General Assembly>Division of Legislative Services>Publications>Session Summaries>2005>Highways, Bridges and Ferries

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Highways, Bridges and Ferries

Passed

P HB1656

Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Highway. Designates Virginia Route 234 in Prince William County between U.S. Route 1 and Interstate Route 66 the "Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Highway."
Patron - Lingamfelter

P HB1705

Manville Veterans Memorial Bridge. Designates the Virginia Route 665 bridge over Copper Creek in Scott County the "Manville Veterans Memorial Bridge."
Patron - Kilgore

P HB1708

Joe D. Meade Bridge. Designates the new pedestrian bridge over Virginia Route 71 at Nickelsville in Scott County, connecting the Nickelsville Elementary School and Keith Memorial Park, the "Joe D. Meade Bridge."
Patron - Kilgore

P HB1891

Junkyards. Amends the definition of "automobile graveyard" to provide that a facility is an "automobile graveyard" even if the vehicles stored there are rearranged within the existing lot.
Patron - Carrico

P HB1893

Deputy Cliff Dicker Memorial Highway. Designates Virginia Route 100 in Wythe County the "Deputy Cliff Dicker Memorial Highway."
Patron - Carrico

P HB1931

Recreational access funding limits. Clarifies limitations on expenditures for recreation access projects.
Patron - Shannon

P HB1972

Northern Virginia Transportation District Program. Allocates funding to the Route 28/Sterling Boulevard interchange in Loudoun County.
Patron - Black

P HB2013

Virginia's Heritage Music Trail: The Crooked Road. Adds to "Virginia's Heritage Music Trail: The Crooked Road," designated in 2004, additional road mileage in Patrick County. This bill is identical to SB 740.
Patron - Armstrong

P HB2020

Use of steel plates in highway repairs. Requires any person using steel plates in connection with highway repairs to follow VDOT standards as to warnings and markings.
Patron - Welch

P HB2049

Virginia Capital Trail. Designates the bicycle and pedestrian transportation facilities within the Virginia Route 5 corridor between the City of Richmond and Jamestown the "Virginia Capital Trail." This bill is identical to SB 1033.
Patron - Miles

P HB2067

Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission. Provides that a member performing "extraordinary duties" may receive compensation for those duties. This provision expires January 1, 2006, and contains an emergency clause. This bill is identical to SB 1261.
Patron - Lewis

P HB2068

Free use of certain toll facilities. Allows free use of toll facilities by law-enforcement officers of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. This privilege does not extend to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel or facilities controlled by the Richmond Metropolitan Authority.
Patron - Lewis

P HB2084

Commonwealth Transportation Board. Clarifies the roles of the Commonwealth Transportation Board and local governing bodies when the latter administer VDOT-financed projects. The bill also corrects obsolete cross-references.
Patron - Watts

P HB2298

Land exchange. Authorizes the exchange of land in Roanoke County between the Commonwealth and the Mennel Milling Company, with the land to be acquired by the Commonwealth to be used as a VDOT maintenance facility. This bill is identical to SB 887.
Patron - Fralin

P HB2336

William H. Hume and Jean Emmons McCarty Hume Memorial Bridge. Designates the Virginia Route 688 bridge across Carter's Run, South, near Hume the "William H. Hume and Jean Emmons McCarty Hume Memorial Bridge."
Patron - Athey

P HB2400

The Crooked Road. Extends "The Crooked Road" (designated in 2004) from Clintwood through Haysi to Breaks Interstate Park.
Patron - Phillips

P HB2554

Interstate Route 81 Safety Taskforce. Requires that the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner establish an Interstate Route 81 Safety Advisory Committee within each highway construction district wherein any portion of Interstate Route 81 is located.
Patron - Cline

P HB2576

H. Paul Buskell Memorial Bridge. Designates the U.S. Route 460 Cedar Bluff bypass bridge over the Clinch River the "H. Paul Buskell Memorial Bridge."
Patron - Stump

P HB2578

VDOT resident engineers. Replaces references to VDOT "resident engineers" with "representatives of the Department" and similar terms. Other technical corrections are also made.
Patron - Stump

P HB2596

Rail Enhancement Fund and Rail Advisory Board. Establishes the Rail Advisory Board and changes the name of the Railway Preservation and Development Fund to the Rail Enhancement Fund, and dedicates to this Fund a portion of the tax on motor vehicle rentals.
Patron - May

