CHAPTER 6
An Act to provide for the extension of the proposed light rail system in the City of Norfolk to the beachfront in the City of Virginia Beach.
Approved July 24, 2008
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. The General Assembly determines that expansion of the Norfolk Light Rail system, including extension from its current terminus at Newtown Road in the City of Norfolk to the Oceanfront in the City of Virginia Beach, along the Interstate 264 corridor on the right-of-way of the Norfolk Southern Railway, is in the public interest and qualifies for public funding, to the extent that any may be required, from the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund, established by § 33.1-221.1:8 of the Code of Virginia, or other funding available to the Commonwealth.
§ 2. Within 90 days of the effective date of this act, the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, shall initiate study of the project, so that, upon completion of the federally required environmental review and programming processes, the project may be advanced under any available development option, including the solicitation of proposals under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995 (§ 56-556 et seq. of the Code of Virginia) and the Federal Transit Administration New Starts process.