Virginia Code 33.2-907: Conveying sections of highways or other property no longer necessary.
A. Whenever a highway or a section of a highway has been abandoned in accordance with the provisions of § 33.2-902 or 33.2-906 and is deemed by the Commissioner of Highways no longer necessary for the uses of the primary state highway system, the Commissioner of Highways shall so certify in writing and may execute in the name of the Commonwealth a deed or deeds conveying such section or sections of highway, either for consideration or in exchange for other lands that may be necessary for the uses of the primary state highway system. Before any such deed either for the sale or exchange of land is executed conveying any section of a highway along which any person resides, the Commissioner of Highways shall give notice to the governing bodies of the county and town and to the owner of the land upon which such person resides of the intention to convey the section of highway. If after a reasonable notice of such intention any such landowner or local governing body so requests, a hearing shall be ordered by the Commissioner of Highways as provided in this article. If upon such hearing it is determined that such section of highway should be left open for the reasonable convenience of such landowner or the public, then such section of highway shall not be conveyed. No such hearing shall be held if such highway was abandoned under § 33.2-902.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 33.2-907
- 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
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- 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
- in writing: include any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic or other medium and retrievable in a perceivable form and whether an electronic signature authorized by Virginia Code 1-257
- Maintenance: means (i) ordinary maintenance; (ii) maintenance replacement; (iii) operations that include traffic signal synchronization, incident management, and other intelligent transportation system functions; and (iv) any other categories of maintenance that may be designated by the Commissioner of Highways. See Virginia Code 33.2-100
- Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
- real estate: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights and appurtenances thereto and interests therein, other than a chattel interest. See Virginia Code 1-219
- 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
- Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July 1, 1971, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-254
B. When real estate acquired incidental to the construction, reconstruction, alteration, maintenance, and repair of the primary state highway system that does not constitute a section of the public highway is deemed by the Commissioner of Highways no longer necessary for the uses of the primary state highway system, the Commissioner of Highways shall so certify in writing and may execute in the name of the Commonwealth a deed conveying such real estate, interest therein, or any portion thereof, either for consideration or in exchange for other lands that may be necessary for the uses of the primary state highway system.
C. Upon petition of a local governing body, the Board may transfer real estate acquired incidental to the construction, reconstruction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of the primary state highway system that constitutes a section of public highway to the local governing body, and upon such transfer such section of highway shall cease being a part of the primary state highway system.
Code 1950, § 33-76.6; 1950, p. 730; 1954, c. 88; 1970, c. 322, § 33.1-149; 2002, c. 445; 2011, cc. 36, 152; 2014, c. 805.