                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DEFINITIONS (§ 33.2-500)

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

&#8220;High-occupancy requirement&#8221; means the number of persons required to
be traveling in a vehicle for the vehicle to use HOT lanes without the payment
of a toll. Emergency vehicles, law-enforcement vehicles being used in HOT lanes
in the performance of law-enforcement duties, which shall not include the use of
such vehicles for commuting to and from the workplace or for any purpose other
than responding to an emergency incident, patrolling HOT lanes pursuant to an
agreement by a state agency with the HOT lanes operator, or the time-sensitive
investigation, active surveillance, or actual pursuit of persons known or
suspected to be engaged in or with knowledge of criminal activity, and mass
transit vehicles and commuter buses shall meet the high-occupancy requirement
for HOT lanes, regardless of the number of occupants in the vehicle.

&#8220;High-occupancy toll lanes&#8221; or &#8220;HOT lanes&#8221; means a
highway or portion of a highway containing one or more travel lanes separated
from other lanes that (i) has an electronic toll collection system; (ii)
provides for free passage by vehicles that meet the high-occupancy requirement,
including mass transit vehicles and commuter buses; and (iii) contains a
photo-enforcement system for use in such electronic toll collection. HOT lanes
shall not be a &#8220;toll facility&#8221; or &#8220;HOV lanes&#8221; for the
purposes of any other provision of law or regulation.

&#8220;High-occupancy vehicle lanes&#8221; or &#8220;HOV lanes&#8221; means a
highway or portion of a highway containing one or more travel lanes for the
travel of high-occupancy vehicles or buses as designated pursuant to §
33.2-501.

&#8220;HOT lanes operator&#8221; means the operator of the facility containing
HOT lanes, which may include the Department of Transportation or some other
entity.

&#8220;Mass transit vehicles&#8221; and &#8220;commuter buses&#8221; means
vehicles providing a scheduled transportation service to the general public.
Such vehicles shall comprise nonprofit, publicly or privately owned or operated
transportation services, programs, or systems that may be funded pursuant to §
58.1-638.

&#8220;Owner&#8221; means the registered owner of a vehicle on record with the
Department of Motor Vehicles or with the equivalent agency in another state.
&#8220;Owner&#8221; does not include a vehicle rental or vehicle leasing
company.

&#8220;Photo-enforcement system&#8221; means a sensor installed in conjunction
with a toll collection device to detect the presence of a vehicle that
automatically produces one or more photographs, one or more microphotographs, a
videotape, or other recorded images of each vehicle&#8217;s license plate at the
time it is detected by the toll collection device.

&#8220;Unauthorized vehicle&#8221; means a motor vehicle that is restricted from
use of the HOT lanes pursuant to subdivision 4 a of § 33.2-503 or does not meet
the high-occupancy requirement and indicates with its electronic toll collection
device that it meets the applicable high-occupancy requirements.

HISTORY: 2004, c. 783, § 33.1-56.1; 2008, cc. 167, 280; 2013, c. 195; 2014, c.
805; 2015, c. 73; 2016, c. 753.