Keith Nichols, Senior Transportation Engineer

The statewide gas tax is one of the primary methods of funding transportation construction and maintenance, both in Virginia and throughout the country.  At 17.5 cents per gallon, Virginia’s tax on unleaded fuel is lower than the tax charged in 40 other states, including all six neighboring states and districts.  The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) recently released a report detailing the impacts of the gas tax titled Building a Better Gas Tax: How to Fix One of State Government’s Least Sustainable Revenue Sources.  Among the facts included in the report:

• Many states, including Virginia, have not raised their gas tax in years — and in many cases — decades.  Virginia last raised its gasoline tax in 1986.  This tied Virginia for the second longest period without raising the gas tax among the 50 states and District of Columbia.
• This has, in turn, decreased the impact of the gas tax, as inflation reduces the purchasing power of the tax.  In Virginia, the purchasing power of the gas tax, per gallon, has decreased 45% since the last time the tax was increased.
• In Virginia, the gas tax would need to be increased by 14.5 cents per gallon to have the same purchasing power, per gallon, as the tax did the last time it was increased.
• Only fourteen states have provisions in their laws that automatically adjust the tax rate based on increases in fuel prices or the inflation rate.
• Each penny added to the gas tax would be expected to produce an additional $40 million in annual revenue in Virginia.

More information is available in the Building a Better Gas Tax report, which is available on ITEP’s website at http://www.itepnet.org/bettergastax.

By Robert B. Case, PE

In response to a request from VDOT, in December HRTPO staff collaborated with the HRTPO’s Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) to identify candidate projects for FY 2012 discretionary grant programs. On December 12, 2011, HRTPO staff submitted a letter to VDOT identifying projects to be considered by VDOT for submission under these grant programs, including a “Regional Value Pricing Study” and a “HOT Lane Study on I-64 Reversible HOV Lanes”.
 
On December 15, 2011, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) presented a webinar titled “Update on the Urban Partnership and Congestion Reduction Demonstration Projects” as part of its webinar series: “Overcoming the Challenges of Congestion Pricing.”  Given that Hampton Roads has HOV lanes which may be candidates for being converted into High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, the “lessons learned” from the webinar are summarized below.

The first speaker, Kathy McCune, presented an update on the “Metro ExpressLanes”, a conversion of 25 miles of HOV lanes in Los Angeles to High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes.  She presented lessons learned including:
• “A Political Champion is a must”
• “Engage the public early…and often…”
• “A multi-modal approach increases public acceptance”
• “Address equity issues early in the planning process”

For more information, see http://www.metro.net/projects/expresslanes/

The second speaker, Jay Primus, presented an update on “SFpark”, a parking management project in San Francisco.  The goals of the project is to achieve the following transportation objectives:

• Relieve congestion
• Increase usage of public transit
• Increase economic competiveness
• Increase safety
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The project uses current communications technologies (web, smartphone apps) and demand responsive parking rates to achieve these objectives.  Initial results include increased revenue from parking meters and a reduction in revenue from parking tickets.
See http://sfpark.org/ for more information.

The third speaker, Rory Santana, presented an update on “95 Express Lanes Program”, a conversion of HOV lanes in the Miami / Ft. Lauderdale area to HOT lanes.  He reported a customer satisfaction rating of 90% or higher.  Based on the results of the project, he recommended selling reliability to the public, not speed improvement alone.

For more information, see http://www.95express.com/

The fourth speaker, Patrick Vu, presented an update on Atlanta’s I-85 Express Lanes, another HOV to HOT lane conversion.  His lessons learned included:

• “Anticipate/expect traffic pattern changes”
• “Collection of key performance metrics”- before and after data
• “Message coordination and addressing public response”- include radio traffic personalities
See www.PeachPass.com for more information.

The fifth speaker, Kenneth Buckeye, presented an update on “Minnesota’s Urban Partnership Agreement” which is funding 24 projects and initiatives, including an HOV to HOT lane conversion in the Minneapolis area.  His lessons learned included:

• “Clear decision-making authority and assignment of responsibilities…”
• “Real and meaningful deadlines…”
• “Multimodal solutions work”
• “Must continue to market strategies and performance”

For more information, see www.dot.state.mn.us/upa 

The sixth speaker, Patty Rubstello, presented an update on the Lake Washington Urban Partnership Agreement, which includes the tolling and replacement of an existing bridge and the addition of over 130 new daily bus trips in the Seattle area.  Lessons learned include:

• “Coordinate early with FHWA on sign messages”
• “Education- Lots of it!”
• “…something to sell”- replacement of existing vulnerable floating bridge
See http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/LkWaMgt/ for more information.

