RD204 - Virginia Transportation Technology Plan (HJR 122, 2014)


Executive Summary:
House Joint Resolution 122 (HJRI22), as adopted during the 2014 General Assembly Session (Appendix A), required the Secretary of Transportation and the Department of Transportation (VDOT) to "create and implement statewide transportation technology goals and a five-year plan of action. Such goals and plan shall be directed to the efficiency, safety, and convenience of all modes of transportation throughout the Commonwealth." Representatives from VDOT and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), with additional information provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles (OMV), collaborated in the development of this report.

This Transportation Technology Plan (TIP or Plan), set forth in Appendix C, builds on Virginia's long-term efforts to promote "efficiency, safety, and convenience of all modes of transportation throughout the Commonwealth." It considers existing documents including the “VTRANS 2040 Vision Plan,” Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment Corridors of Statewide Significance Needs Assessments from the VTRANS Multimodal Transportation Plan, VDOT's “FY16 Business Plan,” and DRPT's “Strategic Plan.” The plan also takes into account the upcoming impact of House Bill 2, “Statewide Prioritization Process for Project Selection,” to ensure that the defined projects were selected by a rational, repeatable, quantitative process.

Development of Virginia's Transportation Technology Program Goals

Technology is a primary tool for transportation operations programs. Therefore, the Transportation Technology Plan focuses on using technologies to meet the intent of House Joint Resolution 122 and moving people, goods, and services as efficiently, safely, and conveniently as possible. The three selected goals for the Transportation Technology Plan are derived from the most relevant goals of the FYI 6 VDOT Business Plan (Table 1 ).

In addition to the broad goals and objectives identified in HJR 122, this Plan was developed to support the “VTRANS 2040” Guiding Principles for Transportation Investments in Virginia, specifically #7:

1. Optimize return on investment
2. Ensure safety, security and resiliency
3. Deliver programs efficiently
4. Provide transparency and accountability through performance management
5. Improve coordination between transportation and land use
6. Ensure efficient intermodal connections
7. Consider operational improvements and demand management first

• Maximize capacity of the transportation network through increased use of technology and operational improvements as well as managing demand for the system before investing in major capacity expansions

• Focusing on enhancing system performance through technology and user information is a prudent way to increase the efficiency of our current system in light of future constraints and uncertainties

This focus will require close coordination with multiple external partners, including:

• DRPT
• DMV
• Localities
• Transit service providers
• Transportation Management Agencies
• Metropolitan Planning Organizations
• Non-motorized transport advocates

Identifying Programs and Projects to Support Transportation Technology Plan Objectives

Projects identified for inclusion in the plan were developed by VDOT, DRPT and DMV staff to support the goals of HJR 122, agency business plan goals, and specific needs identified in the “Corridors of Statewide Significance Needs Assessments” prepared by the Office oflntermodal Planning and Investment.

Based on the requirements of HJR 122, staff reviewed each of the twelve (12) Corridors of Statewide Significance Needs Assessments to identify transportation technology projects to support the identified corridor needs. This review produced projects focused on specific needs of Corridors of Statewide Significance as well as a set of Statewide Programs that will support needs across multiple Corridors.

To develop specific projects for the Transportation Technology Plan, each of the twelve (12) Corridors of Statewide Significance Needs Assessments were evaluated to identify potential technology solutions to identified corridor needs. In addition, specific data on each corridor segment was used to support project identification. Data included:

• Availability of modal options
• Availability of redundant facilities
• Safety
• Person hours of delay
• Freight-ton hours of delay
• Weekday peak period reliability

VDOT identified eight (8) potential operations strategies to apply toward resolving critical statewide and corridor needs. These eight (8) operations strategies are used to categorize and summarize the current and upcoming transportation technologies that will be used to achieve the above goals. The eight strategies are:

1. Enhance operations traffic management
2. Strengthen incident and emergency response
3. Support multimodal travel
4. Manage arterials
5. Furnish traveler information
6. Support commercial vehicle/freight activity
7. Conduct emerging technology research
8. Enhance enabling technology infrastructure

Using the data reported on these measures and the corridor needs identified in the Corridor Needs Assessments, staff identified specific technology projects to improve reliability, safety and throughput on 31 of 39 corridor segments. Technology solutions were not applicable for eight (8) corridor segments. In addition, several statewide technology programs have been identified to meet broad TIP goals and objectives across multiple corridors. The statewide technology programs focus on high-priority agency initiatives and key multimodal technology pilot programs.