2026 SESSION
INTRODUCED
26104206D
HOUSE BILL NO. 737
Offered January 14, 2026
Prefiled January 13, 2026
A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-229 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 33.2-353.1, relating to certain primary highways; review of designation or classification for certain purposes by Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment; request of a locality.
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Patron—Williams
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Referred to Committee on Transportation
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 2.2-229 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 33.2-353.1 as follows:
§ 2.2-229. Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment of the Secretary of Transportation.
A. There is hereby established the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment of the Secretary of Transportation (the Office), consisting of a director, appointed by the Secretary of Transportation, and such additional transportation professionals as the Secretary of Transportation shall determine. It shall be the duty of the Office to support and advise the Secretary in his role as chairman of the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
B. The goals of the Office shall be:
1. To promote transparency and accountability of the programming of transportation funds, including the development of the Six-Year Improvement Program pursuant to § 33.2-214 and the statewide prioritization process pursuant to § 33.2-214.1;
2. To ensure that the Commonwealth has a multimodal transportation system that promotes economic development and all transportation modes, intermodal connectivity, environmental quality, accessibility for people and freight, and transportation safety;
3. To encourage the use of innovation and best practices to improve the efficiency of the Commonwealth's surface transportation network and to enhance the efficacy of strategies to improve such efficiency; and
4. To promote the coordination between transportation investments and land use planning.
C. The responsibilities of the Office shall be:
1. To oversee and coordinate with the Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation the development of, for the Commonwealth Transportation Board's approval, the Six-Year Improvement Program pursuant to § 33.2-214 for the Commonwealth Transportation Board;
2. To implement the statewide prioritization process developed by the Commonwealth Transportation Board pursuant to § 33.2-214.1;
3. To develop, for the Commonwealth Transportation Board's approval, the Statewide Transportation Plan pursuant to § 33.2-353;
4. To develop measures and targets related to the performance of the Commonwealth's surface transportation network for the Commonwealth Transportation Board's approval, including any performance measurement required by Title 23 or 49 of the United States Code and any measures adopted by the Board pursuant to § 33.2-353;
5. To undertake, identify, coordinate, and oversee studies of potential highway, transit, rail, and other improvements or strategies, to help address needs identified in the Statewide Transportation Plan pursuant to § 33.2-353;
6. To assist the Commonwealth Transportation Board in the development of a comprehensive, multimodal transportation policy, which may be developed as part of the Statewide Transportation Plan pursuant to § 33.2-353;
7. To provide technical assistance to local governments and regional entities, including assistance to establish and promote urban development areas pursuant to § 15.2-2223.1 and conducting assessments of primary highways requested by localities and any accompanying written explanations of determinations pursuant to § 33.2-353.1;
8. To oversee and coordinate with the Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation the development of, for the Commonwealth Transportation Board's approval, the annual budget and the six-year financial plan for the Commonwealth Transportation Fund; and
9. To oversee, subject to approval of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank established pursuant to § 33.2-1502 and the Toll Facilities Revolving Account established pursuant to § 33.2-1529.
D. In carrying out its responsibilities pursuant to subsection C, the Office shall coordinate with the Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, as appropriate, and coordinate with the Department of Transportation on all road, bridge, and tunnel projects and with the Department of Rail and Public Transportation on all rail and transit projects.
§ 33.2-353.1. Designation or classification of certain primary highways for planning, prioritization, or funding purposes; petition for change by localities.
The governing body of any locality may submit a petition to the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (OIPI) for the review of any primary highway within the boundaries of such locality for a change in any designation or classification, related to the Statewide Transportation Plan created pursuant to § 33.2-353 and any other transportation planning, prioritization, or funding purposes, including a designation as a corridor of statewide significance or as part of a regional network, of such primary highway. Such locality may include in such petition information regarding traffic volume, commuter data, or information on economic impacts of such primary highway.
Upon receipt of such petition, OIPI shall conduct an assessment of such primary highway, including a review and consideration of any information included with the petition by the locality, and determine whether a different designation or classification is appropriate for such primary highway. If the result of such assessment does not result in a change in designation or classification, OIPI shall provide a written explanation of the determination, including the factors in which such primary highway is deficient for such a designation or classification, to the locality within 10 days of such determination.