Bill > HB450

This bill, known as the Reforming Opportunities and Accelerated Development for Delaware Act (ROAD-DE Act), makes several changes to Delaware's land use laws. It updates regulations for the Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding access to state-maintained highways, requiring traffic impact studies to be based on peak-hour trips rather than daily trips, with specific thresholds for residential and other developments, and allows for off-site improvements to be credited against transportation impact fees, while exempting Downtown Development Districts and Corridors from these studies. The bill also mandates that county and municipal governments, by June 1, 2027, adopt zoning ordinances and land development regulations that permit a variety of housing types and establish density requirements in designated "growth areas," which are areas identified for growth in comprehensive plans and consistent with state policies, encouraging more compact and housing-supportive development patterns. Furthermore, it establishes a transportation impact fee system, to be implemented by the DOT by January 1, 2027, which will be assessed on new development in designated growth areas and other areas not within transportation improvement districts, with the fees collected to fund transportation infrastructure improvements, and includes provisions for a surcharge on these fees to support various environmental and transportation programs. The bill also empowers the DOT to utilize technological systems for monitoring and managing transportation infrastructure and traffic operations, and allows for the use of advanced technologies in engineering studies and traffic investigations.