TRANSPORTATION PLANNING 101

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TRANSPORTATION PLANNING101

• An Overview of the Basics -
• Requirements Responsibilities

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History Program Overview

• Program Authority - The Authorization Act
• The Eisehower Interstate Program (1957-1969)
• STURAA 1987-1991
• ISTEA 1992-1997
• TEA-21 1998-2003
• SAFETEA To Be Determined

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History Program Overview

• The Federal Highway Bill
• Common name for the Authorization/Reauthorization
  Act
• Multi-Year (usually 5 or 6 years)
• Most continuing program provisions are
  incorporated into the United States Code, Title
  23 Highways
• Funded from the Highway Trust Fund
• Revenues derived from user taxes fuel, trucks
  tires
• Donor States including Indiana pay more into
  the Trust Fund than they receive
• Establishes the upper limits of funds for each
  program over the life of the bill

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History Program Overview

• The Highway Bill is not just a highway bill
• Surface Transportation
• Transit
• Motor Carriers
• And Other Programs such as Research Safety

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Federal-Aid Highway Program

• The Authorization Acts are the primary instrument
  used to shape and direct/redirect the Federal-Aid
  Highway Program
• These Acts (ISTEA, TEA-21) can
• Eliminate programs (federal aid system/funds)
• Add programs (STP, CMAQ)
• Modify program characteristics (I-4R to IM)
• Modify requirements (state LRPs fiscal
  constraint)
• Establish/Eliminate/Rename Funding Categories
  (Section 8/Section 5303 MA/MG)

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Federal-Aid Highway Program

• The Appropriations Act - Annual legislation
  enacted by Congress that makes funds available
  for expenditure with specific limitations as to
  amount, purpose and duration
• Allocations funds that are not based on
  formulas (I.e. Interstate Construction Bridge
  Discretionary)
• Apportionments funds that are based on
  statutory formulas (I.e. Bridge
  Replacement/Rehab STP CMAQ NHS IM)
• Equity Funds funds established for donor states
  to ensure stability in funding amounts(I.e.
  MG)
• Limitation on Obligations Obligational Authority
  annual action that controls the rate at which
  funds may be used it does not change original
  apportionments or allocations
• (limits vary annually per Appropriations Act
  Budget Auth.)

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The Planning Process

• 23 U.S.C. 134 Metropolitan Planning (current)
• Population Requirements every urban area
  consisting of 50,000 or more people (as
  determined by the decennial census) must have an
  agency designated as the Metropolitan Planning
  Organization (MPO) that is charged with carrying
  out the provisions of 23 U.S.C. 134

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The Planning Process

• Small MPOs agencies dealing with urbanized
  areas having populations of 50,000-200,000
• Large MPOs agencies dealing with urbanized
  areas having populations over 200,000
• Transportation Management Areas (TMAs) Large
  MPOs in non-attainment areas

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The Planning Process

• Urbanized Area the urban area as designated by
  the Bureau of the Census the area expected to
  be urbanized over the next 20 years
• Rural Area non-urbanized area
• Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA) the urban and
  rural areas where the MPO has transportation
  planning jurisdiction and responsibilities

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Planning Areas
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The Planning Process

• System Performance
• Traffic Models
• Planning Process
• Transportation Plan
• TIP/STIP
• Implementation

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The Planning Process

• The Big Three
• The Long Range Plan currently a 25 year
  horizon to ensure an on-going 20 year program
• The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
  currently a 3 or 5 year program of projects taken
  from the Long Range Plan
• The Unified Planning Work Program an annual
  document setting forth the transportation
  planning activities to be conducted by the MPO

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The Planning Process

• System Performance
• Traffic Counts (HPMS, TMC), LOS, Delay,
  Accidents, Congestion
• Models
• TAZs, Land Use, Growth Trends, Traffic Counts,
  Lane Widths Volumes, etc.