P HB2605

Use of federal "transportation enhancement" grants by CTB. Provides that the Commonwealth Transportation Board shall, in accordance with federal law and guidelines for projects qualifying as "transportation enhancements," take such measures as may appear necessary or convenient to consider projects that will (i) address improvements to highway rest areas and welcome centers and (ii) accommodate anticipated quadricentennial tourism in Virginia.
Patron - Landes

P HB2763

Transportation projects. Authorizes the Commonwealth Transportation Board, by and with the consent of the Governor, to issue from time to time revenue obligations of the Commonwealth to be designated "Commonwealth of Virginia Federal Highway Reimbursement Anticipation Notes, Series ....," provided that the aggregate principal amount outstanding at any time shall not exceed $1.2 billion plus an amount for financing expenses. The net proceeds of the Notes shall be used exclusively for the purpose of providing funds, together with any other available funds, for paying the costs, incurred or to be incurred, for construction or funding of projects listed in the Six-Year Improvement Program as may be adopted from time to time by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
Patron - Wardrup

P HB2793

Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund. Creates the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund (the Fund) to be used by the Governor to encourage the development of design-build transportation projects, projects under the Public-Private Transportation Act (§ 56-556 et seq.) and to provide funds to address the transportation aspects of economic development opportunities. Under the bill, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, shall develop guidelines and criteria to be used in awarding grants or making loans from the Fund.
Patron - Wardrup

P HB2856

Virginia's Heritage Music Trail: The Crooked Road. Adds to "Virginia's Heritage Music Trail: The Crooked Road," designated in 2004.
Patron - Dudley

P HB2905

Willard Owens Memorial Highway. Designates Virginia Route 609 in Buchanan County the "Willard Owens Memorial Highway."
Patron - Stump

P HB2938

Michael Todd Blanton Memorial Bridge. Designates the Gaskins Road bridge over Interstate Route 64 in Henrico County the "Michael Todd Blanton Memorial Bridge."
Patron - O'Bannon

P HJ709

I-81 corridor multi-state transportation planning initiative. Urges Congress to encourage the primary states served by the Interstate Route I-81 corridor to adopt a multi-state transportation planning initiative to (i) study, develop, and promote a plan for the design, construction, financing, and operation of optimal freight and passenger transportation facilities in the I-81 corridor; (ii) coordinate efforts to establish the least costly and most efficient combination of transportation infrastructure development; (iii) coordinate and require joint planning between the Virginia Department of Transportation and the departments of transportation of the other states; and (iv) seek and provide funding and resources for innovative and appropriate passenger and freight transportation improvement concepts. This resolution is identical to SB 778.
Patron - Cline

P HJ819

Lift schedule of "Steel Bridge" in Chesapeake. Urges the United States Coast Guard to maintain the Memorial Day to Labor Day lift schedule at the Rt. 17 South/Dominion Boulevard "Steel Bridge" over the Elizabeth River.
Patron - Cosgrove

P SB740

P SB778

Interstate Route 81 Corridor Multistate Transportation Planning Initiative. Provides for the establishment of the Interstate Route 81 Corridor Multistate Transportation Planning Initiative. This bill is identical to HJR 709.
Patron - Potts

P SB813

Integrated Directional Sign Program. Requires the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to establish reasonable fees to be collected from qualified entities for participating in the Integrated Directional Sign Program (IDSP). These fees are to be deposited into a special fund used solely to defray the actual costs of supervising and administering the program. Included in these costs shall be a reasonable margin, not to exceed ten percent, in the nature of a reserve. The bill also requires the CTB to report no later than August 1, 2005, on the actions it has taken relative to adjusting fees as a result of the bill. The Department of Transportation is also directed to review (i) the feasibility and desirability of auctioning certain travel services (logo) signs for which there are more businesses interested in locating on the sign than there is space to accommodate and (ii) concerning Gas Category I, a change from 16 hours per day to 24 hours per day. The results of this review are to be reported to the Senate and House Transportation Committees no later than August 1, 2005. This bill incorporates SB 1254.
Patron - Williams

P SB837

King Family Memorial Bridge. Designates Bridge Number 264 on the Route 260 Connector as the "King Family Memorial Bridge."
Patron - Quayle

P SB887

P SB919

G. A. Treakle Memorial Bridge and T. Ray Hassell, III Memorial Highway. Designates the I-64 High Rise Bridge as the "G. A. Treakle Memorial Bridge" and the Route 168 Great Bridge Bypass as the "T. Ray Hassell, III Memorial Highway."
Patron - Blevins

