Bill Text: VA HJR73 | 2020 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Interstate 66; CTB to study safety, congestion, etc., concerns.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-11 - Left in Rules [HJR73 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-HJR73-Prefiled.html
WHEREAS, traffic on Interstate 66 does not match typical traffic volume trends where there are two peak periods of traffic volume during the morning and evening rush hours; and
WHEREAS, traffic clusters approach Interstate 66 from several different directions with several prime destinations along this relatively short route; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, during the morning hours, nearly 38 percent of all eastbound traffic came from the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267), 29 percent came from Interstate 66 west of the Beltway, and 29 percent came from south of Interstate 66; and
WHEREAS, even though Interstate 66 crosses the Potomac River into Washington, D.C., a large portion of commuters are using Interstate 66 to get to and from destinations in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, during the evening hours, 42 percent of the westbound traffic came from Arlington County and 40 percent came from Washington, D.C.; and
WHEREAS, continued congestion and unreliable traffic patterns in this corridor threaten the prosperity and economic development of the entire region and create economic hardship for its residents; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Commonwealth Transportation Board be requested to study safety, congestion, and tolling concerns on Interstate 66, financing options for improvements to the corridor, and the feasibility of adding or improving alternate routes in the corridor.
In conducting its study, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (the Board) shall develop and adopt an Interstate 66 Corridor Improvement Plan (the Plan). The Plan shall include the examination of potential improvements to Interstate 66 and the methods of financing such improvements.
At a minimum, in the development of the Plan, the Board shall:
1. Review the efficiency of the toll roads, their impact on local roads, and the impact that development and expansion have and will have on local communities;
2. Designate specific segments of the Interstate 66 corridor for improvement;
3. Identify a targeted set of improvements for each segment that may be financed or funded in such segment and evaluated using the statewide prioritization process pursuant to § 33.2-214.1 of the Code of Virginia;
4. Ensure that, in the overall plan of expenditure and distribution of any toll revenues or other evaluated financing means, each segment's total long-term benefit shall be approximately equal to the proportion of the toll revenues attributable to and other funds allocated to such segment divided by the total toll revenues and other revenues allocated to the Plan;
5. Study truck travel patterns along the Interstate 66 corridor and analyze policies that minimize the impact of the Plan on local truck traffic;
6. Identify incident management strategies corridor-wide;
7. Identify ways in which technology can be leveraged to encourage carpooling, slugging, and public transit;
8. Ensure that any revenues collected on the Interstate 66 corridor be used only for the benefit of that corridor; and
9. Determine potential solutions to address region-specific needs along the Interstate 66 corridor.
Technical assistance shall be provided to the Board by the Department of Transportation, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Department of State Police. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Board for this study, upon request.
The Board shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2020, and shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an executive summary and 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 no later than the first day of the 2021 Regular Session of the General Assembly and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.
