By: Keith Nichols, Principal Transportation Engineer
You may not realize it as you drive around Hampton Roads, but every roadway in the region, from the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel all the way down to your neighborhood street, has a functional classification.
Functional classification is the process by which roadways are grouped into various classes. A functional classification is designated for each roadway based on the character of service (mobility and accessibility) that is provided. At one end of the scale, Interstates and Freeways/Expressways provide the highest level of mobility with high volumes and high speeds but very few access points. At the other end of the scale, local roadways provide access to every property but carry low volumes at low speeds. Between these are arterials and collectors, which provide a mix of both mobility and accessibility. More information on how roadways are classified is available at https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/projects/roads-classified.
Functional classification is used for many purposes. Some of these purposes include:
- Determining whether the roadway is eligible for certain types of transportation funding
- Calculating the amount of payment provided by the state for maintenance
- Design standards for the roadway
- Access management standards for the roadway
Every decade after the update to the decennial Census, VDOT conducts a major statewide update to the roadway functional classification maps. For this update, HRTPO staff was asked to review the Hampton Roads roadway functional classification maps and to coordinate with locality staff on recommendations. Throughout the last few months HRTPO staff worked in coordination with locality staff to produce a list of recommendations for updates to the existing functional classification maps. A total of 73 changes were recommended for the regional functional classification system, which can be accessed here. The HRTPO Board approved these regional functional classification recommendations at their November 21st meeting.
The current statewide functional classification map, which does not yet include the recommended changes, can be accessed at the following link: http://arcg.is/1IjCjXA