P SB929

Blue Star Memorial Highway. Designates the entire length of U.S. Route 1 in Fairfax County the "Blue Star Memorial Highway."
Patron - Puller

P SB944

H. Paul Buskell Memorial Bridge. Designates the U.S. Route 460 Cedar Bluff bypass bridge over the Clinch River the "H. Paul Buskell Memorial Bridge."
Patron - Puckett

P SB985

Highway construction; advance of funds by counties. Provides that if funding for the construction of a primary or interstate project is scheduled in the Commonwealth Transportation Board's Six-Year Improvement Program as defined in § 33.1-12, a locality may choose to advance funds to the project. The bill further provides that if such an advance is offered, the Board may consider such request and agree to such advancement and the subsequent reimbursement of the locality of the advance, in accordance with terms agreed upon by the Board and the locality.
Patron - Watkins

P SB1033

P SB1261

P SB1297

80th U.S. Army Reserve Division Highway. Designates portions of several highways south of Richmond as the "80th U.S. Army Reserve Division Highway."
Patron - Wampler

Failed

F HB1526

VDOT noise abatement policies. Provides that whenever (i) there is a conflict between published noise abatement policies of the Department and those published by the federal highway administration or other federal agencies under authority of the National Environmental Policy Act or any amendments thereto or (ii) the noise abatement policy of the Department is silent as to a situation or circumstance covered by a policy published by the federal highway administration or other federal agencies under authority of the National Environmental Policy Act or any amendments thereto, the provisions of the federal policy shall be controlling. The provisions of the bill apply to all highways and highway maintenance or construction projects, regardless of federal funding or the lack of such federal funding.
Patron - Frederick

F HB1527

Audits of Virginia Department of Transportation. Requires that, beginning July 1, 2005, and at least once every two years thereafter, the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner must accept contract proposals from private companies for the purpose of conducting thorough, comprehensive, and independent audits of the Department of Transportation. The major purpose of any such audit will be to ensure that taxes and fees dedicated to transportation purposes are actually expended for transportation infrastructure construction, improvement, and maintenance, and are not wasted on unnecessary and unproductive bureaucracy.
Patron - Frederick

F HB1528

HOV facilities. Bars trucks and tractor-trailer combinations from HOV facilities, except for vehicles of public utility companies operating in response to emergency calls.
Patron - Frederick

F HB1531

High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) facilities. Permits law enforcement vehicles to use HOV facilities only when responding to an emergency call or in an emergency situation, unless occupied by the otherwise required minimum number of occupants.
Patron - Frederick

F HB1537

Town of Dumfries; construction of debris barrier. Authorizes the Town of Dumfries to use I-95 right-of-way to construct a barrier to prevent the deposition of highway debris on property abutting the right of way. Costs of construction are to be paid out of funds allocated for primary system highway construction in the Northern Virginia District.
Patron - Frederick

F HB1548

Special revenue sharing funds for certain towns; highway maintenance and construction funding. Authorizes the establishment of special revenue sharing funds for towns, similar to those authorized under § 33.1-75.1 for counties, to aid in highway projects undertaken jointly by towns and adjoining counties. Allocations by the Commonwealth Transportation Board would be made "off the top" of other allocations to match up to $500,000 in town general funds. Operation of these funds would parallel those established for counties. This bill has been incorporated into HB 2330.
Patron - Scott, E.T.

F HB1574

HOV lanes. Limits use of high-occupancy vehicles (HOV) lanes by law-enforcement personnel to Virginia State Police vehicles, Virginia sheriff's department vehicles and Virginia local law-enforcement agency vehicles, unless the vehicle is carrying the specified minimum number of occupants.
Patron - Albo

F HB1609

Charlottesville bypass. Requires that, if the U.S. Route 29 bypass is not constructed and reimbursement of federal funds expended in connection with that project is required, the amount of such reimbursement shall be deducted from funds allocated or allocable to primary system projects in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, rather than from funds allocated or allocable to the Culpeper Highway Construction District.
Patron - Cole

F HB1632

Advertising within highway rights-of-way. Grants the City of Charlottesville the same ability presently granted to Fairfax County to enter into agreements with the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner for enforcing provisions of § 33.1-373 relating to advertising within highway rights-of-way.
Patron - Van Yahres

