(HB2466)

GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 2466, which establishes two new significant highway infrastructure programs in Planning District 23 to be managed and administered by the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission, but without funding to support the programs.

The legislation establishes (i) the Hampton Roads Interstate Highway Corridor Improvement Program for the purpose of planning, developing, financing, building, constructing, and otherwise making infrastructure and safety improvements to, or maintaining the infrastructure of, new or existing highway corridors connected to, surrounding, or paralleling interstate highways and new or existing highways, bridges, and tunnels that are components of certain interstate highways in Planning District 23 and (ii) the Hampton Roads Highway Coastal Resilience Program for the purpose of planning, developing, financing, building, constructing, and maintaining infrastructure to address transportation infrastructure that is at risk due to recurrent and coastal flooding in Planning District 23.

The two highway programs established by the legislation would be significant in scope and impact, but without a dedicated funding source to support the programs, planning and other efforts to implement the legislation would risk diversion of resources from existing programs and functions of the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission, the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization and the Virginia Department of Transportation. Further, significant issues and ambiguities are presented by the legislation, including but not limited to issues relating to the division or assignment of roles and responsibilities over highways and infrastructure owned, operated, and maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation, issues relating to the means and methods of identifying relevant infrastructure construction and maintenance needs, and issues relating to the appropriate sources and distribution of funding. Such issues warrant further exploration and clarification prior to enactment of this legislation.

As written, the bill undermines the Commonwealth Transportation Board by establishing two programs over major infrastructure programs to the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission, bypassing the CTB’s established role in prioritizing and managing transportation projects.

Accordingly, I veto this bill