Welcome to the Secretary of Transportation's website.
While here, you will learn about how the Transportation Secretariat ensures our Commonwealth has a safe and efficient transportation system to support and improve every Virginian's quality of life.
Agencies that are part of the Transportation Secretariat provide a wide array of products and services including road construction and repairs, rest area maintenance, regulating sea ports, airports and rail, and issuing license plates and driver's licenses.
Links on the left side of this page will take you to this site's features, including contact information and online resources.
Governor McDonnell Ceremonially Signs Virginia's Historic Bi-Partisan Transportation Funding Bill
Today, surrounded by legislators and community and transportation leaders from across the Commonwealth, Governor Bob McDonnell ceremonially signed Virginia's Road to the Future (HB 2313), the state's first comprehensive transportation funding plan approved in 27 years. Following on the heels of nearly three decades of inaction on the critical challenges facing transportation funding in Virginia, this historic bi-partisan legislation supported by Republicans and Democrats from each chamber will provide more than $3.4 billion in additional statewide transportation funding, more than $1.5 billion in additional funding for Northern Virginia, and more than $1 billion in additional funding for Hampton Roads, over the next five years alone.
"For 27 years our citizens have sat in traffic as congestion has increased and our bridges and roadways have deteriorated," said Governor McDonnell. "For 27 years our citizens and businesses have demanded solutions. For 27 years, Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly failed to reach an agreement on this critical issue. However, we stand here today, thanks to the leadership and support of Speaker Howell and a broad bi-partisan coalition of legislators, business leaders and citizens, to celebrate this historic achievement. Not only will this legislation address both the short and long-term funding needs of our transportation system, it will also annually sustain 13,058 new jobs, have more than $9.5 billion in economic impact, and improve Virginians' quality of life. Instead of sitting in traffic, our citizens will be able to spend more time with their families enjoying the many benefits this great Commonwealth has to offer. Most importantly, this legislation will ensure that Virginia's economy can grow in the years ahead, and that businesses will have the infrastructure they need to create the good-paying jobs Virginians deserve. This may technically be transportation legislation, but at the end of the day, it's a jobs bill.
Read the full article...
Virginia DMV Program Highlighted for Helping Veterans Find Jobs
By invitation, Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb participated in a White House Forum on military credentialing and licensing on Monday, April 29, 2013. The Commercial Drivers Licenses Industry Roundtable focused on developing strategies to transfer military training and experience into credits towards bus and truck drivers' licenses. According to the White House, the forum stemmed from the efforts of President Obama's Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force, and the First Lady's call-to-action in February to take legislative or executive action to help our troops get the credentials they need.
Commissioner Holcomb joined a panel of federal and state leaders from the transportation and defense sectors. He presented DMV's Troops to TrucksSM program, a partnership between DMV, the military, and the transportation industry that's helping veterans transition into civilian jobs.
Nearly 100 Soldiers and Marines have directly benefitted from the Troops to TrucksSM program since it launched July 1, 2012. Through Troops to TrucksSM, military members with a military CDL are exempt from taking the skills test-one less test and one step toward getting a Virginia CDL and future employment in the transportation industry. For military members with no or less than two years military driving experience, Troops to TrucksSM offers classroom and behind-the-wheel training right on post for participants before they leave service. When training is complete-a full service DMV 2 Go mobile office comes right to the training site to administer knowledge exams and issue CDLs. Troops to TrucksSM participants complete an employment interest questionnaire, which DMV will share with transportation industry partners-a chance to match veterans with job opportunities.
Watch an overview of the program... Read the full article...
NASA Partner Orbital Sciences Test Launches Antares Rocket
NASA commercial space partner Orbital Sciences Corporation Sunday launched its Antares rocket at 5 p.m. EDT from the new Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at the agency's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
The test flight was the first launch from the pad at Wallops and was the first flight of Antares, which delivered the equivalent mass of a spacecraft, a so-called mass simulated payload, into Earth's orbit.
"Today's successful test marks another significant milestone in NASA's plan to rely on American companies to launch supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station, bringing this important work back to the United States where it belongs," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "Congratulations to Orbital Sciences and the NASA team that worked alongside them for the picture-perfect launch of the Antares rocket. In addition to providing further evidence that our strategic space exploration plan is moving forward, this test also inaugurates America's newest spaceport capable of launching to the space station, opening up additional opportunities for commercial and government users. Read the full article...
Governor McDonnell's plan for Virginia's Road to the Future
Governor Bob McDonnell has announced a plan that would provide more than $3.1 billion in transportation funding for the Commonwealth over the next 5 years, tying transportation funding to economic growth and replacing the state's outdated gas tax revenue model with a 0.8 percent increase in the state's sales tax dedicated to transportation. Learn more about the plan at www.varoadtothefuture.com.
Governor Bob McDonnell today announced appointments to seven boards and commissions. Further announcements regarding additional appointments in the McDonnell administration will continue to be made in the months ahead. more...
Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has advertised a $120 million project to rehabilitate 163 lane miles of I-264 and I-64 in the Hampton Roads region. Contracts are scheduled to be awarded by the end of the year, with construction beginning early next year. In the meantime, VDOT continues to address deteriorating sections of pavement. more...
By invitation, Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb participated in a White House Forum on military credentialing and licensing on Monday, April 29, 2013. The Commercial Drivers Licenses Industry Roundtable focused on developing strategies to transfer military training and experience into credits towards bus and truck drivers' licenses. According to the White House, the forum stemmed from the efforts of President Obama's Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force, and the First Lady's call-to-action in February to take legislative or executive action to help our troops get the credentials they need.
