RELEASE: CONTACT:

IMMEDIATE Donna Purcell Mayes (804) 786-2717 Donna.Mayes@VDOT.Virginia.gov cell (804) 317-7113

CO-0782 Oct. 19, 2007

PROPOSED ACCESS MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT
Proposed regulations and standards would reduce crashes and improve traffic flow

RICHMOND – Comments on proposed regulations and design standards that would be used to manage where vehicles turn on to or off of state highways will be accepted by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) until 5 p.m. on Oct. 29, 2007.

A public hearing at which comments can be made will be held from 1 - 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22, at the VDOT Asset Management Division’s office in the Brookfield Corporate Complex at 6600 W. Broad St., Richmond.

Directions to the hearing are available on VDOT’s Web site at VDOT.Virginia.gov/accessmgt.

Comments may also be submitted via email to accessmcomments@vdot.virginia.gov, through VDOT’s Web site at VDOT.Virginia.gov/accessmgt, or by mail to Paul Grasewicz, VDOT Asset Management Division, 1401 E. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23219.

The regulations and standards would manage the location, number, spacing and design of entrances, median openings, traffic signals, turn lanes, street intersections, and interchanges.

They would apply to entrances and exits for commercial, industrial and residential developments but would not affect private driveway entrances from state highways to individual residences.

Carefully controlling where vehicles can turn to and from the highway can help lower the number of crashes and resulting fatalities and injuries.

It can also reduce congestion, which helps the economy by keeping people and goods moving efficiently, and reduce the need for new or wider highways.

The 2007 General Assembly unanimously approved legislation proposed by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine directing VDOT to develop and implement access management regulations and standards.

The draft regulations and standards were developed by VDOT staff with input from representatives of local government, the development community, the environmental community and transportation engineering organizations. The final standards will be published by Dec. 31, 2007, on VDOT’s Web site and become effective July 1, 2008.

For more information about highway access management, go to VDOT.Virginia.gov/accessmgt.

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