contemplated and provided for by present or future acts of Congress in the area of transportation.

(6) Information and statistics. To gather and tabulate information and statistics relating to transportation and disseminate the same throughout the Commonwealth. In addition, the Commissioner shall provide a report to the Governor, the General Assembly, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, and the public concerning the current status of all highway construction projects in the Commonwealth. This report shall be posted at least four times each fiscal year, but may be updated more often as circumstances allow. The report shall contain, at a minimum, the following information for every project in the Six-Year Improvement Program: (i) project description; (ii) total cost estimate; (iii) funds expended to date; (iv) project timeline and completion date; (v) statement of whether project is ahead of, on, or behind schedule; (vi) the name of the prime contractor; (vii) total expenditures of federal transportation funds in each county and city; (viii) total expenditures of state transportation funds in each county and city; (ix) statewide totals for federal, state, and local funds expended for highways; (x) statewide totals for federal, state, and local funds expended for transit; (xi) total funds expended on intercity passenger and freight rail line and trains; and (xii) total funds expended in each federal and state programmatic category. Use of one or more Internet websites may be used to satisfy this requirement. Project specific information posted on the Internet shall be updated daily as information is available.

(7) Policies and operation of Departments. To review and approve policies and transportation objectives of the Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, to assist in establishing such policies and objectives, to oversee the execution thereof, and to report thereon to the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner and the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, respectively.

(8) Cooperation with other agencies and local governments.

(a) To cooperate with the federal government, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and any other organization in the numbering, signing and marking of highways, in the taking of measures for the promotion of highway safety, in research activities, in the preparation of standard specifications, in the testing of highway materials and otherwise with respect to transportation projects.

(b) To offer technical assistance and coordinate state resources to work with local governments, upon their request, in developing sound transportation components for their local comprehensive plans.

(9) Transportation.

(a) To monitor and, where necessary, approve actions taken by the Department of Rail and Public Transportation pursuant to Chapter 10.1 (§ 33.1-391.1 et seq.) of this title in order to ensure the efficient and economical development of public transportation, the enhancement of rail transportation, and the coordination of such rail and public transportation plans with highway programs.

(b) To coordinate the planning for financing of transportation needs, including needs for highways, railways, seaports, airports, and public transportation and to set aside funds as provided in § 33.1-23.03:1. To allocate funds for these needs pursuant to §§ 33.1-23.1 and 58.1-638, the Board shall adopt a Six-Year Improvement Program of anticipated projects and programs by July 1 of each year. This program shall be based on the most recent official Transportation Trust Fund revenue forecast and shall be consistent with a debt management policy adopted by the Board in consultation with the Debt Capacity Advisory Committee and the Department of the Treasury.

(c) To recommend to the General Assembly for their consideration at the next session of the General Assembly, objective criteria to be used by the Board in selecting those transportation projects to be advanced from the feasibility to the construction stage. If such criteria are enacted into law, such objectives shall apply to the interstate, primary, and urban systems of highways.

(d) To enter into contracts with local districts, commissions, agencies, or other entities created for transportation purposes.

(e) To promote increasing private investment in Virginia's transportation infrastructure, including but not limited to acquisition of causeways, bridges, tunnels, highways, and other transportation facilities.

(10) Contracts with other states. To enter into all contracts with other states necessary for the proper coordination of the location, construction, maintenance, improvement, and operation of transportation systems, including the systems of state highways with the highways of such other states and, where necessary, to seek the approval of such contracts by the Congress of the United States.

(11) Use of funds. To administer, distribute, and allocate funds in the Transportation Trust Fund as provided by law. The Commonwealth Transportation Board shall ensure that the total funds allocated to any highway construction project are equal to total expenditures within 12 months following completion of the project. However, this requirement shall not apply to debt service apportionments pursuant to § 33.1-23.3 or 33.1-23.4.

(12) Financial and investment advisors. With the advice of the Secretary of Finance and the State Treasurer, to engage a financial advisor and investment advisor who may be anyone within or without the government of the Commonwealth, to assist in planning and making decisions concerning the investment of funds and the use of bonds for transportation purposes. The work of these advisors shall be coordinated with the Secretary of Finance and the State Treasurer.

(13) The powers of the Virginia Aviation Board set out in Chapter 1 (§ 5.1-1 et seq.) of Title 5.1 and the Virginia Port Authority set out in Chapter 10 (§ 62.1-128 et seq.) of Title 62.1 are in no way diminished by the provisions of this title.

