Route 13 Safety: Supervisor Hogg responds to Rural Transportation Cooperation Processes

This VDOT-DRPT guidebook updates the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Rural Transportation Planning Consultation Processes and documents the methods used by VDOT and DRPT in interacting, participating and cooperating with Virginia’s non-metropolitan regional and local officials regarding transportation planning and programming. To meet federal requirements, this document is separate and discrete from documentation provided on the public participation processes. District 1 Supervisor Granville Hogg, who has been and outspoken advocate for traffic safety along the Route 13 corridor, reviewed the draft and has submitted these comments.

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Response to Rural Transportation Cooperation Processes Sept. 2016 DRAFT Delivered to Barbara Schwenk, Transportation Program Manager

In response to your request for comments on the 2016 Rural Transportation cooperation processes.

From the written document it appears the process is clearly outlined, however there appears to be a disconnect between the written process and implementation of the process at county level planning and zoning and government.

I have witnessed local zoning actions that substantially impact highways. The decisions made at the existing local level fail to comply with the county comprehensive land-use plan. In addition the comprehensive land-use plan has not been reviewed within the five-year period that you quote in your document.

There is a need to further review the Statewide Transportation Plan (VTRANS). It is my opinion there is a change in traffic patterns along U.S.13 for the following reasons:

1. Dredging Chesapeake Bay entrance to accommodate larger ships carrying containerized cargo which in turn is creating the use of alternate commercial truck routing from Interstate 64 and Interstate 95 to U.S. 13 in Northampton and Accomack County into Maryland and Delaware. This is eminent.

2. Construction of a parallel tunnel on Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel project. This is eminent.

3. Governor McAuliffe’s desire to trade with China to include the sale of poultry. The significant increase of production at the chicken processing plants and trucking transportation of products to the South and West routes commercial traffic along U.S. 13 through Northampton County to the Tidewater area. Poultry plants are in process of expansion.

4. The significant increase in tourist traffic from Eastern North Carolina and Tidewater area. There is currently witnessed the increase in tourism traffic during the summer months. This can be verified by the traffic counts conducted by Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. On many Saturday mornings, I have witnessed traffic on CBBT to be backed up from the first tunnel to the Toll booth and beyond. That is almost 3 miles of two lane traffic

It is my opinion U.S. 13 is currently a “Corridor of Statewide Significance” and with the decisions that have already been made will continue to be classified the same unless local government decisions are more in alignment with VDOT Transportation Planning. Decisions. The unintended consequences of planned improvements is the issue. Accomack and Northampton counties are failing to review the existing conditions and requiring developers to address the issue but place the burden on VDOT to correct poor decisions made at the local level. These DECISIONS ARE GREAT for the short term of one’s political career, but lack vision.

There is a definite disconnect between VDOT’s Transportation Planning, local planning and zoning, the comprehensive land-use plan and local government. It is most obvious local government for reasons of economic development is failing to adhere to its comprehensive land-use plan as well as providing VDOT with information on potential developments along U.S. 13.

I wish to reiterate, in review of the written document it appears the process is clearly outlined, however there appears to be a disconnect between the written process and implementation of the process at county level planning and zoning and government. We are not addressing the Access Management Regulations 24 VAC 30-73 as well as we should be.

Granville Hogg
Cheriton, Virginia 23316