1. A. As used in this section:

   "Land area" means the total land area of the counties within a highway construction district reduced by the area of any military reservations and state or national parks or forests within its boundaries and such other similar areas and facilities of five square miles in area or more, as may be determined by the Board.

   "Population" means the population according to the latest U.S. census or the latest population estimates made by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service of the University of Virginia, whichever is more recent.

2. B. The Board shall establish a grant program in each highway construction district to fund projects and strategies that address a need in the Statewide Transportation Plan developed pursuant to § 33.2-353.
3. C. The Board shall solicit candidate projects and strategies from local governments for consideration in the applicable highway construction district's grant program. Candidate projects and strategies shall be screened, evaluated, and selected by the Board according to the process established pursuant to subsection B of § 33.2-214.1 but shall be within a highway construction district and not outside such highway construction district. Candidate projects and strategies from localities within a highway construction district shall be scored against projects and strategies within the same highway construction district. Only those candidate projects and strategies submitted by a locality shall be funded.

4. D. Funds allocated to this program under § 33.2-358 shall be distributed to each highway construction district for that district's grant program as follows:

   1. 1. Thirty percent based on the ratio of the population of the cities and towns eligible to receive payments pursuant to § 33.2-319 within a highway construction district to the total population of the cities and towns eligible to receive payments pursuant to § 33.2-319 within the Commonwealth;
   2. 2. Twenty-eight percent based on the ratio of vehicle miles traveled on primary highways within the highway construction district to the total vehicle miles traveled on primary highways in the Commonwealth;
   3. 3. Twenty-four percent based on the ratio of the population of counties within a highway construction district to the total population of all counties within the Commonwealth;
   4. 4. Ten percent based on the ratio of the number of primary lane-miles in the highway construction district to the total number of primary lane-miles within the Commonwealth;
   5. 5. Six percent based on the ratio of the land area of counties within the highway construction district to the total land area of counties within the Commonwealth; and
   6. 6. Two percent based on a primary need factor based on addressing the largest under-allocation to highway construction districts relative to primary needs.
5. E. Projects awarded funds under a grant program established by this section may be administered by the local government pursuant to § 33.2-228 or by the Department.

2015, c. 684.