RD370 - VTrans 2035: An Update to Virginia’s Statewide Multimodal Long-Range Transportation Policy Plan


Executive Summary:
VTrans is the long-range, statewide multimodal policy plan that lays out overarching Vision and Goals for transportation in the Commonwealth. It identifies transportation Investment Priorities and provides direction to transportation agencies on strategies and programs to be incorporated into their plans and programs. The VTrans2035 Update is a unique update of the prior plan, VTrans2035. This is an interim update required by legislation – it relies on much of the information provided in VTrans2035 and focuses on moving statewide multimodal planning towards a focus on performance. The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approved this plan in February 2013. Revisions were made in April 2013 to incorporate the transportation funding bill (HB 2313/SB 1355) as amended and approved.

Performance-Based Planning

The VTrans2035 Update advances the Vision and Goals set forth in VTrans2035. The development of the update focused on first adjusting priorities and strategies based on an understanding of changes in the transportation planning and funding context since approval of VTrans2035. The update process then focused on developing a more cohesive, performance-based multimodal planning framework to guide agency plans and future VTrans updates. The performance-based planning framework includes the following elements:

• VTrans Vision and Goals
• Investment Priorities
• Investment Strategies
• Rating of Investment Priorities
• Performance Reporting

The alignment of these elements is critical to the performance-based planning approach. The VTrans Vision and Goals were confirmed by stakeholders without change. The alignment begins with defining the Investment Priorities as measurable action statements for each Goal. Figure E-1, found on page 2 of the report, shows the alignment of VTrans Vision, Goals and Investment Priorities. The VTrans Goal statements are listed in full below.

VTrans2035 Goals

Safety and Security – to provide a safe and secure transportation system
System Maintenance and Preservation – to preserve and maintain the condition of the existing transportation system
Mobility, Connectivity, and Accessibility – to facilitate the easy movement of people and goods, improve interconnectivity of regions and activity centers, and provide access to different modes of transportation
Environmental Stewardship – to protect the environment and improve the quality of life for Virginians
Economic Vitality – to provide a transportation system that supports economic prosperity
Coordination of Transportation and Land Use – to promote livable communities and reduce transportation costs by facilitating the coordination of transportation and land use
Program Delivery – to achieve excellence in the execution of programs and delivery of service

Investment Priorities represent investment decisions – some describe programs such as education and planning, while others describe types of projects such as highway and transit improvements and intelligent transportation systems. Collectively, the Investment Priorities represent the range of activities necessary to achieve the VTrans Goals.

As a practical matter, transportation agencies need a basis for prioritizing among their transportation needs because of constrained transportation funding. Performance-based planning provides a data-driven approach to making these difficult choices. Figure E-2, shown on page 3 of the report, shows the performance-based planning framework developed in the VTrans2035 update. The full cycle of identifying Investment Priorities, rating them, applying Investment Strategies to agency plans and programs, measuring performance, and feeding performance information back into the investment priority evaluation process is illustrated in this diagram. The VTrans2035 Update, however, focuses primarily on the core of the diagram in which Investment Priorities are identified and rated.

The Investment Priority Rating Process supports the performance-based planning and programming framework by providing a transparent method for evaluating the urgency and relevance of the Priorities during each VTrans update. The rating of Investment Priorities will not alter the fundamental commitments to safety and maintenance, nor will they redirect investment from projects that are already obligated. Instead, the rating of investment priorities is intended to guide investment choices for future funding outside of those commitments.

The rating of Investment Priorities is based on need and cost-effectiveness. Need is a critical consideration in light of limited funding – even the most cost-effective investments should not be prioritized if they don’t meet the most critical needs. The rating process thus begins with a Need evaluation that identifies the top tier of the Investment Priorities. These Investment Priorities are then evaluated on their affordability, ease of implementation, and the impact of not making the investment.

The rating method also provides a broadly-applicable, flexible tool that can be used by the CTB and other boards, transportation agencies, MPOs and other partners to target transportation investment decisions toward the most urgent Investment Priorities.

Corridors of Statewide Significance

The Corridors of Statewide Significance (CoSS) continue to be an important element of VTrans. The CoSS were originally developed under VTrans2025 and validated during the VTrans2035 Update process. One new Corridor was added by the CTB in 2011. Corridors identified as CoSS demonstrate all of the following characteristics:

• Multiple modes and/or an extended freight corridor,
• Connection among regions, states and/or major activity centers,
• High volume of travel, and
• Unique statewide function and/or fulfillment of statewide goal.

The discussion of CoSS in this VTrans Update focuses on the process for developing CoSS Master Plans and formalizing a process for adding, deleting, or modifying CoSS in the future.

Policy Recommendations

Trends in transportation funding indicate that existing revenue sources are insufficient for a 21st century transportation system. The per-gallon gas tax revenues are declining relative to the amount of population and travel due to trends in fuel efficiency, alternative fuels, and reduced per-person travel. Existing revenue sources for critical passenger rail and transit services will expire or be exhausted within the next few years. Maintenance needs for all modes of transportation are reducing the amount of funding available for needed improvements to operations and capacity. This VTrans Update focuses on policy recommendations to increase funding and leverage greater partnerships with regional, local and private entities, as well as policies and agency initiatives that will support the Investment Priorities. Many transportation funding needs were addressed in HB 2313/SB 1355, summarized in Appendix E.

Planning Partners and VTrans

Shown at the right-hand side of Figure E-2 are the plans and programs of transportation agencies. These agencies include state transportation departments for rail and transit, aviation, ports, and highways. Also included are regional planning agencies and local governments. Project-level investments are identified and funded by these agencies. VTrans provides guidance to all of these planning efforts. A Planning Partner’s Guide is included in the final chapter of this document to provide additional information on the alignment of state, regional and local agency planning processes with VTrans and the performance-based planning approach.

VTrans2040

VTrans2040 will more fully integrate the planning processes shown in Figure E-2, including updates to the performance measures that are used to evaluate progress and need. VTrans2040 will be developed over the next three years with adoption scheduled in 2015.