Governor Kaine Highlights Reforms of 2006 Session
– Bills requiring traffic impact statements, allowing transfer of development rights were passed –

RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine today highlighted the significant progress his administration and the General Assembly has made toward better linking land use and transportation during the 2006 legislative session.

“Connecting transportation and land use is critical to getting the most from our transportation investments, to reducing congestion, and to protecting our neighborhoods and communities,” Governor Kaine said. “When state and local decision-makers work together, our transportation network works better.”

This session, the General Assembly passed a number of land-use reforms, including measures proposed by the Governor.  Among the bills Governor Kaine will sign this year are:

• Senate Bill 699, requiring traffic impact statements to be created for new rezoning requests, so that local planners will know how much traffic would be generated before they act on a request.  The Department of Transportation will also provide comments on proposed changes to local comprehensive plans before they are adopted, to help localities understand the effect changes might have on local roads.
• Senate Bill 721 is a revenue-sharing bill that allows state and local governments to work more closely together on some projects, granting localities greater decision-making authority and responsibility for project construction.  This helps localities better understand the cost of transportation solutions and the effect of their land use decisions.
• Senate Bill 373, legislation addressing transfer of development rights, will allow communities to help guide development toward more efficient patterns while protecting the property rights of local landowners.  TDR programs will allow landowners in areas marked for conservation to voluntarily trade their development rights to parcels in developed areas, and to be compensated for their loss of property value.
• Senate Bill 374, also know as the “cluster bill,” allows development while protecting open space.  Developers with large parcels of land will be allowed to cluster their development in one part of the property, in exchange for permanently protecting the remainder of the property as a park or open space.
• Senate Bill 412 strengthened the Intermodal Office, giving the office the specific charge to advocate for better links between roads, rail, air and sea ports, and to develop performance measures for state and regional efforts to connect our transportation network.
• House Bill 686 will better connect neighborhoods by allowing localities to require sidewalks whenever a parcel is developed that adjoins an existing sidewalk.

During his first week in office, Governor Kaine also created the Commission on Transportation Accountability to identify and develop specific ways to measure the effectiveness of a proposed road or transit project.  Quantifiable performance measures will help transportation planners make the best decisions and get the best value for our transportation dollars.

As the debate over new transportation investments continues, the discussion of land use is interwoven in the proposals.  Governor Kaine’s transportation plan includes record investments in mass transit.  It includes funds specifically dedicated to protecting key transportation corridors to reduce the need for expensive bypasses.  The plan will also decrease demand by promoting telecommuting and other traffic-reducing initiatives.

“Much of the immediate public focus on the 2006 session is on the extended debate about transportation revenues,” Governor Kaine concluded. “But twenty years from now, 2006 will also be remembered as the session that the momentum changed on land use and transportation reform, and real, significant progress was made for the first time.”

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