§ 33.1-198.1. Comprehensive highway access management standards
A. Comprehensive highway access management standards are defined as a coordinated set of state standards and guidelines that allow the Commonwealth and its localities to manage access to the systems of state highways according to their federal functional classification or operational characteristics through the control of and improvements to the location, number, spacing, and design of entrances, median openings, turn lanes, street intersections, traffic signals, and interchanges.
B. The General Assembly declares it to be in the public interest that comprehensive highway access management standards be developed and implemented to enhance the operation and safety of the systems of state highways in order to protect the public health, safety, and general welfare while ensuring that private property is entitled to reasonable access to the systems of state highways. The goals of the comprehensive highway access management standards are:
1. To reduce traffic congestion and impacts to the level of service of highways, leading to reduced fuel consumption and air pollution;
2. To enhance public safety by decreasing traffic crash rates;
3. To support economic development in the Commonwealth by promoting the efficient movement of people and goods;
4. To reduce the need for new highways and road widening by improving the performance of the existing systems of state highways; and
5. To preserve public investment in new highways by maximizing their performance.
C. The Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner shall develop and implement comprehensive highway access management standards for managing access to and preserving and improving the efficient operation of the state systems of highways. The comprehensive highway access management standards shall include but not be limited to standards and guidelines for the location, number, spacing, and design of entrances, median openings, turn lanes, street intersections, traffic signals, and interchanges.
Nothing in such standards shall preempt the authority of a local government to regulate the type or density of land uses abutting the state system of highways.
(2007, cc. 863, 928.)
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