SB 501 — Expanding digital mapping of unimproved public roads

CS for SB 501 WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION IntroducedCommittee FISCALSubstitute for Senate Bill 501 NOTE By Senator M.

Maynard [Introduced[Reported JanuaryFebruary 19,10, 2026;2026, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure] CS for SB 501 A BILL to amend and reenact §17-2A-11 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to expanding digital mapping of unimproved public roads;

referredauthorizing West Virginia Department of Tourism and county commissions to submit mapping requests to the CommitteeWest onVirginia TransportationCommissioner andof Infrastructure;Highways;

andsetting thenforth tomapping therequest Committeecontent on Finance] Intr SB 501 2026R1433 A BILL to amend and reenact §17-2A-11 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to expanding digital mapping ofand roadsonline inposting thisrequirements; state;

permittingand countiesrequiring tocooperation requestbetween theWest Virginia Division of Highways to map all scenic and backWest roadsVirginia withinDepartment theof countyTourism. for tourism purposes;

establishing an application process for counties;

establishing reporting and review;

providing funding;

requiring creation of a mobile application;

and requiring road surface classification.

digital road map.map maps;

(a)outdoor Therecreation commissioneron shallunimproved prepareroads. and currently maintain a master road and highway map which will show all of the state roads and highways located, created and classified as provided by law;

(a) The commissioner shall prepare and currently maintain a master road and highway map which will show all of the state roads and highways located, created, and classified as provided by law, the mileage of roads and highways;highways, the status of improvements, and travel conditions when practical.

the status of improvements;

and travel conditions when practical.

The digital road map shall further indicate the types of vehicles that may use each road, including full-size vehicles and off-highway vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles, utility-terrain vehicles, motorcyclesmotorcycles, and off-road vehicles.

(c) CountiesThe maycommissioner applyshall toconsider requests from the West Virginia DivisionDepartment of HighwaysTourism (WVDOH)and forfrom anany exhaustivecounty mappingcommission processfor digital mapping of theirunimproved backpublic roads andthat secondaryare routes.of interest for outdoor recreation.

(d)A Themapping WVDOHrequest shall developidentify athe standardizedfollowing applicationas process for counties to requestthe mappingunimproved services.public roads:

(e)(1) ApprovedUse, countiessuch shallas havepotential theirroad roadsuse digitallyby mapped,motorcycles withor routesall-terrain, identifiedutility-terrain, foror scenic,off-road historic,vehicles; and recreational value.

(f)(2) TheSurface, WVDOHsuch shallas classifygravel, allaggregate, mappedor roadsunimproved accordingdirt; to existing division standards, Intr.

1 CS for SB 2026R1433501 including(3) butValue, notsuch limitedas to:having scenic, historic, or recreational value;

(1)(4) PavedLocation, (Asphaltsufficient orinformation Concrete);for the commissioner to locate such roads for mapping.

(2)Digital Gravelmapping orcompleted Aggregate;pursuant to this subsection shall be made available online to the public and designed to be easily locatable by interested parties in a downloadable format that includes information important for outdoor recreation and tourism.

The West Virginia Department of Tourism and (3)West Dirt/Unimproved.Virginia Division of Highways shall cooperate with each other to promote outdoor recreation as set forth in this subsection.

(g) In addition to existing classifications, the WVDOH shall designate roads that require high-clearance, four-wheel-drive (4x4) vehicles due to rough terrain, stream crossings, or steep grades.

(h) The interactive map and app shall clearly display surface classifications and 4x4-only designations to assist travelers in route selection.

(i) The WVDOH shall create an interactive, publicly accessible map of approved counties.

(j) The map shall be editable by the public to allow for notes, route recommendations, points of interest, and road condition updates, subject to moderation by the county commission.

(k) Data from the mapping project shall be integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) compatible format and made available to counties.

(l) The WVDOH shall work with technology partners to develop a mobile application that allows users to navigate mapped routes and view user-added notes.

(m) The app shall serve as a marketing tool for counties to promote tourism, travel, and outdoor recreation on back roads.

(n) The WVDOH shall issue a request for proposals (RFP) to develop the mapping technology and app infrastructure.

(o) Funding for this program shall be provided through the WVDOH tourism and infrastructure budget, with potential for grant partnerships.

(p) The WVDOH shall submit an annual report to the Legislature detailing county participation, app usage, and the program’s impact on tourism.

(q) Counties may provide feedback and request updates or modifications to the mapping system.

Intr.

SB 2026R1433 NOTE:

The purpose of this bill is to expand the digital mapping of primary and secondary roads in this state.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.