Virginia Law

Article 10. Secretary of Transportation.

The position of Secretary of Transportation (the "Secretary") is created. The Secretary shall be responsible to the Governor for the following agencies: Department of Transportation, Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Department of Aviation, Department of Motor Vehicles, the Virginia Port Authority, and the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board. The Governor, by executive order, may assign any state executive agency to the Secretary, or reassign any agency listed in this section to another Secretary.

1990, cc. 1, 317, §§ 2.1-51.41, 2.1-51.43; 1992, c. 167; 1993, c. 757; 2001, c. 844.

A. There is hereby established the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment of the Secretary of Transportation (the Office), consisting of a director, appointed by the Secretary of Transportation, and such additional transportation professionals as the Secretary of Transportation shall determine. It shall be the duty of the Office to support and advise the Secretary in his role as chairman of the Commonwealth Transportation Board.

B. The goals of the Office shall be:

1. To promote transparency and accountability of the programming of transportation funds, including the development of the Six-Year Improvement Program pursuant to § 33.2-214 and the statewide prioritization process pursuant to § 33.2-214.1;

2. To ensure that the Commonwealth has a multimodal transportation system that promotes economic development and all transportation modes, intermodal connectivity, environmental quality, accessibility for people and freight, and transportation safety;

3. To encourage the use of innovation and best practices to improve the efficiency of the Commonwealth's surface transportation network and to enhance the efficacy of strategies to improve such efficiency; and

4. To promote the coordination between transportation investments and land use planning.

C. The responsibilities of the Office shall be:

1. To oversee and coordinate with the Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation the development of, for the Commonwealth Transportation Board's approval, the Six-Year Improvement Program pursuant to § 33.2-214 for the Commonwealth Transportation Board;

2. To implement the statewide prioritization process developed by the Commonwealth Transportation Board pursuant to § 33.2-214.1;

3. To develop, for the Commonwealth Transportation Board's approval, the Statewide Transportation Plan pursuant to § 33.2-353;

4. To develop measures and targets related to the performance of the Commonwealth's surface transportation network for the Commonwealth Transportation Board's approval, including any performance measurement required by Title 23 or 49 of the United States Code and any measures adopted by the Board pursuant to § 33.2-353;

5. To undertake, identify, coordinate, and oversee studies of potential highway, transit, rail, and other improvements or strategies, to help address needs identified in the Statewide Transportation Plan pursuant to § 33.2-353;

6. To assist the Commonwealth Transportation Board in the development of a comprehensive, multimodal transportation policy, which may be developed as part of the Statewide Transportation Plan pursuant to § 33.2-353;

7. To provide technical assistance to local governments and regional entities, including assistance to establish and promote urban development areas pursuant to § 15.2-2223.1;

8. To oversee and coordinate with the Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation the development of, for the Commonwealth Transportation Board's approval, the annual budget and the six-year financial plan for the Commonwealth Transportation Fund; and

9. To oversee, subject to approval of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank established pursuant to § 33.2-1502 and the Toll Facilities Revolving Account established pursuant to § 33.2-1529.

D. In carrying out its responsibilities pursuant to subsection C, the Office shall coordinate with the Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, as appropriate, and coordinate with the Department of Transportation on all road, bridge, and tunnel projects and with the Department of Rail and Public Transportation on all rail and transit projects.

2002, c. 361; 2006, c. 942; 2007, cc. 80, 219; 2009, cc. 670, 690; 2017, cc. 166, 273; 2018, c. 828.