Government Affairs

General Assembly Update

February 4, 2014

HOUSE CONSIDERS TRANSPORTATION REFORMS

While last year’s landmark transportation funding legislation is generating much-needed revenue for Virginia’s transportation network, this year House republican leaders are focusing on bills that will ensure that Virginia is spending this new revenue in the most efficient and effective way possible.

There are seven transportation reform bills that are under consideration by the House of Delegates this year:

HB 2 (Stolle) – Requires the Commonwealth Transportation Board and VDOT to develop and utilize a prioritization model for making determinations about all transportation projects. Stakeholders from various regions, including highway construction districts, metropolitan planning organizations and the CTB, will collaboratively set “weights” for key factors like congestion mitigation, economic development, accessibility, safety and environmental quality.

HJ122 (LeMunyon) – Requires the Secretary of Transportation and VDOT to create and implement statewide transportation technology goals and a five-year plan of action. Such goals and plan are to be directed to enhancing the efficiency, safety, and convenience of all modes of transportation throughout the Commonwealth.

HB1090 (Villanueva) – Requires Secretary of Transportation and Department of Transportation to revise and update the state’s Smart Travel Programs by evaluating and incorporating, where appropriate, new smart road technologies and other innovations in transportation.

HB1095 (Peace) – Creates the Innovation and Technology Transportation Fund to fund pilot programs and fully developed initiatives pertaining to high-tech infrastructure improvements with five percent of the annual amount allocated by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.

HB1098 (Anderson) – Requires the Secretary of Transportation and VDOT to establish a smart transportation pilot zone (modeled on the Smart Road managed by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in Montgomery County) in either the Northern Virginia or the Hampton Roads highway construction district.

HB1100 (Yancey) – Requires the Commonwealth Transportation Board to include key factors like congestion mitigation, economic development, accessibility, safety and environmental quality in the development of the Commonwealth’s Six-Year Plan.

HB1183 (Comstock) – Creates the Virginia Transportation Solutions Working Group and authorizes it to advise the Commonwealth Transportation Board on matters pertaining to transportation policy, transportation innovation and technologies, and traffic congestion relief strategies.