Your Input Is Need On Virginia Transportation Projects

RICHMOND – The public is invited to share comments on transportation projects that have been scored and recommended for funding through Virginia’s new data-driven, prioritization process.  This process was used to score nearly 300 transportation projects proposed by localities and regional planning bodies across the state. The scoring is a key part of a new law, referred to as House Bill 2, to invest limited tax dollars in the right transportation projects.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board will consider public comments as it develops the Six-Year Improvement Program (FY 2017-2022).  The program allocates public funds to highway, road, bridge, rail, bicycle, pedestrian and public transportation projects.  The CTB will select the final list of scored projects to be included in the six-year program following public meetings listed below. 

The meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. in each of the locations except as noted*.  A formal comment period will be held at these meetings:

Monday, March 28, 2016 Bristol – Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, One Partnership Circle Abingdon, VA 24210	Tuesday, April 5, 2016 Salem – Holiday Inn Valley View, 3315 Ordway Drive Roanoke, VA 24017	Tuesday, April 12, 2016 Culpeper – Culpeper District Office Auditorium, 1601 Orange Road Culpeper, VA 22701
Monday, April 18, 2016 Lynchburg – Lynchburg District Office, Ramey Auditorium, 4303 Campbell Ave.(Route 501) Lynchburg, VA 24501	Thursday, April 21, 2016 Richmond – Richmond District Office Auditorium, 2430 Pine Forest Drive Colonial Heights, VA 23834	Monday, May 2, 2016 Northern Virginia – Northern Virginia District Office, Potomac Room, 4975 Alliance Drive Fairfax, VA 22030 *Meeting starts at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016 Fredericksburg –Germanna Community College Center for Workforce & Community Education 10000 Germanna Point Drive Fredericksburg, VA 22408	Thursday, May 12, 2016 Hampton Roads – Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization, 723 Woodlake Drive Chesapeake, VA 23320	Monday, May 16, 2016 Staunton – Blue RidgeCommunity College, Plecker Center forContinuing Education One College Lane Weyers Cave, VA 24486 *Meeting starts at 4 p.m.

 Online sources:

Scored projects recommended for funding:
http://www.virginiahb2.org/documents/hb2_scores_-_rev_scenario_03-10-16_for_ctb.xlsx

Project prioritization information:
http://www.virginiahb2.org/

Six-Year Improvement Program:http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/syp-default.asp

Submitting comments by email or mail:

You can also submit your comments by email or mail by May 27, 2016:

For roads and highways: Six-YearProgram@VDOT.Virginia.gov or Infrastructure Investment Director, Virginia Department of Transportation 1401 East Broad St., Richmond, VA 23219.

For transit and public transportation: DRPTPR@drpt.virginia.gov or Public Information Office, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation 600 East Main Street, Suite 2102, Richmond VA, 23219.

House Bill 2 background:

Law requires projects to be scored based on how they ease congestion; improve economic development, accessibility to jobs, safety and environmental quality; and, support transportation-efficient land use.  Projects in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads score higher if they reduce congestion.  Projects in other parts of the state score higher if they increase economic development.  The Commonwealth held numerous sessions with localities to incorporate their input in developing the scoring system.

Projects meet scoring requirements if they are eligible for funding under the High Priority Projects Program and the District Grant Program.  In addition, projects must demonstrate that they meet a need identified in the Commonwealth’s long-range plan, VTrans2040, which examines Corridors of Statewide Significance, regional networks and improvements to promote urban development areas. The CTB must consider highway, transit, rail, road operational improvements and transportation demand projects, including vanpooling and ridesharing.

Projects funded with federal safety dollars, and projects that rehabilitate aging pavements and bridges are exempted from scoring.

Once projects are scored and public input received, the CTB will select which projects to be funded and included in the six-year program by July 1, 2016.