At its January Meeting, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) released scores for the fourth round of transportation projects to be evaluated under the SMART SCALE prioritization process. More than 400 applications were submitted by localities, metropolitan planning organizations, and other regional entities across the state, and 397 have been scored based on several key factors: safety, congestion reduction, accessibility to jobs and businesses, economic development, environmental impacts, and land use.
The funding request for this round of SMART SCALE totaled $6.3 billion, signaling that there continues to be a significant need for investments to support transportation solutions. SMART SCALE applications are scored based on the benefit of the project relative to the cost. The funding available for this round of SMART SCALE totals $1.374 billion: $883.7 million for the District Grant Program and $490.7 million for the statewide High Priority Projects Program.
Between now and June, there will be public hearings with each transportation district, at which the public may comment on the staff-recommended scenario and any potential revisions. Once projects are selected, they are fully funded through construction. The scores and additional information about the SMART SCALE process can be found at http://smartscale.org/projects/fy-2022-projects.asp. The final Six-Year Improvement Program is scheduled to be acted on by the CTB in June 2021.
Appointed by the governor, the 17-member CTB establishes the administrative policies and approves funding allocation for Virginia’s transportation system. More information on CTB meeting times access can be found here.
VACo Contact: Jeremy R. Bennett