Virginia Administrative Code › Title 24 - TRANSPORTATION AND MOTOR VEHICLES › Agency 30 - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION › Chapter 73 - ACCESS MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS: MINOR ARTERIALS, COLLECTORS, AND LOCAL STREETS › Section 24VAC30-73-120 - Commercial entrance access management

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
A. As commercial entrance locations and
				designs are prepared and reviewed, appropriate access management regulations
				and standards shall be utilized to ensure the safety, integrity and operational
				characteristics of the systems of state highways are maintained. The proposed
				commercial entrance shall meet the access management standards contained in
				Appendix F of the Road Design Manual, 2011 (VDOT), and the regulations in this
				chapter to provide the users of such entrance with a safe means of ingress and
				egress while minimizing the impact of such ingress and egress on the operation
				of the highway.
B. A proposed
				development's compliance with the access management requirements specified
				below should be considered during the local government and VDOT's review of any
				rezoning, site plan, or subdivision plat for the development. VDOT's review of
				a rezoning traffic impact statement submitted for a development in accordance
				with the Traffic Impact Analysis Regulations (24VAC30-155) shall include
				comments on the development's compliance with the access management
				requirements specified below.
C.
				Access management requirements, in addition to other regulations in this
				chapter, include but are not limited to:
1.
				Restricting commercial entrance locations. To prevent undue interference with
				free traffic movement and to preserve safety, entrances to the highways shall
				not be permitted within the functional areas of intersections, roundabouts,
				railroad grade crossings, interchanges or similar areas with sensitive traffic
				operations. A request for an exception to this requirement submitted according
				to 24VAC30-73-120 D shall include a
				traffic engineering study that contains specific and documented reasons showing
				that highway operation and safety will not be adversely impacted.
2. Commercial entrances shared with adjoining
				properties . To reduce the number of entrances to state highways, a condition
				of entrance permit issuance shall be that entrances serve two or more parcels.
				A shared commercial entrance shall be created and designed to serve adjoining
				properties. A copy of the property owners' recorded agreement to share use of
				and maintain the entrance shall be included with the entrance permit
				application submitted to the district administrator's designee. The shared
				entrance shall be identified on any site plan or subdivision plat of the
				property. The district administrator's designee is authorized to approve an
				exception to this requirement upon submittal of a request according to
				24VAC30-73-120 D that includes the
				following:
a. Written evidence that a
				reasonable agreement to share an entrance cannot be reached with adjoining
				property owners, or
b.
				Documentation that there are physical constraints, including but not limited to
				topography, environmentally sensitive areas, and hazardous uses, to creating a
				shared entrance.
3.
				Spacing of commercial entrances and intersections. The spacing of proposed
				entrances and intersections shall comply with the spacing standards for
				entrances and intersections in Appendix F of the Road Design Manual, 2011
				(VDOT), except as specified below.
a. Where a
				plan of development or a condition of development that identifies the specific
				location of an entrance or entrances was proffered pursuant to §
				15.2-2297, 15.2-2298, or 15.2-2303 of the Code of Virginia as part of a
				rezoning approved by the locality prior to July 1, 2008, for principal
				arterials or October 14, 2009, for minor arterials, collectors, or local
				streets, such entrances shall be exempt from the applicable spacing standards
				for entrances and intersections, provided the requirements of § 15.2-2307
				of the Code of Virginia have been met. Entrances shall be exempt from the
				applicable spacing standards for entrances and intersections when the location
				of such entrances are shown on a subdivision plat, site plan, preliminary
				subdivision plat, or a Secondary Street Acceptance Requirements (24VAC30-92)
				conceptual sketch that was submitted by the locality to VDOT for review and
				received by VDOT prior to July 1, 2008, for principal arterials or October 14,
				2009, for minor arterials, collectors, or local streets, or is valid pursuant
				to §§ 15.2-2260 and 15.2-2261 of the Code of Virginia and was
				approved in accordance with §§ 15.2-2286 and 15.2-2241 through
				15.2-2245 of the Code of Virginia prior to July 1, 2008, for principal
				arterials or October 14, 2009, for minor arterials, collectors, or local
				streets. The district administrator's designee is authorized to exempt such
				entrances from the spacing standards upon submittal of a request according to
				24VAC30-73-120 D that includes
				documentation of the above criteria.
b. VDOT may work with a locality or
				localities on access management corridor plans. Such plans may allow for
				spacing standards that differ from and supersede the applicable spacing
				standards for entrances and intersections, subject to approval by the district
				administrator. Such plans may also identify the locations of any physical
				constraints to creating shared entrances or vehicular/pedestrian connections
				between adjoining properties (see
				24VAC30-73-120 C 2 and C 4). If
				the permit applicant submits a request according to
				24VAC30-73-120 D for an exception
				to the spacing standards and provides documentation that the location of the
				proposed commercial entrance is within the limits of an access management plan
				approved by the local government and by VDOT, the plan should guide the
				district administrator's designee in approving the exception request and in
				determining the appropriate location of the entrance.
c. On older, established business corridors
				along a highway in a locality where existing entrances and intersections did
				not meet the spacing standards prior to July 1, 2008, for principal arterials
				or October 14, 2009, for minor arterials, collectors, or local streets, spacing
				for new entrances and intersections may be allowed by the district
				administrator's designee that is consistent with the established spacing along
				the highway, provided that the permit applicant submits a request according to
				24VAC30-73-120 D for an exception
				to the spacing standards that includes evidence that reasonable efforts were
				made to comply with the other access management requirements of this section
				including restricting entrances within the functional areas of intersections,
				sharing entrances with and providing vehicular and pedestrian connections
				between adjoining properties, and physically restricting entrances to right-in
				or right-out or both movements.
d.
