A. Whenever the Board or the Department plan for or undertake any highway construction or improvement project and such project includes or may include the requirement for the mitigation of traffic noise impacts, first consideration should be given to the use of noise reducing design and low noise pavement materials and techniques in lieu of construction of noise walls or sound barriers. Vegetative screening, such as the planting of appropriate conifers, in such a design would be utilized to act as a visual screen if visual screening is required.
B. The Department shall expedite the development of quiet pavement technology such that applicable contract solicitations for paving shall include specifications for quiet pavement technology and other sound mitigation alternatives in any case in which sound mitigation is a consideration. To that end, the Department shall construct demonstration projects sufficient in number and scope to assess applicable technologies. The assessment shall include evaluation of the functionality and public safety of these technologies in Virginia's climate and shall be evaluated over at least two full winters. The Department shall provide an initial interim report to the Governor and the General Assembly by June 30, 2012, a second interim report by June 30, 2013, and a final report by June 30, 2015. The report shall include results of demonstration projects in Virginia, results of the use of quiet pavement in other states, a plan for routine implementation of quiet pavement, and any safety, cost, or performance issues that have been identified by the demonstration projects.
C. The governing body of any locality, at its own expense, may evaluate noise from highways it may designate for analysis. Such evaluation shall be accepted and relied upon by the Department if such evaluation is prepared in accordance with and complies with applicable federal law, regulations, and requirements, as well as guidelines and policies issued by the Board, relating to noise abatement and evaluation. This provision shall not apply to projects for which the Department is required to perform a noise analysis.
2009, c. 120, § 33.1-223.2:21; 2011, cc. 476, 790; 2012, c. 171; 2013, c. 120; 2014, c. 805.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 33.2 - Highways and Other Surface Transportation Systems
Chapter 2 - Transportation Entities
§ 33.2-200. Commonwealth Transportation Board; membership; terms; vacancies
§ 33.2-201. Appointment requirements; statewide interest
§ 33.2-203. Salaries and expenses
§ 33.2-205. Oaths and bonds of members
§ 33.2-207. Bookkeeping system
§ 33.2-208. Location of routes
§ 33.2-210. Traffic regulations; penalty
§ 33.2-211. Copies of regulations as evidence
§ 33.2-212. Sections not applicable to certain engines and tractors
§ 33.2-213. Naming highways, bridges, interchanges, and other transportation facilities
§ 33.2-214. Transportation; Six-Year Improvement Program
§ 33.2-214.1. Statewide prioritization process for project selection
§ 33.2-214.3. Transparency in project selection in Planning District 8
§ 33.2-214.4. Statewide prioritization for the Commonwealth Mass Transit Fund
§ 33.2-215. Policies and operation of Departments
§ 33.2-216. Roadside memorials; penalty
§ 33.2-217. Prohibition of certain weeds and plants on highway rights-of-way
§ 33.2-218. Fees for participating in the Integrated Directional Sign Program
§ 33.2-219. Statements to be filed with Commonwealth Transportation Board by transit systems
§ 33.2-221. Other powers, duties, and responsibilities
§ 33.2-222. Commissioner of Highways
§ 33.2-223. General powers of Commissioner of Highways
§ 33.2-224. Employees; delegation of responsibilities
§ 33.2-225. Liaison duties with other organizations
§ 33.2-226. Authority to lease or convey airspace
§ 33.2-227. Defense of employees
§ 33.2-228. Agreements between Commissioner of Highways and certain localities
§ 33.2-229. Furnishing information regarding right-of-way transactions
§ 33.2-230. Written notice of decision to dispose of real property
§ 33.2-231. Establish community service landscaping program
§ 33.2-233. Gathering and reporting of information and statistics
§ 33.2-234. Construction by state or local employees
§ 33.2-237. Directional signs for certain educational institutions
§ 33.2-239. Providing highway detours
§ 33.2-240. Connections over shoulders of highways for intersecting private roads
§ 33.2-242. Replacing entrances destroyed in the repair or construction of highways
§ 33.2-243. Paying for damages sustained to personal property by reason of work projects, etc.
§ 33.2-244. Removal of snow and ice from public highways by private entities
§ 33.2-245. Comprehensive highway access management standards
§ 33.2-246. Recreational waysides; regulations; penalties
§ 33.2-247. Wetlands mitigation banking
§ 33.2-248. Expenditure of funds for interstate bridges and approaches
§ 33.2-249. Maintenance and operation of bridges or tunnels on the city and state line
§ 33.2-250. Improving certain private roads and certain town streets and roads
§ 33.2-251. Installation and maintenance of "children at play" signs in counties and towns
§ 33.2-252. Tramways and railways along or across public highways; appeals
§ 33.2-253. Highway safety corridor program
§ 33.2-254. Erection and maintenance of newspaper route boxes
§ 33.2-255. Sale or lease of properties acquired for highway construction
§ 33.2-256. Department of Transportation established
§ 33.2-257.1. Notice to be provided to property owners of pending transportation projects
§ 33.2-258. Environmental permits for highway projects; timely review
§ 33.2-259. Maintain drainage easements
§ 33.2-260. Specifications in purchasing lubricating motor oil
§ 33.2-261. Value engineering required in certain projects
§ 33.2-263. School bus stop signs or other indicators
§ 33.2-264. Livestock on right-of-way of the systems of state highways
§ 33.2-265. Comprehensive roadside management program
§ 33.2-266. Intermittent closing of highways subject to flooding; permits; notice
§ 33.2-267.1. Human trafficking hotline; posted notice required
§ 33.2-269. Localities may use design-build contracts
§ 33.2-270. Provide for training of certain local employees
§ 33.2-271. Maintain property acquired for construction of transportation projects
§ 33.2-272.1. Interstate pipelines; Department of Transportation oversight
§ 33.2-273. Use of steel plates in connection with highway repairs
§ 33.2-274. Application and installation of traffic control measures
§ 33.2-274.1. Roadside safety devices to be equipped with identification numbers
§ 33.2-275. Periodic quantitative rating of certain highways
§ 33.2-275.1. Primary evacuation routes; public information
§ 33.2-276. Noise abatement practices and technologies
§ 33.2-277. Sale of materials to, and use of equipment by, localities and school boards
§ 33.2-278. Facilities for persons desiring to fish from bridges
§ 33.2-280. Treatment of highway surfaces for dust control
§ 33.2-280.1. Charging electronic toll collection device fees
§ 33.2-282. Department of Rail and Public Transportation created; appointment of Director
§ 33.2-283. Powers and duties of the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation
§ 33.2-284. General powers of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation
§ 33.2-285. Responsibilities of Department of Rail and Public Transportation
§ 33.2-286. Urban transit agency strategic plans
§ 33.2-288. Declaration of public purpose; Virginia Passenger Rail Authority
§ 33.2-289. Board of Directors
§ 33.2-290. Executive Director; agents and employees
§ 33.2-291. Local authorities subordinate to Authority
§ 33.2-292. Powers of the Authority
§ 33.2-293. Acquisition, possession, and disposition of rail facilities; eminent domain
§ 33.2-295. Deposit and investment of funds
§ 33.2-296. Revenues of the Authority
§ 33.2-297. Moneys of Authority
§ 33.2-299. Recordkeeping; audits
§ 33.2-299.1. Exemption of Authority from personnel and procurement procedures
§ 33.2-299.2. Police powers; Authority rules and regulations
§ 33.2-299.3. Governmental function; exemption from taxation
§ 33.2-299.4. Cooperation with federal agencies
§ 33.2-299.5. Continuing responsibilities of the Transportation Board and the Department