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Description	Chapters 863 and 928 of the 2007 Acts of Assembly directed the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner to develop and implement comprehensive highway access management standards to preserve and improve the efficient operations of the state systems of highways. The standards are to include guidelines for the location, number, and spacing and design of entrances, median openings, turn lanes, street intersections, traffic signals, and interchanges. These regulations combine content from the existing Chapter 71, the "Minimum Standards of Entrances to Streets and Highways," and Chapter 151, the replacement regulation for the "Land Use Permit Manual," 24 VAC 30-150 under promulgation. Although the standards are exempt from the Administrative Process Act, the Commissioner was further directed to solicit and consider public comment in their development, and to publish them no later than December 31, 2007, to take effect July 1, 2008. Chapters 274 and 454 of the 2008 Acts of Assembly amended the enactment clauses of Chapters 863 and 928 of the 2007 Acts of Assembly to remove the exemption from the requirements of the APA. These bills were subsequently amended to allow for the access management regulations to be promulgated in phases. The first phase (initial promulgation of regulations applicable to principal arterials) is exempt from the APA, and the regulations will go into effect July 1, 2008. Subsequent phases (promulgation of regulations applicable to minor arterials, collectors, and local highways) are subject to the APA and will go into effect October 1, 2009.
State Authority	Section 33.1-198.1 of the Code of Virginia (Chapters 863 and 928 of the 2007 Acts of Assembly; Chapters 274 and 454 of the 2008 Acts of Assembly)
Federal Authority	None
Text of Regulation	Link to Virginia Administrative Code
Goals of Regulation	To reduce traffic congestion and impacts to the level of service of highways, leading to reduced fuel consumption and air pollution. To enhance public safety by decreasing traffic crash rates. To support economic development in the Commonwealth by promoting the efficient movement of people and goods. To reduce the need for new highways and road widening by improving the performance of existing state highways. To preserve public investment in new highways by maximizing their performance. To protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare with the least possible cost and intrusiveness to the citizens of the Commonwealth. To be clearly written and understandable to the public.
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