				Where a developer proposes a development within a designated urban development
				area as defined in § 15.2-2223.1 of the Code of Virginia or an area
				designated in the local comprehensive plan for higher density development that
				incorporates principles of new urbanism and traditional neighborhood
				development, which may include but need not be limited to (i)
				pedestrian-friendly road design, (ii) interconnection of new local streets with
				existing local streets and roads, (iii) connectivity of road and pedestrian
				networks, (iv) preservation of natural areas, (v) satisfaction of requirements
				for stormwater management, (vi) mixed-use neighborhoods, including mixed
				housing types, (vii) reduction of front and side yard building setbacks, and
				(viii) reduction of subdivision street widths and turning radii at subdivision
				street intersections, the district administrator's designee may approve spacing
				standards for entrances and intersections internal to the development that
				differ from the otherwise applicable spacing standards, provided that the
				developer submits a request according to
				24VAC30-73-120 D for an exception
				to the spacing standards that includes information on the design of the
				development and on the conformance of such entrances and intersections with the
				intersection sight distance standards specified in Appendix F of the Road
				Design Manual, 2011 (VDOT).
e.
				Where a development's second or additional commercial entrances are necessary
				for the streets in the development to be eligible for acceptance into the
				secondary system of state highways in accordance with the Secondary Street
				Acceptance Requirements (24VAC30-92) and such commercial entrances cannot meet
				the spacing standards for highways, the developer may submit a request
				according to
				24VAC30-73-120 D for an exception
				to the spacing standards that includes information on the design of the
				development. The following shall apply to the exception request:
(1) For highways with a functional
				classification as a collector or local street, the district administrator's
				designee may approve spacing standards that differ from the otherwise
				applicable spacing standards to allow the approval of the entrance or
				entrances. Such commercial entrances shall be required to meet the intersection
				sight distance standards specified in Appendix F of the Road Design Manual,
				2011 (VDOT).
(2) For highways with
				a functional classification as a principal or minor arterial, the district
				administrator's designee shall, in consultation with the developer and the
				locality within which the development is proposed, either approve spacing
				standards that differ from the otherwise applicable spacing standards to allow
				the approval of the entrance or entrances, or waive such state requirements
				that necessitate second or additional commercial entrances. If approved, such
				commercial entrances shall be required to meet the intersection sight distance
				standards specified in Appendix F of the Road Design Manual, 2011
				(VDOT).
f. Where a
				parcel of record has insufficient frontage on a highway to meet the spacing
				standards because of the dimensions of the parcel or a physical constraint such
				as topography or an environmentally sensitive area, the entrance shall be
				physically restricted to right-in or right-out movements or both or similar
				restrictions such that the public interests in a safe and efficient flow of
				traffic on the systems of state highways are protected and preserved. A request
				for an exception to this requirement submitted according to
				24VAC30-73-120 D shall include a
				traffic engineering study that contains specific and documented reasons showing
				that highway operation and safety will not be adversely impacted.
4. Vehicular/pedestrian
				circulation between adjoining undeveloped properties. To facilitate traffic
				circulation between adjacent properties, reduce the number of entrances to the
				highway, and maximize use of new signalized intersections, the permit applicant
				shall be required on a highway with a functional classification as a principal
				or minor arterial highway, and may be required by the district administrator's
				designee on a highway with a functional classification as a collector, as a
				condition of commercial entrance permit issuance, to record access easements
				and to construct vehicular connections to the boundaries of the adjoining
				undeveloped property (which may include frontage roads or reverse frontage
				roads) in such a manner that affords safe and efficient future access between
				the permit applicant's property and adjoining undeveloped properties.
a. Where appropriate, the permit applicant
				also shall construct pedestrian connections to the boundary lines of adjoining
				undeveloped properties and adjoining developed properties with sidewalks that
				abut the property.
b. At such time
				that a commercial entrance permit application is submitted for the adjoining
				property, a condition of permit issuance shall be to extend such
				vehicular/pedestrian connections into the proposed development.
c. Development sites under the same ownership
				or consolidated for the purposes of development and comprised of more than one
				building site shall provide a unified vehicular and pedestrian access
				connection and circulation system between the sites.
d. Such connections shall not be required if
				the permit applicant submits a request for an exception according to
				24VAC30-73-120 D and provides
				documentation that there are physical constraints to making such connections
				between properties, including but not limited to topography, environmentally
				sensitive areas, and hazardous uses, or provides documentation of other
				constraints to making such connections.
e. If a permit applicant does not wish to
				comply with this requirement, the permit applicant's entrance shall be
				physically restricted to right-in or right-out movements or both or similar
				restrictions such that the public interests in a safe and efficient flow of
				traffic on the systems of state highways are protected.
5. Traffic signal spacing. To promote the
				efficient progression of traffic on highways, commercial entrances that are
				expected to serve sufficient traffic volumes and movements to require
				signalization shall not be permitted if the spacing between the entrance and at
				least one adjacent signalized intersection is below signalized intersection
				spacing standards in Appendix F of the Road Design Manual, 2011 (VDOT). If
				sufficient spacing between adjacent traffic signals is not available, the
				entrance shall be physically restricted to right-in or right-out movements or
				both or similar restrictions such that the public interests in a safe and
				efficient flow of traffic on the systems of state highways are protected and
				preserved. A request for an exception to this requirement submitted according
				to 24VAC30-73-120 D shall include a
				traffic engineering study that (i) evaluates the suitability of the entrance
				location for design as a roundabout and (ii) contains specific and documented
				reasons showing that highway operation and safety will not be adversely
				impacted.
6. Limiting entrance
				movements. To preserve the safety and function of certain highways, the
				district administrator's designee may require an entrance to be designed and
				constructed in such a manner as to physically prohibit certain traffic
				movements.