The Group met on six occasions and:

• reviewed the history of the organization of the transportation functions in state government;

• heard presentations from two separate panels related to transportation organizational structure (panelists included a regional transportation planning executive, a former Secretary of Transportation from Maryland, a Federal Highway Administration Regional Administrator, a public transportation executive, a former Federal Aviation Administration regional administrator and an executive director of a national trucking association);

• reviewed neighboring states' transportation organizational structures;

• heard from a national public transportation consultant and former Assistant Secretary of Transportation in North Carolina regarding the processes involved with reorganization; and,

• held a public information meeting and heard from eighteen public speakers.

The Secretary of Transportation divided the Working Group into three committees: Organization and Policy; Transportation Safety; and, Motor Carrier (Appendix E: the Chairman's November 20, 1990 memorandum designating and charging the three committees).

Recommendations

• Organization and Policy

Recommendation 1: The Rail and Public Transportation Division of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) should be realigned and report directly to the Secretary of Transportation/Chairman of the Commonwealth Transportation Board.

Other related recommendations: With the creation of a separate rail and public transit department, issues of planning, policy analysis, intergovernmental affairs and research will need to be coordinated at the Secretariat level to serve all transportation modes.

• Transportation Safety

Recommendation 1 (Community Traffic Safety Programs): The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) should seek expansion of and stable funding for their pilot based Community Traffic Safety Programs (CTSP).

Recommendation 2 (DMV's Transportation Safety Board): DMV's Transportation Safety Board should be restructured for better coordination among other state agencies. In addition, a Transportation Safety Policy Committee should be created.

Recommendation 3 (Incident Management): Enhance interagency coordination and public communication of: "Event Planning" (i.e., Tour DuPont, Greekfest); the accident removal policy; and "on-the-scene" management, including the release of information.

Recommendation 4 (Motor Carrier Safety): There should be adequate coordination of programs and information among the various agencies and the two Secretariats involved with motor carrier issues.

Recommendation 5 (Motor Carrier Safety): All motor carriers should be inspected at least annually and subject to random safety inspections.

Recommendation 6 (Aviation Safety): There is a need for more up-to-the-minute weather observation stations. All other transportation agencies can and should access the new and available weather observation stations.

Recommendation 7 (Aviation Safety): Local governments need to recognize the importance of proper aviation ordinances and zoning.

Recommendation 8 (Railway Safety): Annually, rail/motor vehicle accidents result in needless deaths. By focusing on identification, education and enforcement of highway safety issues surrounding railroad crossings, deaths and accidents can be reduced.

• Motor carrier

Recommendation 1: The Commonwealth of Virginia should take no action at the current time regarding membership in the International Fuels Tax Agreement (IFTA).

Recommendation 2: The Commonwealth of Virginia should continue its current multi-agency approach to the management of truck weighing operations and the collection of liquidated damages fees from overweight motor-carriers.

Recommendation 3: The Commonwealth of Virginia should pursue increased funding for the development of off-road property primarily for commercial vehicle inspection sites and motor carrier rest areas where adequate space and improvements allow.

Recommendation 4: The Commonwealth of Virginia should continue to enhance its policy of one-stop shopping in addressing the needs of motor carriers in the state.

Recommendation 5: The Commonwealth of Virginia should make several non-substantive legislative changes for clarification in the following areas. For each area, the respective section of the Code of Virginia is noted.

• Widths of commercial vehicles (46.2-1109)

• Length of vehicles, generally; special permits; tractor truck semitrailer combinations, etc., operating on certain highways (46.2-1112)

• Length of automobile or watercraft transporters; operation on certain highways (46.2-1114)

• Vehicles having more than one trailer, etc., attached thereto; exceptions (46.2-1116)

• Tractor truck semitrailer combinations operating on certain highways; access to certain facilities (46.21117)

• Maximum gross weight, generally (46.2-1126)