F HB1650

Transportation bonds; use of surplus revenues to pay debt service. Requires surplus revenue collections, after deposits are made to the Revenue Stabilization Fund and the Water Quality Improvement Fund, to be deposited in the Transportation Trust Fund and used to pay debt service on previously issued transportation bonds.
Patron - Orrock

F HB1783

Residue parcels of land. Requires the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner to offer residue parcels to the local governing body of the locality wherein the parcels are located before otherwise disposing of them.
Patron - BaCote

F HB1784

Subdivision street standards. Allows county boards to establish standards for subdivision streets that differ from VDOT standards. If they do so, the amount of money allocated or allocable to the county for secondary system construction is not to be reduced.
Patron - BaCote

F HB1825

Town of Dumfries; construction of debris barrier. Authorizes the Town of Dumfries to use the I-95 right-of-way to construct a barrier to prevent the deposition of highway debris on property abutting the right of way. Costs of construction are to be paid out of funds allocated for primary system highway construction in the Northern Virginia District.
Patron - Frederick

F HB1855

Transportation construction and reconstruction. Specifies actions that must be taken (i) by VDOT prior to undertaking any highway construction or reconstruction project in Northern Virginia if the project involves construction of new traffic lanes or modification of existing lanes (ii) by any state agency in connection with any highway construction or reconstruction project under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995.
Patron - Eisenberg

F HB1861

Prohibition on transportation of hazardous materials; penalty. Bans transportation of hazardous materials on Virginia Route 674 in Fairfax County between Virginia Route 123 and Virginia Route 606. This bill is identical to SB 997.
Patron - Shannon

F HB1954

Highway construction, maintenance, and improvement contracts. Gives the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner authority to let all contracts for highway construction, maintenance, and improvements up to $10 million in value instead of the present $2 million.
Patron - Jones, D.C.

F HB2093

Financing of transportation "enhancement" projects. Requires that, in financing "enhancement" projects undertaken using federal grants to homeowners associations, no more than two percent of any such grant can be spent for environmental studies or other studies and activities preliminary to construction.
Patron - Hugo

F HB2099

Transportation Investment Act. Provides long-term funding of transportation projects throughout the Commonwealth by dedicating all insurance license tax revenues for such purpose. The Commonwealth Transportation Board is authorized to issue revenue bonds using no more than one-third of the insurance license tax revenues for debt service on the bonds. The amount of insurance license tax revenues not used for debt service, plus the proceeds of the bonds, are allocated to each highway construction district for transportation projects on a pro rata basis according to population. The transportation projects to be funded shall be determined by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. This bill has been incorporated into HB 2771.
Patron - Hugo

F HB2133

Tolls; motorcycles. Allows motorcycles toll-free use of VDOT-controlled toll facilities.
Patron - Gear

F HB2224

Transportation construction and maintenance. Revises Virginia's transportation construction and maintenance allocation system in accordance with recommendations made by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to the 2002 Session of the General Assembly.
Patron - Rust

F HB2226

Urban and secondary highway system construction allocations. Allocates urban system and secondary system highway construction funds among affected jurisdictions on the basis of (i) area, (ii) vehicle miles traveled, and (iii) population, with area being weighted 15 percent, vehicle miles traveled weighted 25 percent, and population weighted 60 percent.
Patron - Rust

F HB2229

Reimbursement by localities of certain transportation expenses. Provides that if the Commonwealth expends funds for the design of transportation improvements and the locality in which the improvements are located subsequently decides that it is opposed to proceeding with the improvements, the locality shall reimburse the Commonwealth for the amount expended.
Patron - Rust

F HB2307

Logo sign program; emergency. Requires the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Commonwealth Transportation Board to take immediate action to make two specific changes to the "bumping policy" associated with the Department's Integrated Directional Signing Program.
Patron - McDougle

F HB2322

Primary system highway construction allocation. Provides that funds for construction projects in the primary highway system will be distributed among the nine highway construction districts on the basis of vehicle miles traveled per lane-mile.
Patron - Rust

F HB2330

Special funds for highway improvements in localities. Expands the present revenue sharing fund program for counties to include cities and towns as well. The annual match limit is raised to $2 million per locality, and the total limit on state funds is raised to $50 million. Up to half of local contributions may take the form of proffers. Since the program now applies to all localities (not just counties), the present section embodying the program is repealed, and the new program is relocated to the article of Chapter 1 of Title 33.1 dealing with overall allocations of highway improvement funds. This bill incorporates HB 1548.
Patron - Athey