(14) To enter into payment agreements with the Treasury Board related to payments on bonds issued by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.

(15) Outdoor theaters. By regulation:

(a) To prevent the erection of moving picture screens of outdoor theaters in such a manner as to be ordinarily visible from any highway;

(b) To require that a sufficient space is left between any highway and the entrance to any outdoor theater to prevent congestion on the highway; and

(c) To require that outdoor theater entrances and exits are adequately lighted and marked.

The term "public transportation" or "mass transit" as used in this title means passenger transportation by rubber-tired, rail, or other surface conveyance which provides shared ride services open to the general public on a regular and continuing basis. The term does not include school buses; charter or sight-seeing service; vehicular ferry service that serves as a link in the highway network; or human service agency or other client-restricted transportation.

(16) Establishment of highway user fees for the systems of state highways. When the traffic-carrying capacity of any system of state highways or a portion thereof is increased by construction or improvement, the Commonwealth Transportation Board may enter into agreements with localities, authorities, and transportation districts to establish highway user fees for such system of state highways or portion thereof that the localities, authorities, and transportation districts maintain.

(17) Subject to compliance with applicable federal regulations, the Commonwealth Transportation Board shall establish a plan for identification and acquisition of rights-of-way that may be needed within the corridors designated on the Statewide Transportation Plan.

§ 33.1-23.03. Board to develop and update Statewide Transportation Plan.

A. The Commonwealth Transportation Board shall, with the assistance of the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment, conduct a comprehensive review of statewide transportation needs in a Statewide Transportation Plan setting forth an inventory of all construction assessment of capacity needs for all systems, and based upon this inventory, establishing goals, objectives, and priorities covering a twenty-year planning horizon, in accordance with federal transportation planning requirements. This plan shall embrace all modes of transportation and include technological initiatives corridors of statewide significance, regional networks, and improvements to promote urban development areas established pursuant to § 15.2-2223.1. The assessment shall consider all modes of transportation. Such corridors shall be planned to include multimodal transportation improvements, and the plan shall consider corridor location in planning for any major transportation infrastructure, including environmental impacts and the comprehensive land use plan of the locality in which the corridor is planned. In the designation of such corridors, the Commonwealth Transportation Board shall not be constrained by local, district, regional, or modal plans.

This Statewide Transportation Plan shall be updated as needed, but no less than once every five years. The plan shall promote economic development and all transportation modes, intermodal connectivity, environmental quality, accessibility for people and freight, and transportation safety.

B. The Statewide Transportation Plan shall establish goals, objectives, and priorities that cover at least a 20-year planning horizon, in accordance with federal transportation planning requirements. The plan shall include quantifiable measures and achievable goals relating to, but not limited to, congestion reduction and safety, transit and high-occupancy vehicle facility use, job-to-housing ratios, job and housing access to transit and pedestrian facilities, air quality, movement of freight by rail, and per capita vehicle miles traveled. The Board shall consider such goals in evaluating and selecting transportation improvement projects for inclusion in the Six-Year Improvement Program pursuant to § 33.1-12.

C. The plan shall incorporate the approved long-range plans' measures and goals developed by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority applicable regional organizations. Each such plan shall be summarized in a public document and made available to the general public upon presentation to the Governor and General Assembly.

D. It is the intent of the General Assembly that this plan assess transportation needs and assign priorities to projects on a statewide basis, avoiding the production of a plan which is an aggregation of local, district, regional, or modal plans.

2. That the Commonwealth Transportation Board, with the assistance of the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment, may require that appropriate regional organizations develop as part of a long-range plan quantifiable measures and achievable goals for the urban region relating to, but not limited to, congestion reduction and safety, transit and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) usage, job-to-housing ratios, job and housing access to transit and pedestrian facilities, air quality, movement of freight by rail, and per capita vehicle miles traveled.

3. That the designation of the transportation corridors under this act shall be in sufficient detail so that the local jurisdictions can place them on their comprehensive plans.

4. That the Commonwealth Transportation Board shall conduct public hearings as it deems appropriate in order to prepare the Statewide Transportation Plan.

5. Subject to compliance with federal and state law and regulations and the allocation of funds, that once the corridors are established, the Commonwealth shall begin the appropriate environmental studies, and such information may be used in a program to invite possible construction and improvement to the corridor through a public-private partnership. The development of environmental studies shall be prioritized by corridor based on criteria established by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.