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The Planning Process

• Planning Process
• Technical Committee (stakeholders including
  INDOT)
• Policy Committee
• MPO Board
• Public Involvement Processes
• Newsletters
• Meetings
• Web Sites
• Hearings

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The Planning Process

• Transportation Plan
• Using the system performance information, the
  traffic model, and the planning process (public
  input and local approvals), projects and
  timelines are identified for both the state and
  local roads
• Other elements are included as set forth in the
  federal regulations such as a bicycle and
  pedestrian component and fiscal forecasts
• Updates every 3 5 years depending on MPO

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The Planning Process

• TIP/STIP
• A program of projects from the Transportation
  Plan
• Reflects a 3 or 5 year program that can be
  updated annually and can be amended
• Effective under the Federal Fiscal Year FFY Oct 1
  through Sep 30
• Fiscally constrained
• Public participation policy

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The Planning Process

• UPWP
• Includes a Cost Allocation Plan (CAP) setting
  forth direct, indirect costs
• Annual accounting of activities and anticipated
  use of funds PL, 5303, STP, TCSP
• Agreements MOA
• Effective under the State of Indiana fiscal year
  - FY July 1 through June 30

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The Planning Process

• INDOT Overview
• INDOT sets deadlines for TIP UPWP
• Provides annual dollar amounts for TIP UPWP
• Funding Policy guarantee of STP to small MPOs
  for TIP
• Enhancement Committee for selection of projects
  on a statewide basis
• PL Fund distribution per agreement - 50,000
  sustaining population not subject to
  obligational limitation allows for carry-over
• 5303 Funds de-obligated annually

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The Planning Process

• Reimbursements
• This is not a grant program
• POs (annually per UPWP) and claim vouchers for
  80 reimbursement for expenditures can be
  quarterly, monthly accountability for
  expenditures (time sheets, etc.)
• Annual audits required

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The Planning Process

• MPO Agencies
• Various compositions local government, councils
  of government, transportation entities
• Various responsibilities planning zoning,
  economic development, transit operators

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The Planning Process

• Partners
• INDOT
• FHWA
• FTA
• IDEM/EPA
• DNR
• DOC

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Thank you

• Acronyms
• TIP, UPWP, ACR, CAP, FHWA, FTA, MPO, MPA, TE,
  STP, IM, FTA, TCSP, LRP, CMAQ, RTP, NHS, RABA,
  HOV, LOS, HPR,HPMS,ITS, HTF, PMTF, FRA, DOT, AND
  SO ON AND SO ON

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Acronym Appendix

• A
• ACR Annual Completion Report
• B
• C
• CAP Cost Allocation Plan
• CMAQ Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
• D
• DNR Department of Natural Resources
• DOC Department of Commerce
• DOT Department of Transportation

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Acronym Appendix

• E
• EPA Environmental Protection Agency
• F
• FHWA Federal Highway Administration
• FRA Federal Railroad Administration
• FTA Federal Transit Administration
• FFY Federal Fiscal Year
• FY Fiscal Year
• G

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Acronym Appendix

• H
• HOV High Occupancy Vehicle
• HPMS Highway Performance Monitoring System
• HPR Highway Planning Research
• HTF Highway Trust Fund
• I
• IDEM Indiana Department of Environmental
  Management
• I-4R Interstate Reconstruction, Rehabilitation,
  Restoration, Resurfacing
• IM Interstate Maintenance
• INDOT Indiana Department of Transportation
• ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation
  Efficiency Act
• ITS Intelligent Transportation System

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Acronym Appendix

• J
• K
• L
• LOS Level of Service
• LPA Local Public Agency
• LRP Long Range Plan
• M
• MA Minimum Allocation
• MG Minimum Guarantee

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Acronym Appendix

• M continued
• MOA Memorandum of Agreement
• MOU Memorandum of Understanding
• MPA Metropolitan Planning Area
• MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization
• N
• NHS National Highway System
• O
• P
• PL Planning Funds (currently 1)
• Q

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Acronym Appendix

• R
• RABA Revenue Aligned Budget Authority
• RTP Recreational Trails Program
• S
• SAFETEA Safe, Accessible, Flexible, Efficient
  Transportation Equity Act
• STIP State Transportation Improvement Program
• STP Surface Transportation Program
• STURAA Surface Transportation Uniform Relocation
  Assistance Act

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Acronym Appendix

• T
• TAC Technical Advisory Committee
• TAZ Traffic Analysis Zone
• TCSP Transportation Community System
  Preservation funds
• TE Transportation Enhancement funds
• TEA-21 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
  Century
• TIP Transportation Improvement Program
• TMA Transportation Management Area
• TMC Turning Movement Count
• TP Transportation Plan (also referred to as LRP)

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Acronym Appendix

• U
• UPWP Unified Planning Work Program
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z