The Commonwealth Transportation Board approved a SMART SCALE Area Type Change for the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) rural areas at its December 9, 2025 meeting. This change, requested by the TJPDC, will go into effect for Round 7 applications. Staff worked with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to present information on the Area Type Change to the Rural Transportation Advisory Committee, the TJPD Commission, and local Boards of Supervisors for support.
SMART SCALE is how the state prioritizes transportation projects on a biennial cycle. Project types eligible for SMART SCALE funding include highway improvements, transit and rail capacity expansion, bike and pedestrian improvements, and transportation demand management. Projects submitted by localities, metropolitan planning organizations, Planning District Commissions, and transit agencies are evaluated based on the following key factors: safety improvements, congestion reduction, accessibility, the environment, economic development, and land use. These measures are weighed and scored against overall project cost. Each of these factors are weighed differently across the Commonwealth based on characteristics including population density and others. By changing from Area Type C to Area Type D, safety will now be the highest weighted factor for project applications submitted for the rural localities in TJPDC. The Charlottesville-Albemarle MPO area type will not change.
SMART SCALE Round 7 will begin in March 2026, with final applications due in early August. The Round 7 Technical Guide for SMART SCALE can be found at https://smartscale.virginia.gov/