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1996 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 7
Requesting the Secretary of Transportation to convene a special task force on safe maximum highway speed limits.

Agreed to by the Senate, February 13, 1996
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 23, 1996

WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States enacted and the President of the United States signed into law on November 28, 1995, federal legislation abolishing federally mandated maximum highway speed limits; and

WHEREAS, this action returns to the Commonwealth of Virginia the authority to establish appropriate maximum highway speed limits for the various classifications of highways and vehicle types within the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the rapid, safe, efficient, and effective flow of traffic on the Commonwealth's highways should be based on sound, rational, and objective criteria; and

WHEREAS, it is highly desirable that the development and implementation of sound, rational, and objective criteria for setting maximum highway speed limits on the various classifications of highways and for vehicle types within the Commonwealth to promote the rapid, safe, efficient and effective flow of traffic involve the participation not only of those state agencies responsible for highway safety, but also other public and private sector transportation safety-related groups; and

WHEREAS, highways in the Commonwealth built and maintained to federal interstate highway safety and design standards have design speeds in excess of 65 mph and also incorporate a number of other safety features to facilitate the rapid, safe, efficient, and effective movement of traffic; and

WHEREAS, the ultimate responsibility for establishing maximum highway speed limits on the Commonwealth's highways rests with the General Assembly of Virginia; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Secretary of Transportation be requested to convene a special task force on safe maximum highway speed limits to conduct a study for the purpose of recommending appropriate maximum highway speed limits for the various classifications of highways and types of vehicles within the Commonwealth, based on the development of sound, rational, and objective criteria designed to facilitate the rapid, safe, efficient, and effective movement of traffic on the Commonwealth's highways.

The membership of this special task force shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Virginia Transportation Safety Board, the Virginia State Police, the Crash Investigation Team of the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Virginia Highway Research Council, the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia Municipal League, the Virginia Association of Sheriffs, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, the American Automobile Association, and such other organizations or individuals as may be designated by the Secretary of Transportation.

The Secretary shall report on the findings and recommendations of the special task force 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.