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Code of Virginia
Title 33.2. Highways and Other Surface Transportation Systems
Chapter 15. Transportation Funding
12/10/2024

Article 3. Funds for Access Roads.

§ 33.2-1509. Funds for access roads to economic development sites and airports; construction, maintenance, etc., of such roads.

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, there shall be appropriated to the Board funds derived from taxes on motor fuels, fees and charges on motor vehicle registrations, road taxes, or any other state revenue allocated for highway purposes, which shall be used by the Board for the purposes specified in this section, after deducting the costs of administration before any of such funds are distributed and allocated for any road or street purposes.

Such funds shall be expended by the Board for constructing, reconstructing, maintaining, or improving access roads within localities to economic development sites on which manufacturing, processing, research and development facilities, distribution centers, regional service centers, corporate headquarters, or other establishments that also meet basic employer criteria as determined by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in consultation with the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity will be built under firm contract or are already constructed and to licensed, public-use airports; in the event there is no such establishment or airport already constructed or for which the construction is under firm contract, a locality may guarantee to the Board by bond or other acceptable device that such will occur and, should no establishment or airport acceptable to the Board be constructed or under firm contract within the time limits of the bond, such bond shall be forfeited. The time limits of the bond shall be based on regular review and consideration by the Board. Towns that receive highway maintenance payments under § 33.2-319 shall be considered separately from the counties in which they are located when receiving allocations of funds for access roads.

B. The Board, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, shall develop guidelines for the use of funds for access roads to an economic development site pursuant to this section. Such guidelines shall require consideration of the number of jobs that will be created by the economic development project, the proposed capital investment by the private sector at the economic development site, and any other relevant criteria related to the economic development project.

C. In deciding whether or not to construct or improve any such access road, and in determining the nature of the road to be constructed, the Board shall base its considerations on the guidelines developed pursuant to subsection B and on the cost thereof in relation to the volume and nature of the traffic to be generated as a result of developing the airport or the economic development site. Within any economic development site or airport, the total volume of traffic to be generated shall be taken into consideration in regard to the overall cost thereof. No such access road shall be constructed or improved on a privately owned economic development site.

D. Any access road constructed or improved under this section shall constitute a part of the secondary state highway system or the road system of the locality in which it is located and shall thereafter be constructed, reconstructed, maintained, and improved as other roads or highways in such system.

Code 1950, § 33-136.1; 1956, c. 161; 1962, c. 550; 1964, c. 254; 1970, c. 322, § 33.1-221; 1978, c. 299; 1980, c. 38; 1989, c. 336; 1996, cc. 85, 128; 1997, c. 89; 2006, cc. 147, 473; 2013, c. 482; 2014, c. 805; 2015, c. 256; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 378.

§ 33.2-1509.1. Moratorium on repayment of funds allocated for access roads program.

Notwithstanding a resolution adopted by a locality or surety bond issued by a locality guaranteeing repayment within five years of an allocation by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, no locality that has been allocated funds for a bonded project by the Commonwealth Transportation Board pursuant to § 33.2-1509 shall repay such funds within a 48-month period beginning on March 16, 2017, provided that all of the other conditions of the Commonwealth Transportation Board's economic development access policy are met.

2017, cc. 531, 558.

§ 33.2-1510. Fund for access roads and bikeways to public recreational areas and historical sites; construction, maintenance, etc., of such facilities.

A. The General Assembly finds and declares that there is an increasing demand by the public for more public recreational areas throughout the Commonwealth, therefore creating a need for more access to these areas. There are also many sites of historical significance to which access is needed.

The General Assembly hereby declares it to be in the public interest that access roads and bikeways to public recreational areas and historical sites be provided by using funds obtained from motor fuel tax collections on motor fuel used for propelling boats and ships and funds contained in the highway portion of the Transportation Trust Fund.

B. Prior to making allocations pursuant to subsection B of § 33.2-358, the Board shall set aside the sum of $3 million initially. This fund shall be expended by the Board for the construction, reconstruction, maintenance, or improvement of access roads and bikeways within localities. At the close of each succeeding fiscal year, the Board shall replenish this fund to the extent it deems necessary to carry out the purpose intended, provided the balance in the fund plus the replenishment does not exceed $3 million.

C. Upon the setting aside of the funds as provided in this section, the Board shall construct, reconstruct, maintain, or improve access roads and bikeways to public recreational areas and historical sites upon the following conditions:

1. When the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation has designated a public recreational area as such or when the Director of the Department of Historic Resources has determined a site or area to be historic and recommends to the Board that an access road or bikeway be provided or maintained to that area;

2. When the Board pursuant to the recommendation from the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation declares by resolution that the access road or bikeway be provided or maintained;

3. When the governing body of the locality in which the access road or bikeway is to be provided or maintained passes a resolution requesting the road; and

4. When the governing body of the locality in which the bikeway is to be provided or maintained adopts an ordinance pursuant to Article 7 (§ 15.2-2280 et seq.) of Chapter 22 of Title 15.2.

No access road or bikeway shall be constructed, reconstructed, maintained, or improved on privately owned property.

D. Any access road constructed, reconstructed, maintained, or improved pursuant to the provisions of this section shall become part of the primary state highway system, the secondary state highway system, or the road system of the locality in which it is located in the manner provided by law and shall thereafter be constructed, reconstructed, maintained, and improved as other roads or highways in such systems. Any bikeway path constructed, reconstructed, maintained, or improved pursuant to the provisions of this section that is not situated within the right-of-way limits of an access road that has become, or which is to become, part of the primary state highway system, the secondary state highway system, or the road system of the locality shall, upon completion, become part of and be regulated and maintained by the authority or agency maintaining the public recreational area or historical site. It shall be the responsibility of the authority, agency, or locality requesting that a bikeway be provided for a public recreational or historical site to provide the right-of-way needed for the construction, reconstruction, maintenance, or improvement of the bikeway if such is to be situated outside the right-of-way limits of an access road.

To maximize the impact of the Fund, not more than $400,000 of recreational access funds may be allocated for each individual access road project to or within any public recreational area or historical site operated by a state agency and not more than $250,000 of recreational access funds may be allocated for each individual access road project to or within a public recreational area or historical site operated by a locality or an authority with an additional $100,000 if supplemented on a dollar-for-dollar basis by the locality or authority from other than highway sources. Not more than $75,000 of recreational access funds may be allocated for each individual bikeway project to a public recreational area or historical site operated by a state agency and not more than $60,000 of recreational access funds may be allocated for each individual bikeway project to a public recreational area or historical site operated by a locality or an authority with an additional $15,000 if supplemented on a dollar-for-dollar basis by a locality or authority from other than highway sources.

The Board, with the concurrence of the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, is hereby authorized to establish guidelines to carry out the provisions of this section.

Code 1950, § 33-136.3; 1966, c. 484; 1968, c. 221; 1970, c. 322, § 33.1-223; 1975, c. 362; 1982, c. 643; 1984, c. 739; 1989, cc. 305, 656; 1990, c. 689; 1992, c. 108; 1996, cc. 101, 131; 2005, cc. 25, 453; 2013, c. 222; 2014, c. 805; 2015, c. 684; 2020, cc. 1230, 1275.