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Committee lays HB 1012 on the table and asks chair to convene VDOT and stakeholders to study snow removal for school access sidewalks
Summary
Delegate Tran's HB 1012 asked VDOT to prioritize clearing VDOT‑maintained sidewalks that serve school access corridors; VDOT estimated significant assessment work and noted a CTB policy that generally prohibits snow removal on sidewalks, so the committee laid the bill on the table and asked the chair to convene stakeholders for a plan.
A House transportation subcommittee considered HB 1012, introduced by Delegate Tran, which would direct the VDOT commissioner to ensure that VDOT‑maintained sidewalks within Planning District 8 that serve school access corridors are cleared of snow and ice so that students can safely walk to school.
Sponsor testimony and problem framing: The sponsor said some long stretches of VDOT‑maintained sidewalks have no adjacent residence or business and therefore are not cleared by property owners, forcing students to walk in unsafe conditions. Testimony from parents and pedestrian‑safety advocates described sidewalks that remained icy for weeks after storms and created hazards for children.
VDOT response and cost estimate: Angel Dean of VDOT said the department has no position but noted the Commonwealth Transportation Board policy currently prohibits routine snow removal on sidewalks. VDOT estimated roughly 462 public schools in Planning District 8 and preliminarily estimated about $1,000,000 to identify school access corridors and assess the operational and fiscal impacts of adding sidewalk snow removal.
Committee action: Members agreed the issue warranted further study and moved to lay the bill gently on the table while directing the transportation chairman to write to VDOT and other stakeholders to develop a creative plan for addressing school access corridor snow removal.
Next steps: The committee will wait for VDOT and stakeholder engagement and any recommended approaches before further action on the bill.
