Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (Virginia)

Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (Virginia)
Name	Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment
Native name	OIPI
Formed	2018
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Virginia
Headquarters	Richmond, Virginia
Parent agency	Virginia Secretary of Transportation

Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (Virginia) The Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (OIPI) is a state agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia charged with multimodal transportation planning, land use coordination, and strategic investment. Created under the administration of Governor Ralph Northam and associated with the Virginia Secretary of Transportation, OIPI operates alongside agencies such as the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, and the Virginia Port Authority to align capital programs with regional priorities. OIPI engages with entities including the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission, and localities across Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads to integrate transit, freight, aviation, and maritime planning.

History

OIPI was established in 2018 following executive actions and legislative developments in the Virginia General Assembly during the tenure of Governor Ralph Northam, reflecting trends set by predecessors and counterparts like the United States Department of Transportation, California High-Speed Rail Authority, and New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Its creation responded to infrastructure challenges highlighted in reports by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Brookings Institution, and the Transportation Research Board, and to initiatives similar to projects undertaken by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and Seattle Department of Transportation. Early leadership connected OIPI to statewide efforts such as the SMART SCALE program and coordinated with institutions including Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, and the University of Virginia for planning analyses.

Mission and Responsibilities

OIPI's mission centers on multimodal planning, strategic investment, and aligning transportation projects with land use objectives across the Commonwealth. The office coordinates between agencies like the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Railway Express, Amtrak, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Federal Highway Administration to prioritize projects that enhance mobility, economic competitiveness, and resilience. Responsibilities include producing state plans comparable in scope to documents by the National Association of City Transportation Officials, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and Chicago Transit Authority, advising the Secretary of Transportation and the Governor, and administering grant programs in concert with the Virginia Housing Development Authority and Virginia Economic Development Partnership.

Organizational Structure

OIPI reports to the Virginia Secretary of Transportation and operates with divisions analogous to those in metropolitan planning organizations such as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and regional entities like the Capital District Transportation Authority. Its staff comprises planners, data analysts, and policy advisors who liaise with the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget, Department of Environmental Quality, and Department of Rail and Public Transportation. The office collaborates with regional planning districts including the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, Northern Virginia Regional Commission, and Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, and maintains relationships with advocacy groups such as the Sierra Club, TransitCenter, and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Programs and Initiatives

OIPI administers programs that include state-level modal planning, freight studies, equity assessments, and intermodal investment frameworks similar to initiatives by the California State Transportation Agency and Florida Department of Transportation. Key initiatives mirror practices from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, leveraging federal funding streams alongside state programs like SMART SCALE, and working with partners including Amtrak Northeast Corridor, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and Hampton Roads Transit. The office supports transit-oriented development projects akin to those promoted by the Urban Land Institute, coordinates resilience planning with the Army Corps of Engineers and Virginia Port Authority, and advances commuter rail improvements comparable to projects by Metrolinx and Caltrain.

Funding and Budget

OIPI's budgetary resources derive from state appropriations approved by the Virginia General Assembly, federal grants from agencies such as the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration, and allocations tied to legislation influenced by national actors like the Congressional Budget Office and the Congressional delegations from Virginia. Funding mechanisms resemble those used by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for programmatic grants and by regional bodies like the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments for pooled funding. OIPI evaluates investments using analytical methods employed by the Transportation Research Board, Data-Smart initiatives at the Ash Center, and cost-benefit frameworks similar to those of the Government Accountability Office.

Key Projects and Partnerships

OIPI has participated in partnerships and project planning involving the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, Virginia Port Authority, Dominion Energy, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and regional transit agencies such as Greater Richmond Transit Company and Hampton Roads Transit. Projects include multimodal corridor planning akin to the Purple Line study, freight and port access improvements resembling investments at the Port of Virginia, and coordination on commuter and intercity rail expansions comparable to proposals by Amtrak and Brightline. The office engages with federal partners including the Federal Railroad Administration, advisory collaborations with academic centers such as the Traffix Lab at University of Virginia and the Center for Transportation Studies at Virginia Tech, and regional entities like the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.

Performance and Impact

OIPI measures performance through indicators similar to those used by the American Public Transportation Association, the Transportation Research Board, and the Urban Institute, tracking metrics on mobility, equity, greenhouse gas reductions in line with Virginia's Clean Power Plan discussions, and economic impacts comparable to analyses by the Brookings Institution and the Economic Development Partnership of Virginia. Its work has influenced capital programming priorities across Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and the Richmond-Petersburg region, shaping investments that intersect with initiatives by the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Federal Emergency Management Agency to improve resilience, equity, and economic competitiveness.

Category:Transportation in Virginia Category:State agencies of Virginia