Bringing Transit Planning To The MPO Planning Table

1. Bringing Transit Planning To The MPO Planning Table Daniel Rudge – Chief of Planning Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

2. What Will We Cover? • Constrained Long Range Plan (CLRP) • Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) • Congestion Management Process (CMP) • The unique Virginia structure • Important Virginia documents • DRPT’s response Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

3. The Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan • Your MPO’s Guidebook CLRP Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

4. Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) • Federal Requirements • Must be prepared and updated every four years if in non-attainment or maintenance area for air quality, otherwise every five years • Update process can begin as early as one month after CLRP is formally adopted and take the full four-five years to complete! (Most try to do it in two years or less) • Forecast period is 20 years (including transportation network projects, cost estimates and estimation of readily available funds) • Some FTA representatives want a continuous 20-year plan horizon, others just a 20-year forecast period Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

5. Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) • Federal Requirements (Continued) • Must consider all modes of transportation • Must follow 3C process (Continuing, Cooperating and Comprehensive) • Must address eight planning factors Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

6. Eight Planning Factors • Support economic vitality • Increase safety • Increase security • Increase accessibility for people and goods • Protect and enhance environment • Enhance connectivity across modes • Promote efficient operation of existing transportation network • Emphasize existing system preservation Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

7. Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) • Federal Requirements (Continued) • Must consult with following agencies: • State and local growth management • Economic Development • Natural resources • Air quality boards • Environmental protection • Conservation • Historic Preservation • All transportation mode providers Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

8. Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) • Federal Requirements (Continued) • Must identify all transportation facilities • Major roadways • Transit • Intermodal • Multimodal • Alternative/CHOICE/SMART transportation • Emphasis on facilities that serve important national and regional transportation functions Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

9. Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) • Federal Requirements (Continued) • A discussion of potential environmental mitigation activities and impacted areas and activities that can best restore and maintain these areas • A financial plan (Developed with State) • Demonstrates how adopted plan can be implemented (estimate readily available funds) • All public and private funding sources identified • Recommend additional funding strategies • May be required to fall into specific time bands Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

10. Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) • Federal Requirements (Continued) • Operational and management strategies that improve the performance of existing facilities while relieving congestion and improving safety for people and freight • Capital investment strategies to • Preserve existing infrastructure • Provide for multimodal capacity increases based on regional priorities and needs • Transportation and transit enhancements Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

11. Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) • Federal Requirements (Continued) • Comparison of transportation plan with State conservation plans/maps • Comparison of plans to inventories of natural and historic resources • In non-attainment areas, must coordinate with Clean Air Act agencies to develop transportation control measures for inclusion in the Statewide Improvement Program Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

12. Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) • Key Things To Remember • All MPO plans, programs and activities must be consistent with the Long-Range Plan • Most MPOs have weak transit sections • DRPT is reviewing transit agency and MPO plan consistency • In non-attainment areas transit agencies play a vital role in ensuring the plan meets Clean Air Act requirements Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

13. The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) • Where your tax dollars go to make transportation improvements Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

14. Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) • Programs federal, state and local dollars for specific transportation projects in region • Similar to City or County Capital Improvement Program • Broken down by mode • Airport • Highways • Transit • Freight • Enhancements Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

15. Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) • Federal Requirements • Develop the project list in cooperation with VDRPT, VDOT and affected transit operators • Develop funding estimates in consultation with VDRPT, VDOT and transit agencies • Funding estimates must be based on reasonably expected funds (usually historic availability of such funds must be documented) • Must be updated every four years Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

16. Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) • Federal Requirements (Continued) • The TIP will include: • A priority list of proposed federally supported projects/programs and strategies to be carried out within each four year period • A financial plan that demonstrates implementation, funding resources to support projects and innovative financing techniques • Descriptions to identify projects and phases • Regionally significant projects identified individually • Other projects may be grouped and shown as one line item Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

17. Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) • Federal Requirements (Continued) • The TIP: • Must be consistent with the Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) • Some TIP projects/programs are not on a constrained project list contained in the CLRP, but may just be included by reference in a long-range plan. • May contain an illustrative list of additional projects that could be implemented if additional funds become available • Must follow same public involvement process as the CLRP Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

18. Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) • Federal Requirements (Continued) • The TIP: • Must be consistent with Six-Year Improvement Program if state funds are being used • Is submitted to State and FHWA and FTA for approval • FHWA and FTA ensure that all projects and programs included in the TIP are consistent with the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

19. Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) • Key Things To Remember • The TIP is done every four years, so if you want a project funded by an MPO you must have it ready up to four years in advance! • Several MPOs update TIPs annually • TIP cycle usually begins in April and TIP is approved in August • It takes effect October 1 of each calendar year • How to coordinate state fiscal year operating – July 1? • Typically, CMAQ and enhancement projects are selected every year or every other year • For MPOs under 200,000 population, project selection is done by State not MPO (except in Virginia where MPOs over 200,000 are treated like small MPOs in other states) Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

20. Distinguishing Between Large and Small MPOs Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

21. Two “Kinds” of MPOs • Those that serve areas with a population between 50,000 and 199,999 • Those serving populations 200,000 or greater are referred to as Transportation Management Areas or TMAs Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

