Department of Transportation (501)

Authority: Title 33.1, Chapter 1; Code of Virginia; Chapters 8, 9, and 12, Acts of Assembly of 1989, Special Session II.

A. From the appropriation for dedicated and statewide construction, the Commonwealth Transportation Board shall determine an amount each year, not less than $15,000,000 and not to exceed $200,000,000 from the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, which shall be allocated to localities for revenue sharing.  No additional amount shall be appropriated from the proceeds of Commonwealth of Virginia Transportation Capital Projects Revenue Bonds for this program.

B. Notwithstanding § 33.1-23.1 of the Code of Virginia, the proceeds from the lease or sale of surplus and residue property purchased under this program in excess of related costs shall be applied to the system and locality where the residue property is located.  This funding shall be provided as an increase to the allocations distributed to the systems and localities according to § 33.1-23.1 of the Code of Virginia.

C. The Director, Department of Planning and Budget, is authorized to increase the appropriation as needed to utilize amounts available from prior year balances in the dedicated funds.

D. Included in the amounts for dedicated and statewide construction is the reappropriation of $448,300,000 the first year and $187,000,000 the second year from bond proceeds or dedicated special revenues for anticipated expenditure of amounts collected in prior years.  The amounts will be provided from balances in the Capital Projects Revenue Bond Fund, Federal Transportation Grant Anticipation Revenue Bond Fund, Northern Virginia Transportation District Fund, State Route 28 Highway Improvement District Fund, U.S. Route 58 Corridor Development Fund and the Priority Transportation Fund.  These amounts were originally appropriated when received or forecasted and are not related to FY 2015 and FY 2016 estimated revenues.

E. Projects being developed and procured through adopted state, local or regional design-build provisions, other than those required by § 33.1-12(2)(b), Code of Virginia, may be considered for funding from the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund. In addition, an application requesting funding from the fund shall be limited to requesting only one form of assistance and the limitations included in § 33.1-221.1:8(E), Code of Virginia.

F. Prior to annual adoption of the Six Year Improvement Program, the Commonwealth Transportation Board may allocate funding from the highway portion of the Transportation Trust Fund to undertake any park and ride lot improvements for the I-95 Corridor required pursuant to the Comprehensive Agreement for the I-95 High Occupancy Toll Lanes project.

G. Out of the amounts provided for dedicated and statewide construction, the Commonwealth Transportation Board is hereby directed to utilize any balances remaining of the amounts provided in Item 446 H, Chapter 806 of the 2013 Acts of Assembly for an environmental study for the replacement of the I-64 High Rise Bridge in Chesapeake, Virginia to begin preliminary engineering on such project.

H. The Commissioner is directed to investigate methods through which to fund the replacement of the Churchland Bridge in Portsmouth and report to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees on the feasibility of including federal and or state funding for the project in the Six Year Improvement Program by October 1, 2014.

I. Out of the funds provided for the Transportation Alternatives Program or other sources available to the Board, an amount estimated at $90,000 shall be provided to remove the concrete barrier closing the middle of a tunnel in Crozet, Virginia to allow for the development of a trails project and $50,000 in the first year and $50,000 in the second year shall be provided for gateway signage along Interstates 95 and 64 in the Richmond Regional Planning District.