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2011 SESSION
11105141DBe it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 33.1-23.03:01 of the Code of Virginia is amended and added, and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 15 of Chapter 1 of Title 33.1 a section numbered 33.1-223.2:25 as follows:
§ 33.1-23.03:01. Distribution of certain federal funds.
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) as defined under Title 23 U.S.C. 134 and Section 8 of the Federal Transit Act shall be authorized to issue contracts for studies and to develop and approve transportation plans and improvement programs to the full extent permitted by federal law.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board, Virginia Department
of Transportation, and Department of Rail and Public Transportation are
directed to develop and implement a decision-making process that provides
Metropolitan Planning Organizations a meaningful opportunity for input into
transportation decisions that impact the transportation system within
MPO Organization boundaries. Such a process shall:
1. Provide MPOs a structured opportunity to offer meaningful input on priorities;
2. Demonstrate that MPO input has been sufficiently considered prior to the draft Six Year Improvement Program being released each year; and
3. Provide a written explanation to MPOs, upon request, of the rationale for state transportation decisions that differ substantially from MPO priorities.
§ 33.1-223.2:25. Transportation planning duties and responsibilities of Metropolitan Planning Organizations.
The Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) of Virginia shall be responsible for the development of regional, 20-year long-range transportation plans for the regions they represent. Each such long-range plan shall include a fiscally constrained list of all intermodal transportation projects, including those managed at the statewide level either by the Virginia Department of Transportation or the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. The regional 20-year plan is not to be included in the Commonwealth’s six-year improvement plan (SYIP) or the Commonwealth’s statewide transportation improvement program (STIP). The purpose of the plan is to provide the MPOs and the region with a state-approved and federally approved source of candidate projects for the MPOs’ use in developing regional four-year Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs) and serving as an input to assist the Commonwealth with the development of the statewide Long Range Plan (VTrans).
The MPOs shall develop amendments for their regional TIPs in accordance with federal regulations.
The MPOs shall be required to coordinate planning and programming actions with those of the Commonwealth and duly established public transit agencies. This shall be accomplished in a manner determined by each MPO.
The MPOs shall examine the structure and cost of transit operations within the regions they represent and incorporate the results of these inquiries in their plans and shall endorse long-range plans for assuring maximum utilization and integration of mass transportation facilities throughout the Commonwealth.
The MPOs shall conduct public hearings focused on projects and topics that will best enable them to develop and approve Long Range Transportation Plans (LRTPs) that shall be submitted for approval by their board and the Governor every four years. The MPO TIP documents shall be developed and updated on an annual basis.