F HB2355

Highway construction funds; primary system allocations. Allocates primary system construction funds among the nine highway construction districts on the basis of the ratio of vehicle-miles traveled on the primary system in each district divided by the number of primary system lane miles in each district, which is weighted 90 percent, and a primary road need factor, as determined by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, weighted 10 percent.
Patron - Watts

F HB2385

Anthony S. and Edna Ridley King Commemorative Bridge. Designates Bridge Number 264 on the Route 260 Connector as the "Anthony S. and Edna Ridley King Commemorative Bridge."
Patron - Barlow

F HB2398

Country Music Highway. Requires that signs used to indicate the designation of the Country Music Highway be of such a size and design as to make it possible to add the names of famous bluegrass and traditional country musicians.
Patron - Phillips

F HB2403

Virginia Coalfield Coalition Authority. Authorizes the Virginia Coalfield Coalition Authority to issue $300 million in 9 (d) debt for financing of the Virginia Coalfield Expressway Corridor.
Patron - Phillips

F HB2465

Nonconforming billboard signs. Clarifies that signs relating to historic districts and sensitive areas are excluded from the maintenance and repair guidelines of all other nonconforming billboard signs.
Patron - May

F HB2589

Port Republic Road. Designates Virginia Route 659, Port Republic Road, as a component of the primary highway system.
Patron - Weatherholtz

F HB2592

Highway maintenance, construction, or reconstruction payments to Town of Broadway. Requires the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner, subject to the approval of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, to make payments for maintenance, construction, or reconstruction of highways to the Town of Broadway.
Patron - Weatherholtz

F HB2630

Special funds for highway systems in certain counties, cites, and towns; assessment of driver demerit points by the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles; imposition and collection of civil penalties for certain offenses relating to operation of motor vehicles; and disposition and use of funds collected. Expands the present revenue sharing fund program for counties to include cities and towns as well; raises the annual match limit per locality and the total limit on state funds available for the program. Up to half of local contributions may take the form of proffers. Since the program now applies to all localities (not just counties), the present section embodying the program is repealed, and the new program is relocated to the article of Chapter 1 of Title 33.1 dealing with overall allocations of highway improvement funds. The bill also requires the courts to impose, in addition to any other penalties imposed, civil penalties on drivers convicted of certain offenses: $100 for speeding at least 15 but not more than 19 miles per hour above the posted speed, $250 for driving while his driver's license was suspended or revoked, $300 for reckless driving or aggressive driving, and $500 for driving while intoxicated. These fees, minus cost of collection, will be used first to fund competitive matching to localities for highway improvement projects aimed at improving air quality and highway congestion in localities experiencing high population growth and second to support issuance of bonds whose proceeds are to be used for transportation construction, reconstruction, maintenance, maintenance replacement, and/or improvement projects. Finally, the bill also revises the schedule of driver demerit points to be awarded for speeding so that speeding 1-9 mph carries three points, 10-14 mph carries four points, 15-19 mph carries five points, and 20 mph or more carries six points.
Patron - Albo

F HB2677

Regional pedestrian and bicycle advisory committees. Requires VDOT to establish regional pedestrian and bicycle advisory committees.
Patron - Ebbin

F HB2715

Toll facilities. Allows operators of "other emergency equipment" free use of VDOT-controlled toll facilities. This would be in addition to the exemption presently allowed to operators of fire-fighting equipment and ambulances.
Patron - Morgan

F HB2736

Dedication, distribution, and management of transportation maintenance and construction funds. Renames the Commonwealth Transit Capital Fund the Transit Partnership Fund and extends the present matching requirements to at least 20 percent of the nonfederal share of the total project cost to cover both project and program costs. The bill establishes the Private Partnership Fund as a nonreverting fund whose proceeds are to make loans in furtherance of projects under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995 and establishes the Local Partnership Fund to be used by the Department of Transportation to encourage local management of construction and improvement projects in the state primary, urban, and secondary highway systems. The bill also renames the Railway Preservation and Development Fund the Rail Partnership Fund, and eliminates the present requirement that projects undertaken using the Fund be owned by the Commonwealth upon completion and, instead, limits Fund projects to those that the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation determines will result in public benefits to Virginia that are equal to or greater than the funds required. The bill establishes the nine-member Rail Advisory Board to develop recommendations to be presented to the Commonwealth Transportation Board regarding allocations of funds from the Rail Partnership Fund and advise the Director and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation on other matters at their request. Finally, it also allows "operators" and "responsible public entities," in lieu of entering into comprehensive agreements under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995, to enter into development agreements under the terms of which the operator would perform work and receive compensation therefor without committing either party to completing the entire course of improvements otherwise contained in a comprehensive agreement. Finally, the bill requires the Commonwealth Transportation Board to ensure that funds allocated to any construction project are fully allocated and paid off no later than 12 months following completion of the project. This bill has been incorporated into HB 2771.
Patron - Reid

