An interesting initiative will go into effect in the new fiscal year. Federal “Regional Surface Transportation Program” funds will be granted only to Metropolitan Planning Organizations in urbanized areas greater than 200,000 that have developed regional transportation and land use performance measures.

The metrics include traffic congestion, safety, HOV usage, transit usage, jobs-to-housing ratios, jobs and housing access to transit and pedestrian facilities, air quality, freight movement by rail and per capita Vehicle Miles Traveled.

For details on how that is progressing in Virginia, click here.