The next webinar in the Congestion Pricing series will be held February 23, 2012.

By Jessica M. Banks
Senior Transportation Analyst

The 2011 Association for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) Annual Conference took place in Dallas, TX from October 25 -28, 2011.  This event brought together policy board members, executive directors, technical staffs, federal and state employees, and consultants to share information on a variety of MPO issues.  The 2011 Conference theme was “Moving America’s Metros.”  Topics of the conference included Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning, Developing Sustainable Communities, Innovative Financing, MPO Operations, Performance Measures, Tolling and Highway Finance, and Transit-Oriented Development. 

On October 26, 2011, the Keynote Address was given by Matthew K. Rose, Chief Executive Officer of Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company.  Headquartered in Fort Worth, TX, BNSF Railway Company operates one of the largest rail systems in North America.  Holding this position since 2000, Mr. Rose is a member of multiple boards including AMR Corporation, AT&T Inc., Association of American Railroads, President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, and US Chamber of Commerce.

An update on the latest transportation policy happenings in Washington, DC was given to conference attendees.  This interactive session reviewed recent legislative actions, current funding issues, reauthorization, and the possible impact of the upcoming elections.

The results of the 2011 AMPO Awards were announced on October 27, 2011.  The 2011 award winners included:
•    National Award for Outstanding Overall Achievement for a TMA MPO: Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
•    National Award for Outstanding Leadership: Michael Skipper, Nashville Area MPO
•    Commemorative Memorial: New York Metropolitan Transportation Council Staff

Joining AMPO, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration representatives held a Q&A town hall discussion on emerging and recent transportation issues on October 28, 2011.

Ms. Camelia Ravanbakht, HRTPO Deputy Executive Director, served on a panel speaking to the topic of Emergency Response and Preparedness.  This discussion-based session highlighted challenges and activities underway that address the issues of security planning for natural and man-made disasters.  Ms. Ravanbakht also attended the AMPO Policy Committee meeting.

For more information about the conference sessions and workshops, please visit: http://www.ampo.org .

By: Keith Nichols
Senior Transportation Engineer

With water being such a prominent part of the Hampton Roads landscape, bridges are a critical part of the regional transportation system.  There are over 1,200 bridges in Hampton Roads, ranging from small culverts to some of the longest bridges in the world. 

Of these 1,214 bridges in Hampton Roads, 77 are classified as structurally deficient.  Structurally deficient bridges are structures with elements that need to be monitored and/or repaired, and eventually need to be rehabilitated or replaced.  It should be noted, however, that structurally deficient bridges are not necessarily unsafe, and bridge inspectors will close or place weight limits on any bridge that is unsafe.

Examples of prominent structurally deficient bridges in Hampton Roads include the Gilmerton Bridge, Lesner Bridge, Denbigh Boulevard Bridge over I-64 in Newport News, Churchland Bridge, and a segment of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

In addition, another 271 bridges in Hampton Roads are classified as functionally obsolete.  Functionally obsolete bridges are structures that were built to standards that are no longer used today, and have narrow lanes, low vertical clearances, difficult approaches, or may occasionally be flooded.

VDOT has made improving bridges a priority, both in Hampton Roads and throughout the Commonwealth.  A total of 27 bridge projects in Hampton Roads are included in the current Six-Year Improvement Program, with a total of $339 million in allocations.  Many structurally deficient bridge projects are funded, including the Gilmerton Bridge, Lesner Bridge, and Denbigh Boulevard Bridge over I-64.

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization completed a thorough study of bridges in 2008.  This study is available at the HRTPO website at http://hrtpo.org/Documents/Reports/2008/RegionalBridgeStudyFinalReport.pdf.

