Ed Christopher Resource Center Planning Team Federal Highway Administration 4749 Lincoln Mall Drive Matteson, IL 60443

1. Ed Christopher Resource Center Planning Team Federal Highway Administration 4749 Lincoln Mall Drive Matteson, IL 60443 708-283-3534 Ed.Christopher@dot.gov edc@EdTheFed.com Slides at EdTheFed.com http://www.edthefed.com/presentations/What_is_an_MPO.ppt

2. What is Transportation Planning? Why Does it Exist? Transportation Planning is a Process It exists to provide the information needed for decision makers to choose among alternative strategies for improving transportation system performance

3. Transportation Planning is a Process • Establishing a community/regional vision and identifying how transportation fits into the vision • Developing/utilizing a cooperative and inclusive transportation vision and operations concept for the region • Understanding the types of decisions needed to achieve the vision • Assessing the opportunities and limitations of the future in relation to goals and desired system performance measures and there’s more…

4. Transportation Planning is a Process • Identifying near- and long-term consequences of alternative choices • Relating alternative decisions to goals, objectives, and system performance measures • Helping decision makers establish priorities and develop an investment program • Presenting this information to decision makers

5. How is all this done?

6. Federally, Urban Transportation Planning Began in 1962 with the Federal-Aid Highway Act • Required that transportation projects in urbanized areas of 50,000 or more people be based on a transportation planning process • Provided a funding mechanism for the process to develop • Required the 3C planning process (cooperative, continuing and comprehensive) ~ 51 years old

7. What is the 3C Planning Process? • Cooperative—cooperation between federal, state, local levels of government and various agencies within each level • Continuing—need to periodically reevaluate and update transportation plan • Comprehensive—referred to 10 elements for which inventories and analyses were required • Consultative (evolved in over the last 20 years) “Cooperation means that the parties involved in carrying out the transportation planning and programming processes work together to achieve a common goal or objective” 23 CFR 450.104

8. Ten Basic Elements (Comprehensive Defined) • Economic Factors Affecting Development • Population • Land Use • Transportation Facilities (Inc. Mass Transit) • Travel Patterns • Terminal and Transfer Facilities • Traffic Control Features • Zoning, Building Codes, Subdivision Codes • Financial Resources • Social and Community-Value Factors

9. What Emerged From This? • Analytical Process and Tools • Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOS) • Transportation Plans

10. Analytical Process Four Phases 1. Collection of Data 2. Analysis of Data 3. Forecasts of Activity and Travel 4. Evaluation of Alternatives

11. The Urban Travel Forecasting Process Basic Four-Step Process 1. Trip Generation 2. Trip Distribution 3. Mode Split 4. Traffic Assignment Other processes are evolving Activity Dynamic Simulation

12. Metropolitan Planning Organizations • 1973 Federal-Aid Highway Act • Dedicated money to planning activities • Planning Regulations • Formalized the process, organization and procedures

13. Who is the MPO? MPOs are Policy Boards comprised of local elected officials, officials of public agencies that administer or operate major modes of transportation and State officials A Policy Board Can Include • Mayor(s) • Regional Planning Commission Chair • County Executive • Airport Director • Port Commission Executive • Transit Authority Executive • DOT Manager Must Include (MAP-21) Local Elected Officials Public Trans reps Appropriate St. Officials

14. How is the MPO Board Empowered? • Required for urbanized areas of over 50,000 • Designation by agreement between Governor and local governments that represent at least 75% of population (including the central city or cities) or in accordance with procedures in State or local law

15. What Area Does an MPO Cover? • Urbanized Areas over 50,000 people • Special case for Urban Areas over 200K people (Transportation Management Area or TMA) • Metropolitan Planning Area

16. Metropolitan Planning Area Urbanized Area

18. How do MPOs Decide Things? • Generally through Consensus and a Committee Process • Governor and local officials (or State law) determine voting status and agreements • By-Laws

19. What Do MPOs Do? • Serve as the Forum for the 3C Process • Prepare/adopt 20 year Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) • Develop Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) • Develop Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) • Publish a Public Participation Plan

20. Additionally MPOs… • Publish an annual listings of projects for which Federal funds have been obligated • Maintain a Congestion Management Process (CMP) for TMAS only • Program Projects and Funds (STP, CMAQ) • Track air quality conformity for compliance with State plan • Conduct technical studies, including travel surveys, demographics, and travel demand modeling

21. Additionally MPOs… • Work with member agencies to develop financial estimates for the RTP and TIP • Ensure fiscal constraint (balance revenues to expenditures) • Initiate public involvement and involve the public • Coordinate Plans and programs with state and other federal agencies • and much more . . .

22. The Long Range (Transportation) Plan Metropolitan Transportation Plan • At least a 20 year Horizon • Long and Short-Range Strategies/Actions • Updated every 5 years (4 in non-attainment areas) • Use Latest Data • Be Approved by the MPO

23. Some MTP Elements • Current and Forecasted Population and Employment • Future Land Use Plans • Projected Demand of Persons and Goods • Adopted Management and Operations Strategies • Multimodal Evaluation of Needs • Pedestrian and Bike • Public Transit and Freight • Roadway Element • Freight Element

24. Performance Based Approach New MAP-21 • Support National Goals • Surface Transportation Targets • Public Transit Targets Feds set goals State and transit set their targets MPO sets its targets (180 days or less) Monitor and Report on Progress

25. Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) • Priority List of Projects Spanning at Least 4 Years • Typically Updated Annually (required every 4 years) • Prepared in Cooperation with State and Public Transit Operator(s) • Opportunity for Public Comment • Lists Funding Sources

26. TIP (Cont’d) • Describes Projects • Must include regionally significant projects regardless of funding • May include non-federally funded projects • Must include federally funded projects • Financially Constrained • Consistent With 20 Year Plan

27. Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) • Annual Program • Documents Planning Work Done with SAFETEA-LU Funds Over the Next One to Two Years • Includes Relevant State/Local Activities • Has a Schedule • Identifies Responsible Agency • Discusses Planning Priorities

28. Public Involvement Process (Participation Plan) • Proactive and inclusive • Public involvement in overall planning activities • Outreach to affected minority and low income populations • Numerous methods • Open houses, Newsletters • Presentation, Internet • Cable access television programs

29. Financial Constraint • Required by ISTEA and reaffirmed by TEA-21 and SAFETEA-LU (MAP-21) • Designed to bring realistic expectations of current and future revenues to process • Long Range Plans can have illustrative projects • Uses “year of expenditure” cost estimates

30. Additional Resources http://www.edthefed.com/planning

31. http://www.edthefed.com/planning

32. http://www.edthefed.com/planning

33. http://www.edthefed.com/planning