22. Additional Requirements for TMAs • Must prepare a Congestion Management Process (CMP) document • Provides framework for effective management and operation of the transportation network by addressing specific recurring and non-recurring (accidents and special events) congestion • Transit and TDM strategies are typically part of a CMP process, but because there are few transit advocates at the table, the selected strategies focus on things like HOV/HOT lanes or road construction operational improvements (left turn lanes, signal timing improvements, etc.) Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

23. Congestion Management Process (CMP) • Be very careful because the Federal definition of a CMP is what we have just discussed • In Northern Virginia, a CMP is a locally developed plan to address traffic congestion as part of a major construction/reconstruction project • Because of the confusion, Virginia now calls them Transportation Management Plans • Because traffic models have difficulties predicting transit behavior, you need to work with your MPO to update your models Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

24. Congestion Management Process (CMP) • Projects identified in the CMP must then be placed in the TIP • Data analysis and monitoring activities may require that the long-range plan be modified • In non-attainment areas, federal funds may not be used for highway projects that will result in an increase of carrying capacity for the single occupant vehicle unless the project is addressed in the CMP process!!! Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

25. The State v. MPO Power Struggle • Many States did not quickly conform to the original ISTEA • Early 90’s many Highway Departments became Transportation Departments • The focus of the new Transportation Department still was on highways • Transit and TDM were seen as projects that could take money away from road construction Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

26. The State v. MPO Power Struggle • With passage of TEA-21, Congress began to shift much of DOT power to large MPOs but did not provide much relief for small MPOs • SAFETEA-LU maintains this dichotomy as the state selects all projects for inclusion in the TIP in consultation with small MPOs • SAFETEA-LU allows large MPOs to select projects for inclusion in the TIP (except Interstate and NHS) after consulting with State (does not include Virginia!) Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

27. Virginia’s Structure • Federal legislation creates six major highway funding categories (Interstate, NHS, Surface Transportation Program (STP), CMAQ, Safety, Highway Bridge and Rehabilitation Program) • Virginia DOT co-mingles all of those funds, adds state funds and creates Interstate, Primary, Secondary, Urban, Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP) and CMAQ categories • Transit funds stay the same as FTA categories (all the 53XX categories) Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

28. Virginia’s Structure • NHS and STP funds can be used for a wide variety of transportation projects, including transit and TDM • Transit programs and activities can use primary, secondary, and urban funds, in addition to RSTP and CMAQ • While RSTP funds remain a good option in theory, many MPOs are using all of their RSTP funds to cover cost overruns in road projects or are using them to address declining revenue Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

29. Virginia’s Structure • In general, CMAQ and RSTP funds are allocated by the MPOs and approved by the CTB • All others category allocations are determined by Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) in the SYIP • Some projects approved by CTB and included in the SYIP initially are not in the local TIP or the CLRP or the STIP Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

30. Virginia Planning Documents • We have three similar documents • Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) • Six-Year Improvement Plan (SYIP) • State Implementation Plan (SIP) • STIP and SIP are subject to FHWA, FTA and EPA approval Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

31. SYIP • Six-Year Improvement Plan (SYIP) • The SYIP is an “allocation-based” document • It specifies which projects the CTB would intends to fund over the next six years with federal and state funds • The SYIP is a state requirement and the official allocation document for the Commonwealth of Virginia • The CTB holds public hearings in the fall and spring to get input from citizens, local elected officials and MPOs on what projects they would like to see added to the SYIP • Adopted in June to coincide with state fiscal year Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

32. STIP • Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) • Documents how Virginia will obligate its share of federal funds • The STIP is comprised of all the MPO TIPs as well as projects with federal funds for the rest of the state • The STIP covers four years • The STIP must conform to the SIP by demonstrating that all nonattainment and maintenance area TIPs conform • MPO TIP amendments must be reflected in the STIP and STIP amendments must be reflected in MPO TIPs – the two must match   • All federal funds are shown in the STIP  • Regionally significant projects (for air quality purposes) must be included in TIPs in nonattainment and maintenance areas and the STIP • The STIP follows the federal fiscal year (October 1) because it is a federal funding document Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

33. SIP • State Improvement Plan (SIP) • The SIP is an air quality document  • Includes an emissions “budget” for various pollutants and sources, including mobile sources, point sources, etc. • Nonattainment and maintenance area emissions budgets are part of the SIP and conformity must be demonstrated to these budgets for CLRPs and TIPs  • MPO’s demonstrate conformity of their CLRPs and TIPs (with assistance from VDOT and VDEQ) • Conforming TIPs are included in the STIP so that a conforming STIP can be submitted to FHWA   • FHWA cannot approve a STIP that includes a non-conforming TIP  • The SIP does not include transportation funding or projects  • Updated when new standards are imposed by EPA Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

34. DRPT Response • DRPT staff attendance at all MPO TAC meetings • MPO and Transit Plan Consistency Task Order • Grantee Handbook • Service Design Guidelines • Asset Management System • Performance Review Program • Better Technical Assistance and ADVOCACY Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table

35. Are There Any Questions? Bringing Transit Planning to the MPO Planning Table