Virginia DOT Bound by New Law to Study Transportation Demand Management

The "Interstate 64-664 Corridor Improvement Study" recently released by the Virginia Department of Transportation study puts new priority on transportation demand management, safety, and increases to rail and transit service, according to an article by Wyatt Gordon. 

The "new Virginia Department of Transportation  study of the 320-mile long portion of Interstates 64 and 664 which it manages could prove a first test of a little noticed provision in Gov. Ralph Northam’s transportation omnibus bill that took effect on July 1," reports Gordon. 

"Whereas past transportation officials have focused on congestion as an engineering problem — and consequently deployed road widening as their sole solution, a gradual cultural shift within VDOT, strengthened by the governor’s omnibus, has emphasized the importance of transportation demand management," explains Gordon, who provides a more detailed description of TDM in the source article. 

Gordon also adds more about the potential of TDM's reliance on data for decision making to potentially shift the direction of VDOT's planning processes now and in the future. Additional safety benefits, in addition to congestion mitigation, are expected as a result of the new approach. The I-64 and I-664 study, for instance, is intended to identify the least safe stretched of the interstates. 

Still, the state is planning major investments on the two highways, according to Gordon. "A network of roughly 45 miles of express lanes around Hampton Roads — similar to the HOT lanes found across Northern Virginia — appears to be a done deal," reports Gordon.