F HB2771

Commonwealth Transportation Investment Fund. Creates the Commonwealth Transportation Investment Fund and dedicates to it one-third of all insurance license tax revenues to be used for transportation projects throughout the Commonwealth. The revenues are allocated to each highway construction district for transportation projects on a pro rata basis according to population. The transportation projects to be funded shall be determined by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. This bill incorporates HB 2099 and HB 2736.
Patron - Callahan

F HB2847

Commonwealth Mass Transit Fund. Increases the percentage of Transportation Trust Fund revenues flowing to the Commonwealth Mass Transit Fund from 14.7 percent to 19 percent.
Patron - Scott, J.M.

F HB2929

Highway construction funds; primary system allocations. Allocates primary system construction funds among the nine highway construction districts on the basis of the ratio of vehicle-miles traveled on the primary system in each district divided by the number of primary system lane miles in each district, weighted 90 percent, and a primary road need factor, as determined by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, weighted 10 percent.
Patron - Hugo

F SB701

"Pearl Harbor Memorial Flyway." Designates Interstate Route 95 at the Springfield Interchange in Fairfax County the "Pearl Harbor Memorial Flyway."
Patron - Houck

F SB738

Fund to expedite construction of I-73 in Henry County. Establishes a special fund to expedite construction of I-73 in Henry County. The Fund consists of the first $3 million of annual collections of state taxes on motor fuels, fees and charges on motor vehicle registrations, road taxes or any other state revenue allocated for highway purposes.
Patron - Reynolds

F SB748

Land exchange. Authorizes the exchange of land in Roanoke County between the Commonwealth and the Mennel Milling Company, with the land acquired by the Commonwealth to be used as a VDOT maintenance facility. This bill has been incorporated into SB 887.
Patron - Edwards

F SB750

Rail Transportation Development Authority. Establishes the Rail Transportation Development Authority. The Authority is to be responsible for identifying needed construction, reconstruction, improvements, or repairs to railroads and their facilities and equipment. The Authority is given the power to finance or assist in financing any such rail transportation project. The bill requires the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, in conjunction with the Authority, to develop a rail transportation plan for the Commonwealth. The bill also repeals Chapter 1041 of the 2003 Acts of Assembly, which provided for the creation of a Rail Transportation Development Authority. That act never became effective because it included a "reenactment clause," and the act was not reenacted by the 2004 Session.
Patron - Edwards

F SB764

F SB775

Abandoning companion animal within highway right-of-way; penalty. Provides a penalty of up to 12 months in jail and a fine of not less than $250 or more than $2,500, either or both, for persons who abandon, dispose of, or dump a companion animal within a highway right-of-way.
Patron - Potts

F SB797

Allocation of construction funds within secondary system. Provides that secondary road construction funds allocated under § 33.1-23.4 shall be disbursed directly to the county, if so requested by resolution of the governing body. Any county receiving a direct allocation of funds shall certify to the Commonwealth Transportation Board that such funds will be expended exclusively for secondary road projects and according to appropriate standards.
Patron - Watkins

F SB802

Fund to expedite improvements to U.S. Route 58 in Carroll, Grayson, and Patrick Counties. Establishes a special fund to expedite construction of improvements to U.S. Route 58 in Carroll, Grayson, and Patrick Counties. The Fund consists of the first $3 million of annual collections of state taxes on motor fuels, fees and charges on motor vehicle registrations, road taxes, or any other state revenue allocated for highway purposes.
Patron - Reynolds

F SB812

F SB845

F SB962

Bob Hiteman Overpass. Designates the overpass connecting the inner loop of the Capital Beltway with Interstate Route 95 at Springfield the "Bob Hiteman Overpass."
Patron - O'Brien