Structurally Deficient and Functionally Obsolete Bridges in Hampton Roads

By Jessica M. Banks, AICP, Senior Transportation Analyst

President Obama signed into law the Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011 on September 16, 2011.  This law combines the long-overdue Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization with the pending surface transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU), considering them together as one uniform transportation extension. The FAA bill will be extended for four months, while SAFETEA-LU will be extended for six, with an expiration date of March 31, 2012. The bill marks the 22nd short-term funding extension for the FAA since 2007 and the eighth extension of the highway bill that expired in 2009.

The legislation does not make any substantial changes to the current transportation and aviation programs, but authorizes continued funding for the various federal and state programs at approximately the levels provided in FY 2011.  The law authorizes $24.78 billion in spending from the Highway Trust Fund for the first half of FY 2012 (which begins October 1, 2011) – $19.8 billion for highways and $4.2 billion for transit.  The bill also renews the collection of the federal gas tax, which will be funded by the same 18.4 cent per gallon tax the U.S. has had since 1993, which was also due to expire September 30, 2011.  This legislation provides $1.18 billion in contract authority for the FAA’s Airport and Airway Trust Fund for four months.

The Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011 allows Congress more time to develop and negotiate a long-term reauthorization of the surface transportation and aviation programs.

By: Sam Belfield, Senior Transportation Engineer

At the September 2011 TPO meeting, the HRTPO Board approved the Hampton Roads Military Transportation Needs Study: Highway Network Analysis. The HRTPO staff worked with various stakeholders – local military representatives, federal agencies, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Port Authority and local jurisdictions – to determine transportation concerns and needs of the local military.

Based on stakeholder input, the HRTPO staff identified a roadway network that includes both the Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) and additional roadways that serve the military sites and intermodal facilities not included in the STRAHNET. The HRTPO staff reviewed this “Roadways Serving the Military in Hampton Roads” network to determine deficient locations, such as congested segments, deficient bridges, and inadequate geometrics. Based on stakeholder input and the analysis of deficient locations in this study, the HRTPO staff has recommended several transportation projects that may benefit military travel. The HRTPO staff plans to incorporate this work into future iterations of the Congestion Management Process and the regional Long-Range Transportation Plan Project Prioritization Tool to assist decision makers as they select future transportation projects.

Click HERE to view the final report.

By Mike Kimbrel, Principal Transportation Engineer

September 7, 2011

The Regional Board Room, 723 Woodlake Drive, Chesapeake, Virginia

1. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by the Chair at 9:34 a.m.

2. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD (Oral comments - Limit 3 minutes per individual)
There were no speakers.

3. SUBMITTED PUBLIC COMMENTS (Written comments included in agenda packet)
The chair noted submitted public comments received.

4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Mr. Gey moved to approve the agenda with no changes. Mr. Shea seconded the motion and it
passed unanimously.

5. MINUTES
Ms. Ham moved to approve the minutes as written. Mr. Yorks seconded the motion and it
passed unanimously.

6. FY 2009-2012 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM REVISION: REQUEST
TO TRANSFER CMAQ FUNDS – YORK COUNTY
Mr. Cross briefly described the request and moved approval of the CMAQ funds transfer and
associated TIP Amendment. Mr. Slaughter seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

7. FY 2009-2012 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AMENDMENT:
COORDINATED PLAN PROJECTS
Mr. Paulus briefly explained the process by which the Coordinated Plan projects were
selected. Ms. Waterman moved approval of the TIP Amendment. Mr. Danker seconded the
motion and it passed unanimously.

8. FY 2009-2012 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM REVISION: REQUEST
TO TRANSFER CMAQ FUNDS – JAMES CITY COUNTY
Mr. Murphy briefly described the request and moved approval of the CMAQ funds transfer and
associated TIP Amendment. Mr. Nester seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

9. FY 2012-2015 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AMENDMENT: HRTPO
Mr. Kimbrel briefed described the request to add projects that had been inadvertently omitted
from the FY 2012-2015 TIP. Mr. Gey moved approval of the TIP Amendment. Mr. King
seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

10. FY 2012 UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM AMENDMENT
Ms. Ravanbakht briefly described the request. Mr. Allsbrook moved approval of the UPWP
Amendment. Mr. Shea seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

11. MILITARY TRANSPORTATION NEEDS STUDY – HIGHWAY NETWORK ANALYSIS:FINAL REPORT
Ms. Ravanbakht noted that the TTAC received a presentation on the draft report during its
July 2011 meeting and that the final report was ready for approval. Mr. Slaughter moved
approval of the final report. Mr. Pullen seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

