Government Affairs

Guiding Principles

• Achieving and maintaining a State of Good Repair.
• Using smarter project and service delivery methods to efficiently connect communities across the region with transit infrastructure and services.
• Ensuring flexibility and diversity of funding sources and financing options, including new dedicated regional transit funding, with the ability to leverage resources to make each available dollar go farther.
• Balanced and equitable investments across modes and areas of the Commonwealth.
• Fostering innovation and data-driven decision making, incorporating new technologies, and using robust methods to evaluate and prioritize investments.
• Integration of transportation and land-use policies, plans and projects that foster private investments and expand access to safe and reliable transit for more segments of the Hampton Roads region.
• Connecting more workers to jobs, customers to businesses, and access to educational, retail, medical, recreational, and other opportunities that support quality of life and thriving local and regional economies.

The Commission implements its day-to-day business as Hampton Roads Transit (HRT). Providing more than 14 million trips annually on bus, ferry, light rail, and paratransit, in addition to Transportation Demand Management (TDM) solutions through its TRAFFIX program, HRT’s mission is to connect Hampton Roads through high quality, safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation services.

DRAFT TDCHR 2019 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Statewide Transit Capital Funding

The TDCHR supports state funds, to replace state bond funding that will significantly decline beginning in FY2019, for transit State of Good Repair (SGR) and transit expansion projects. The Commonwealth needs steady and reliable revenues dedicated to the statewide transit capital program.

Regional Dedicated Funding

The TDCHR supports the development of a new regional funding model to support priority regional public transportation.

Criminal Penalties for Battery On a Transit Operator

The TDCHR supports establishing a minimum, mandatory period of confinement for a conviction of battery against public transit employees.

Innovative Grants for Multimodal Transportation Concepts

The TDCHR supports new & innovative funding and financing programs for innovative transit-related pilot initiatives to meet the needs of commuting public.

Federal funding and Surface Transportation Reauthorization

Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) is set to expire in September 2021. The TDCHR urges Congress to work collaboratively toward passage of new surface transportation authorization legislation and ensure the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) / Mass Transit Fund.

Federal State of Good Repair – Bus

The TDCHR supports increased federal funding for bus and bus facilities. Under the FAST Act, bus funding for the new fiscal year has proposed increases in Senate legislation by $400 million and in the House legislation by $550 million respectively.

Support of Transportation Demand Management

The TDCHR supports the expanded use of Transportation Demand Management special programs and development of new park-and-ride options that can improve transit-related mobility and support reduced congestion.