F SB993

Special funds for highway improvements in localities. Expands the present revenue sharing fund program for counties to include cities and towns as well. The annual match limit is raised to $5 million per locality, and the total limit on state funds is raised to $100 million. Up to half of local contributions may take the form of proffers. Since the program now applies to all localities (not just counties), the present section embodying the program is repealed, and the new program is relocated to the article of Chapter 1 of Title 33.1 dealing with overall allocations of highway improvement funds.
Patron - Devolites Davis

F SB997

F SB1092

Directional Signing Program. Requires the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Commonwealth Transportation Board to immediately revise the schedule of fees imposed on certain businesses for participation in the Department's Integrated Directional Signing Program so that Program participants in economically depressed areas are required to pay lower fees than participants in more prosperous and affluent portions of the Commonwealth.
Patron - Reynolds

F SB1096

Integrated directional sign program. Directs the Commonwealth Transportation Board and the Virginia Department of Transportation to revise the integrated directional sign program to include signs requested by local governing bodies.
Patron - Ruff

F SB1254

Fee-based signage programs. Provides that fees shall be collected by the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner from any qualified entity for the purpose of participating in certain fee-based signage programs. This bill has been incorporated into SB 813.
Patron - Bell

F SB1264

HOV lanes. Extends the ability of vehicles bearing clean fuel vehicle license plates to use HOV facilities, regardless of the number of their passengers, for two more years.
Patron - O'Brien

F SB1319

PPTA; I-81 improvements. Requires VDOT to forthwith suspend negotiations under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995 (PPTA) involving improvements to I-81. No such negotiations are to resume until VDOT is authorized to do so by an act of the General Assembly.
Patron - Hanger

F SB1324

Dedication, distribution, and management of transportation maintenance and construction funds. Renames the Commonwealth Transit Capital Fund the Transit Partnership Fund and extends the present matching requirements for at least 20 percent of the nonfilterable share of the total project cost to cover both project and program costs. The bill establishes the Private Partnership Fund as a nonreverting fund in which proceeds are to make loans in furtherance of projects under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995 and establishes the Local Partnership Fund to be used by the Department of Transportation to encourage local management of construction and improvement projects in the state primary, urban, and secondary highway systems. The bill also renames the Railway Preservation and Development Fund the Rail Partnership Fund, and eliminates the present requirement that projects undertaken using the Fund be owned by the Commonwealth upon completion and, instead, limits Fund projects to those that the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation determines will result in public benefits to Virginia that are equal to or greater than the funds required. The bill establishes the nine-member Rail Advisory Board to develop recommendations to be presented to the Commonwealth Transportation Board regarding allocations of funds from the Rail Partnership Fund and advise the Director and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation on other matters at their request. Beginning with the 2006-2007 fiscal year, the bill dedicates all revenues from the insurance license tax on automobile premiums to the Priority Transportation Fund. The bill repeals the dedication of one-third of the revenues from the license tax on insurance companies to the Priority Transportation Fund effective July 1, 2005. The bill provides that all moneys in the Transportation Trust Fund, Priority Transportation Fund, and the Highway Maintenance and Operating Fund shall be used for transportation-related purposes and that moneys designated for deposit into the general fund shall not be used for transportation with limited exceptions. The bill also allows "operators" and "responsible public entities," in lieu of entering into comprehensive agreements under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995, to enter into development agreements under the terms of which the operator would perform work and receive compensation therefor without committing either party to completing the entire course of improvements otherwise contained in a comprehensive agreement. Finally, the bill requires the Commonwealth Transportation Board to ensure that funds allocated to any construction project are fully allocated and paid off no later than 12 months following completion of the project. This bill incorporates SB 1325.
Patron - Saslaw

F SJ272

Progress Park Industrial Access Road. Requests the Commonwealth Transportation Board to revise its agreement with Wythe County for construction of the Progress Park Industrial Access Road so as to extend until December 18, 2008, the time by which $6 million in eligible capital outlays must be expended in connection with development of the industrial park served by the road.
Patron - Reynolds

F SJ440

Supporting recommendations on a dedicated funding source for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Expresses the support of the General Assembly for the recommendations of the Panel on the Analysis of and Potential for Alternate Dedicated Revenue Sources for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The resolution also urges the Governor of Virginia to work with the Governor of the State of Maryland, the Mayor of the District of Columbia and federal officials to make the development of an implementation plan for the Panel's recommendations a top priority for introduction at the 2006 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
Patron - Whipple

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