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1996 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 51
Requesting the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Richmond Metropolitan Authority to expedite the implementation of the automated vehicle identification (AVI) system and to examine the procedures for snow removal on the Powhite Parkway and the Powhite Parkway Extension.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 1, 1996
Agreed to by the Senate, February 29, 1996

WHEREAS, the Powhite Parkway Extension is one of the major transportation arteries serving the residents of central Chesterfield County; and

WHEREAS, the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) recognizes the direct relationship between transportation facilities and land use; and

WHEREAS, ISTEA has application to the highways of the Commonwealth of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Department of Transportation is proceeding with the implementation of ISTEA in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, currently the revenue to cover the financial obligations associated with the construction of the Powhite Parkway Extension is raised through the collection of tolls at a toll plaza located in the vicinity of the Courthouse Road overpass; and

WHEREAS, this toll plaza represents a structural obstacle to the free flow of traffic; and

WHEREAS, the population of Chesterfield County is growing at the fastest pace in the Metropolitan Richmond area; and

WHEREAS, the continuous increase of population and increase of use of the Powhite Parkway Extension present the potential for considerable traffic congestion and delays equal to those experienced at the Richmond Metropolitan Authority toll plazas during rush hour; and

WHEREAS, the potential for traffic congestion, delays, and accidents is exacerbated on the Powhite Parkway and the Powhite Parkway Extension when snow removal is delayed and roads are not promptly cleared to accommodate traffic; and

WHEREAS, it is recognized that revenues to support the Powhite Parkway Extension must be collected; and

WHEREAS, the potential for future traffic congestion is increased without use of more efficient toll collection mechanisms; and

WHEREAS, considerable economic development opportunities are being created both in Chesterfield County and throughout the Richmond Metropolitan area; and

WHEREAS, those economic development opportunities hold the potential of favorably affecting the value of real estate and the quality of life of residents of central Chesterfield County; and

WHEREAS, the potential for increased traffic congestion is viewed as a detriment to the quality of life of residents of the central Chesterfield areas; and

WHEREAS, this issue affects individual citizens whose most prized possessions are their homes; and

WHEREAS, there are alternative methods of collecting the necessary revenue to cover the construction debt of the Powhite Parkway Extension; and

WHEREAS, a joint evaluation by the Richmond Metropolitan Authority and the Virginia Department of Transportation was performed for the use of automatic vehicle identification systems on the Powhite Parkway Extension, the Powhite Parkway, and the Downtown Expressway; and

WHEREAS, the evaluation indicated that the automatic vehicle identification systems are efficient and cost-effective methods of toll collection; and

WHEREAS, a survey indicated that a majority of motorists on these roads were likely to use such procedures; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Richmond Metropolitan Authority be requested to expedite the implementation of the automated vehicle identification (AVI) system and to examine the procedures for snow removal on the Powhite Parkway and the Powhite Parkway Extension. The Department and the Authority shall include in their deliberations on implementing the automated vehicle identification system on the Powhite Parkway Extension, the Powhite Parkway, and the Downtown Expressway, the needs of the affected central Chesterfield County area, including, but not limited to, the residents of a "Development" as defined in § 55-509 of the Code of Virginia, having more than 2,200 dwellings. The Department and the Authority shall also examine and evaluate the procedures for snow removal on the Powhite Parkway and the Powhite Parkway Extension and recommend appropriate alternatives to ensure that such roads are promptly cleared to facilitate road safety during inclement weather.

The Department and the Authority shall complete their work in time to submit their findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 1997 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.