Virginia

East Coast Considers Plan to Hike Gas Prices to Mitigate Climate Change
Will a dozen East Coast states and D.C. agree to a regional plan that would likely hike gas prices through a "cap-and-invest" program to mitigate tailpipe emissions similar to what California has done for the last five years?

Statewide Density Increases Proposed in Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia will consider a bill that would legalize duplexes in single-family zones throughout the state.

Missing Middle Housing Studied in Suburban Virginia
Almost 90% of Arlington County land zones for residential use is reserved for single-family homes. Would adding missing middle housing in the form of duplexes and triplexes keep the price of housing in a more manageable range?

Virginia to Pay $3.7 Billion for 225 Miles of Rail Track
New passenger rail improvements for the Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak are on the way in 2020.

Transit-Oriented Development Central to D.C. Region's Growth Plan
Transit-oriented development will play a key role in mitigating the congestion effects of growing population in the region around the nation's capital, and regional planners say the region is already achieving its goals.

A New Transit Vision for Norfolk
Transit ridership in Norfolk, Virginia, has been lagging, and the city hopes that changes to the bus and rail systems will turn things around.

Community Benefits Package for Amazon's HQ2 Takes Shape
Details of the community benefits package promised as part of Amazon's HQ2 development deal with Arlington County, Virginia made news this week.

Key Planning Details of the Proposed $1.9 Billion Rail Bridge Between D.C. and Virginia
Analysis of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a project that would add an additional bridge to supplement the rail capacity of the Long Bridge over the Potomac River.

Saying 'No' to Development in Climate Risk Areas
Only a few places have managed to stem the tide of development in areas at risk to the effects (like wildfire and flooding) of climate change. Virginia Beach is an early test bed for what it takes to tell developers "no."

Penalty for Paying Cash for Transit Fare Fails the Equity Test
A proposal to charge riders who pay fare in cash an extra 25 cents faces criticism.

Maryland and Virginia to Increase Capacity on the Legion Bridge Across the Potomac
Maryland and Virginia have decided on a plan to widen the American Legion Memorial Bridge, connecting the Northern Virginia suburbs of McLean and Great Falls with Maryland’s Montgomery County.

Election 2019: Changing Demographics Explain Democrats' Victory in Virginia
It's not suburbs vs. cities but inner vs. outer suburbs that determined the outcome of elections in Virginia last Tuesday that flipped the General Assembly from red to blue.

The $64 Million Intersection
The Virginia County of Chesterfield is planning six so-called "superstreet" treatments for junctions in the county. One junction, where Route 10 meets Rivers Bend Boulevard, will cost $64 million.

Reducing Parking Requirements for Huge, Regional Malls
Fairfax County, Virginia is considering a change to its parking requirements that would lower the number of parking spots at large malls like Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria.

Report: D.C. Area Commuters Driving Alone Less
With all the bad news about plummeting ridership as the D.C. Metro transit system has struggled to deal with maintenance issues, a new report indicates that regional commuters are still driving alone less.

Will Pennsylvania Become the 11th State in the Northeast to Price Carbon Emissions?
Pennsylvania is the nation’s #2 natural gas producer, #3 in coal, and #4 in carbon emissions. Gov. Tom Wolf issued an executive order on Oct. 3 to initiate the process to join the regional cap-and-trade program, but will the legislature allow it?

Reducing Transportation Emissions by Targeting Fuel Suppliers
Modeled on the nation's first mandatory cap-and-trade program that only targets power plant emissions, the Transportation & Climate Initiative subjects transportation fuel to a similar market-based program. It took a major step forward on Oct. 1.

Solo-Occupant Hybrid Vehicles Lose Access to Carpool Lanes
A change in federal law on Monday meant that over 16,000 Virginia motorists must double or triple-up when using carpool lanes in Virginia. Next month, electric vehicles will need three occupants to drive free on I-395 when HOV lanes become HOT.

Virginia Planning a Big Addition to Multi-Modal Trail System
The proposed Ashland to Petersburg Trail would build on the success of the Virginia Capital Trail.
Virginia Interstate Widening Would Convert Free Lanes to Toll Lanes
The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization is proposing a 45-mile network of high-occupancy toll lanes on I–64 that includes conversions of 16 miles of carpool and three miles of general-purpose lanes. No unpriced lanes would be added.
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