Transportation; amends numerous laws related to funds, safety programs, revenue sources, etc.

Transportation. Amends numerous laws related to transportation funds, revenue sources, construction, and safety programs.The bill adopts numerous structural changes to the transportation funding system in the Commonwealth. Most transportation revenues are directed to a new Commonwealth Transportation Fund and the existing Highway Maintenance and Operating Fund. Funds are then disbursed, based on codified formulas, to subfunds established to meet the varying transportation needs of different modes of transportation. The bill contains transitional provisions phasing in the new funding structure over a period of four years.The existing gas tax based on a percentage of the wholesale price of gasoline and diesel fuel is converted to a cents-per-gallon tax. A rate of $0.282 per gallon of gasoline will be phased in over three years, and then indexed every year thereafter. The regional gas tax will be converted to a rate of $0.076 per gallon of gasoline.Registration fees for motor vehicles will be lowered. The Department of Motor Vehicles will implement a Highway Use Fee for alternative fuel and fuel-efficient vehicles. Alternatively, a person whose vehicles would be subject to this new fee may elect to instead enroll in a mileage-based user fee program to be developed by the Department.In Northern Virginia, the regional transportation improvement fee, used to support the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), is lowered to $0.10 per $100 for the recordation of conveyance of a deed. A new regional congestion fee is imposed at a rate of $0.15 per $100 for the recordation of conveyance of a deed. The regional transient occupancy tax is raised from $2 to $3.The bill authorizes the use of transportation bonds to complete the final section of Corridor Q of the Appalachian Development Highway System, and authorizes a bond issuance for improvements in the Interstate 81 and Interstate 66 corridors.The bill establishes a new Virginia Passenger Rail Authority.The bill adopts several safety initiatives, including: (i) making it illegal to possess an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle; (ii) requiring all passengers in a vehicle to wear safety belts and making failure to wear a safety belt a primary offense; (iii) prohibiting the use of handheld personal communication devices; (iv) establishing a speed monitoring program in highway safety corridors that uses a vehicle sensor to take a picture of a vehicle traveling more than 10 miles over the speed limit, subjecting the driver to a monetary fine; and (v) allowing localities to lower the speed limit below 25 miles per hour in business and residential districts. The Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles will establish an advisory committee to oversee education and enforcement of policies such as the seatbelt and hands-free provisions. The bill changes the requirement for a vehicle inspection from once every 12 months to once every 24 months.The bill also creates numerous new transportation safety programs, including an Interstate Operations and Enhancement Program, a Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program, the Statewide Special Structures Program, and a Transit Incentive Program.This bill incorporates HB 16 and HB 1538.