I support HB564. As a daily bus rider in Richmond, I've seen many cars parked illegally in bus stops. This slows down bus service, makes it more dangerous to board and get off the bus, and can hinder accessibility for disabled bus riders. The police and parking enforcement can't be everywhere, and the cars are usually parked for just a few minutes--short enough to prevent enforcement, but long enough to block the stop for a bus. Bus-mounted cameras would provide a universal, fair way to identify and fine these drivers and incentivize them to find legal parking spots in the future, thereby improving local bus service and safety.

Local residents and their county governments are unable to implement safety measures for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles on our streets and roads because VDOT is constrained by state and/or federal guidelines. The attached proposed amendment would provide an exception to following state and federal guidelines where traffic safety is not served by current rules, with a focus on locations within walking distance to schools. It would allow county governments to develop safety measures for streets within walking distance to a school and to notify VDOT of their plans. Within 60 days of receiving a submission, VDOT may advise the county government, for its consideration, as to any problems it perceives in the plans submitted. Any VDOT objections would have to be accompanied by a recommendation on how the county can achieve its safety goals while adhering to state and federal guidelines. If the county chooses to proceed, VDOT then would cooperate with implementation of the safety measures.