The Commonwealth Transportation Board, formerly the State Highway and Transportation Board, regulates and funds transportation in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

. It oversees the

Virginia Department of Transportation The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is the agency of the state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. VDOT is headquartered at the Virginia Department of Highways Building in downtow ...

Membership

The Board consists of seventeen members: *The

Secretary of Transportation A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a wh ...

*The Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Transportation *The Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation *Fourteen citizen members The citizen members are appointed by the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

to four-year terms, subject to confirmation by the

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of pres ...

, and removable from office by the Governor at his pleasure. The Secretary of Transportation serves as chairman of the Board.

Authority

The Board has power to: *Choose locations of routes *Award contracts for construction, maintenance, and improvement of roads *Make traffic regulations *Name highways *Enter into contracts with local entities created for transportation purposes *Contract with other states *Administer, distribute, and allocate funds in the Transportation Trust Fund *Regulate outdoor theaters All of these powers must be exercised within the framework of state law.

Highway rest stops

As of 2008, Virginia operated 42 rest stops and visitor centers along its interstate highways. In response to budget pressures, the Board sought public input and determined to reduce costs by closing 19 rest stops and expanding the truck parking lots at the remaining stops to accommodate the trucks that would other park and sleep at the stops designated for closing. The Board also removed the two-hour limit on truck parking. The closures began on July 21, 2009 The Board's funding options were limited, because Federal law 23 U.S.C. §111 prohibits commercialization of interstate highway rest stops. The closing resulted in a $9 million annual saving. At the Board's first meeting in January 2010, it reversed the decision to close the rest stops and reassigned $3 million in highway maintenance funds to keep the 19 rest stops open until the end of the fiscal year. No long-term funding source was identified.

External links

Commonwealth Transportation Board's website§ 33.1-1. State Highway and Transportation Board continued as Commonwealth Transportation Board; number and terms of members; removal from office; vacancies.§ 33.1-12. General powers and duties of Board, etc.; definitions.

References

{{authority control Transportation in Virginia State agencies of Virginia