The question of whether to allow twin trailer vehicles, not to exceed 65 feet in length, to operate on the highways of the Commonwealth was clearly posed for the first time in the 1968 General Assembly by Senate Bill No. 11. Senate Bill No. 11 would have added language to §§ 46.1-330 and 46.1-335 designed to allow the operation of combinations of three vehicles of up to sixty-five feet in length on the four-lane highways of the Commonwealth, and other highways when in transit, by the most direct route, between permitted highways. The Bill died in the Senate Roads and Internal Navigation Committee, but led to Senate Resolution No. 464, the directive for this study.

Pursuant to this directive, the Governor appointed a Commission to conduct a study and report to him. The nine-member Commission, selected by the Governor, includes Alan F. Kiepper; Chairman, Richmond; Felix E. Edmunds, Vice-Chairman, Waynesboro; Harold W. Burgess, Richmond; Robert G. Clifford, Portsmouth; Richard C. Emrey, Glasgow; Douglas B. Fugate, Richmond; Miss Anne Dobie Peebles, Carson; C. G. Pembroke, Kilmarnock; and John W. Roberts, Richmond.

The Commission began its study of the effects of permitting twin trailers in Virginia with an organizational meeting in Richmond on August 16, 1968. At that meeting a tentative study outline was adopted which called for independent studies in three basic areas:

1. What impact would twin trailers have on the economy of Virginia?

2. How would Virginia roads and bridges be affected by twin trailer vehicles?

3. What are the safety and operational characteristics of the twin trailer vehicles, as compared to single trailer vehicles?

It was also decided to actually operate a specially licensed twin trailer on the highway, as per Chapter 186 to implement the study of area number three.

In subsequent meetings on September 30 and November 7, the members selected Dr. Harmon Haymes, Chairman of the Department of Economics at Virginia Commonwealth University, to furnish a report on the probable effect of twin trailers on the economy of Virginia.

Major J. S. Pearson of the Department of State Police, J. P. Mills, Jr. of the Department of Highways, and John T. Hanna, Director of the Division of Highway Safety, were appointed to serve as a steering Committee to supervise and report on the testing of the twin trailer.

Mr. Douglas Fugate, Director of the Department of Highways; agreed to research the effect twin trailers would have on State roads and bridges.

Mr. E. H. Williams, Vice President of the Highway Users Association, volunteered to supply a twin trailer from Overnite Transportation Company to be used in the testing.

After several more meetings and much study throughout the winter, which included a February visit to Wallops Station on Eastern Shore to observe the testing; all three reports were sent to the Commission. The reports were reviewed by the Commission which decided to print a number of copies of each and make them available to the public. While the Commission made the reports available to the public, it stressed that the reports in no way reflected the attitude of the members of the Commission but were the result of independent study by three commissioned groups. The reports were, therefore, released without comment by the Commission, and are incorporated into this report as appendices A, B and C, found at the end of this report.

The Commission conducted two well-attended and informative public hearings in August and then held several executive meetings.

We now submit the following findings.