Virginia Code 33.2-901: Discontinuance of a section of a highway or railroad crossing.
In any case in which a section of a highway is deemed by the Commissioner of Highways no longer necessary for the uses of the primary state highway system, or when, in laying out, constructing, or maintaining sections of highways in the primary state highway system, a part of a highway has been or is straightened or the location of a part of it is altered and a section of the highway is deemed by the Commissioner of Highways no longer necessary for the uses of the primary state highway system, the Commissioner of Highways, by and with the approval of the Board, may discontinue such section of the highway as a part of the primary state highway system. In addition, in any case in which an existing crossing by such highway of the lines of a railroad company or a crossing by the lines of a railroad company of such highway is deemed by the Commissioner of Highways no longer necessary as a part of the primary state highway system, the Commissioner of Highways, by and with the approval of the Board, may discontinue such crossing as a part of the primary state highway system. Discontinuance under this section does not constitute an abandonment of such highway as a public highway or such crossing as a public crossing unless the procedure conforms to § 33.2-902.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 33.2-901
- Abandonment: means that the public's right to use a public highway, public landing, or public crossing has been extinguished. See Virginia Code 33.2-900
- Board: means the Commonwealth Transportation Board. See Virginia Code 33.2-100
- Commissioner of Highways: means the individual who serves as the chief executive officer of the Department of Transportation. See Virginia Code 33.2-100
- Discontinuance: means that the Board has determined that a highway, landing, or crossing no longer serves the public convenience warranting its maintenance at public expense; it divests the Department from maintenance responsibilities. See Virginia Code 33.2-900
- Highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way or place open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel in the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 33.2-100
- State: includes District of Columbia;
(f) "Transit facilities" means all real and personal property located in the Zone, necessary or useful in rendering transit service between points within the Zone, by means of rail, bus, water or air and any other mode of travel, including, without limitation, tracks, rights-of-way, bridges, tunnels, subways, rolling stock for rail, motor vehicle, marine and air transportation, stations, terminals and ports, areas for parking and all equipment, fixtures, buildings and structures and services incidental to or required in connection with the performance of transit service;
(g) "Transit services" means the transportation of persons and their packages and baggage by means of transit facilities between points within the Zone including the transportation of newspapers, express and mail between such points, and charter service which originates within the Zone but does not include taxicab service or individual-ticket-sales sightseeing operations;
(h) "Transit Zone" or "Zone" means the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Zone created and described in Section 3 as well as any additional area that may be added pursuant to Section 83(a) of this Compact; and
(i) "WMATC" means Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission. See Virginia Code 33.2-3100
The opening of the new section of highway by the Commissioner of Highways and the entry by the Board upon its minutes of its approval of the discontinuance of the section of the highway or the railroad crossing shall be sufficient to constitute such discontinuance.
Code 1950, § 33-76.1; 1950, p. 727; 1970, c. 322, § 33.1-144; 2014, c. 805.