12. TRAFFIC IMPACT OF A HYPOTHETICAL INLAND PORT IN HAMPTON ROADS: FINAL REPORT
Ms. Ravanbakht noted that the TTAC received a presentation on the draft report during its
July 2011 meeting and that the final report was ready for approval. Mr. Allsbrook moved
approval of the final report. Mr. Shea seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

13. 2011 CMAQ/RSTP PROJECT SELECTION PROCESS: STATUS REPORT
Mr. Kimbrel briefed the TTAC on this item, noting that four Newport News CMAQ applications
were received the day after the August 17, 2011 deadline and that two Suffolk RSTP
applications were received on September 1, 2011. Mr. Kimbrel stated that HRTPO staff did
not see this to be a significant problem, but that it was being reported in the interest of full
disclosure and suggested that the TTAC take a position on whether the late applications
should be included in the 2011 CMAQ/RSTP Project Selection Process. Mr. King moved to
approve the inclusion of the six applications in the 2011 CMAQ/RSTP Project Selection
Process. Mr. Pullen seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

14. TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMMING SUBCOMMITTEE
Mr. Kimbrel briefed the TTAC on this item, explaining each of the recommendations of the
TPS with regard to funds transfers and allocations. Mr. Lewis moved approval of all of the
TPS recommendations. Mr. Shea seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

15. AIR QUALITY CONFORMITY ANALYSIS – 2034 LRTP AND FY 2012-2015 TIP: DRAFT REPORT
Mr. Voigt briefed the TTAC on this item. Mr. Ponticello moved approval of the Air Quality
Conformity Analysis. Mr. Stringfield seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

16. TIGER III SUBMITTALS
Mr. Kimbrel noted that there were three TIGER proposals for which the applicant localities
had requested endorsement from the HRTPO Board. There was a discussion on whether the
proposals should be prioritized prior to consideration by the HRTPO Board. Mr. King moved
to have the HRTPO staff rank the projects based on the category in which each project falls in
the HRTPO Prioritization Tool and have that information provided for consideration by the
HRTPO Board during its September 15, 2011 meeting. Mr. Lewis seconded the motion and it
passed unanimously.

17. DISCUSSION ON TTAC OFFICERS AND MEMBERSHIP
Mr. Allsbrook stated that the Nominating Subcommittee had nominated Mr. Earl Sorey for
the office of TTAC Chair and Mr. Michael King for the office of TTAC Vice-Chair for the
upcoming year (October 2011 – September 2012). There was a brief discussion regarding a
submitted public comment that included recommendations on changes to the TTAC officers
and membership. Mr. Allsbrook moved to elect Mr. Sorey to the position of Chair and Mr. King
to the position of Vice-Chair for the upcoming year. Mr. Hartman seconded the motion and it
passed unanimously.

18. TTAC ACTION ITEMS: THREE-MONTH TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
This item was provided for informational purposes and the TTAC took no action.

19. FOR YOUR INFORMATION
This item was for informational purposes and the TTAC took no action.

20. OLD/NEW BUSINESS
There was no Old/New Business.

ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 a.m.

Keith Nichols
Senior Transportation Engineer

You may not believe this when you stop to fuel up your vehicle, but Virginia actually has lower fuel prices than many other areas of the country.  Virginia ranks 36th highest in terms of the statewide average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline among the 50 states and D.C. as of July 1, 2011.
 
One of the reasons that Virginia has lower fuel prices than many other areas is the level of gasoline taxes and fees collected throughout the state.  Virginia ranks 41st highest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in statewide average taxes and fees collected on each gallon of unleaded gasoline as of July 1, 2011.  Currently the statewide excise tax on unleaded gasoline is 17.5 cents per gallon, a level that has not been increased since 1986.  In addition to the excise tax, 0.6 cents per gallon is collected statewide for the petroleum underground storage tank fund.  An additional 2% sales tax is also collected in Northern Virginia for public transportation improvements, a tax that is not collected in Hampton Roads.

All six states or districts that border Virginia have higher taxes and fees, with North Carolina’s rate being more than fifteen cents higher per gallon.  In spite of this fifteen cent difference, North Carolina's average fuel price is only eight cents higher than Virginia's price.