                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

STATEWIDE PRIORITIZATION FOR THE COMMONWEALTH MASS TRANSIT FUND (§ 33.2-214.4)

A. 1. The Board shall develop a prioritization process for the use of funds
allocated pursuant to subdivision D 2 of § 33.2-1526.1. Such prioritization
process shall be used for the development of the Six-Year Improvement Program
adopted annually by the Board pursuant to § 33.2-214. There shall be a separate
prioritization process for state of good repair projects and major expansion
projects. The prioritization process shall, for state of good repair projects,
be based upon transit asset management principles, including federal
requirements for Transit Asset Management pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 5326. The
prioritization process shall, for major expansion projects, be based on an
objective and quantifiable analysis that considers the following factors
relative to the cost of a major expansion project: congestion mitigation,
economic development, accessibility, safety, environmental quality, and land
use.

   2. The Board shall solicit input from localities, metropolitan planning
   organizations, transit authorities, transportation authorities, and other
   stakeholders in its development of the prioritization process pursuant to this
   subsection. Further, the Board shall explicitly consider input provided by an
   applicable metropolitan planning organization or the Northern Virginia
   Transportation Authority when developing the prioritization process set forth
   in subdivision 1 for a metropolitan planning area with a population of over
   200,000 individuals.

B. 1. The Board shall create for the Department of Rail and Public
Transportation a Transit Service Delivery Advisory Committee, consisting of two
members appointed by the Virginia Transit Association, one member appointed by
the Community Transportation Association of Virginia, one member appointed by
the Virginia Municipal League, one member appointed by the Virginia Association
of Counties, and three members appointed by the Director of the Department of
Rail and Public Transportation, to advise the Department of Rail and Public
Transportation in the development of the process set forth in subdivision 2. The
Transit Service Delivery Advisory Committee shall elect a chairman from among
its membership. The Department of Rail and Public Transportation shall provide
administrative support to the Transit Service Delivery Advisory Committee. The
Transit Service Delivery Advisory Committee shall meet at least annually and
consult with interested stakeholders and hold at least one public hearing and
report its findings to the Director of the Department of Rail and Public
Transportation.

   2. The Department of Rail and Public Transportation, in conjunction with the
   Transit Service Delivery Advisory Committee, shall develop a process for the
   distribution of the funds allocated pursuant to subdivision D 1 of &#xA7;
   33.2-1526.1 and the incorporation by transit systems of the service delivery
   factors set forth therein into their transit development plans. Prior to the
   Board approving service delivery factors, the Director of the Department of
   Rail and Public Transportation and the Chairman of the Transit Service
   Delivery Advisory Committee shall brief the House Committees on Appropriations
   and Transportation and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and
   on Transportation regarding the findings and recommendations of the Transit
   Service Delivery Advisory Committee and the Department of Rail and Public
   Transportation. Before redefining any component of the service delivery
   factors, the Board shall consult with the Director of the Department of Rail
   and Public Transportation, the Transit Service Delivery Advisory Committee,
   and interested stakeholders, and shall provide for a 45-day public comment
   period. The process required to be delivered by this subsection shall be
   adopted no later than July 1, 2019, and shall apply beginning with the fiscal
   year 2020-2025 Six-Year Improvement Program.

HISTORY: 2018, cc. 854, 856; 2020, cc. 1230, 1275.