Bill Text: VA HJR37 | 2020 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Planning District 16; JLARC to study creating a transportation authority.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-11 - Left in Rules [HJR37 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-HJR37-Prefiled.html
WHEREAS, adequate transportation funding to maintain and expand the Commonwealth's transportation infrastructure has been, and remains, a critical issue facing the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, in 2013, the General Assembly adopted regional funding streams directed specifically at improving transportation infrastructure in Planning District 23 in Northern Virginia and Planning District 8 in Hampton Roads, two areas of the Commonwealth with the greatest transportation needs; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the General Assembly adopted additional funding streams aimed at generating revenue in Planning Districts 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 along the Interstate 81 Corridor; and
WHEREAS, the Fredericksburg region, embraced by Planning District 16, does not have a direct source of revenue for transportation but suffers from serious delay and congestion along the Interstate 95 corridor due to its location between Northern Virginia and Richmond; and
WHEREAS, traffic congestion in Planning District 16 is consistent and recurring, and data indicates that it is not usually due to vehicular crashes or other out-of-the-ordinary events; and
WHEREAS, traffic solutions in Planning District 16 include not only a need to make improvements to Interstate 95 but also a need to increase infrastructure related to rail and transit; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission be directed to study the feasibility of creating a transportation authority for Planning District 16.
In conducting its study, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall document the transportation infrastructure funding needs of Planning District 16; review potential taxes, fees, and other revenue sources that could be regionally generated to support transportation and provide an annual estimate of the amount of revenues that might be generated; study and analyze the regional transportation authorities and commissions that have been established in other regions of the state, including their effectiveness in addressing the target transportation needs of those regions; and recommend whether such an authority or commission should be created for Planning District 16 and which potential revenue streams might be the most efficient and effective for the Fredericksburg region.
Technical assistance shall be provided to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission by the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission for this study, upon request.
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2020, and the chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2021 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall state whether the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.
