Highway
METROPOLITAN
PLANNING
Program
Purpose
The metropolitan planning process
establishes a cooperative, continuous, and comprehensive framework for making
transportation investment decision in metropolitan areas. Program oversight is a
joint Federal Highway Administration/Federal Transit Administration
responsibility.
Statutory References
SAFETEA-LU Section(s): 1107, 6001
Other: 23 USC 104, 134
Funding/Formula
The Metropolitan Planning Program is funded by a takedown of 1.25 percent
from the Surface
Transportation, Interstate Maintenance, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
Improvement,
Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation, and National Highway System
programs, and
transit authorizations. [1107]
Funds
set aside from the highway programs are distributed to the States based on the
population in urbanized areas or portion of urbanized areas in the State
compared to all States. [104(0(2)]
Continuing
Provisions
Significant continuing provisions
include:
• Local officials, in cooperation with the State and transit operators, remain
responsible for determining the best transportation investments to meet
metropolitan transportation needs.
• MPOs are responsible for adopting the long range transportation plan (Plan);
Governor and MPO approve the transportation improvement program (TIP).
• The Plan and TIP remain separate documents.
• A 20-year planning perspective, air quality conformity, fiscal constraint,
and public involvement established under ISTEA.
• Plan must contain: operational and management strategies to improve the
performance of existing transportation facilities; investment and other
strategies that provide for multimodal capacity increases based on regional
priorities and needs; and proposed transportation and transit enhancement
activities. [6001(i)]
• A Congestion Management System is still required in Transportation
Management Areas (TMAs) (urbanized areas larger than 200,000 population).
• The planning process in TMAs requires DOT certification.
Key
Modifications
Modifications to the metropolitan
planning process include the following:
Metropolitan Planning in General
• MPOs will be encouraged to consult or coordinate with planning officials
responsible for other types of planning activities affected by transportation,
including planned growth, economi development, environmental protection, airport
operations, and freight movement. [6001(g)]
• The metropolitan planning process is to promote consistency between
transportation improvements and State and local planned growth and economic
development patterns. [6001(h)]
• Safety and security of
the transportation system are separate planning factors that are to be
considered during the metropolitan planning process. [6001(h)]
• A State will have 30 days to reimburse an MPO for planning expenses after
request from the MPO for reimbursement
• Will be updated every 4 years (unless the MPO chooses to do so more
frequently) in non-attainment and maintenance areas. Attainment areas remain on
a 5-year update cycle. [6001(i)]
• Intermodal connectors are added as a transportation facility. [6001(i)]
• Include a discussion of potential environmental mitigation activities along
with potential sites to carry out the activities to be included. The discussion
is to be developed in consultation with Federal, State, and tribal wildlife,
land management, and regulatory agencies. [6001(i)]
• Transit operators are to be included in the cooperative development of
funding estimates for the fmancial plan section. [6001(i)]
• MPOs are required to consult with State and local agencies responsible for
land use management, natural resources, environmental protection, conservation,
and historic preservation concerning development of the Plan. [6001(i)]
• Representatives of users of pedestrian walkways, bicycle transportation
facilities, the disabled are specifically added as parties to be provided with
the opportunity to participate in the planning process. [6001(i)]
• The MPO is to develop a participation plan in consultation with interested
parties that provides reasonable opportunities for all parties to comment.
[6001(i)]
• To carry out the participation plan, public meetings are to be: conducted at
convenient and accessible locations at convenient times; employ visualization
techniques to describe plans; and make public information available in an
electronically accessible format, such as on the Web. [6001(i)]
• The Plan is to be published and made available electronically, such as on
the Web. [6001(i)]
Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP)
• Will be updated every 4 years. [6001 (j)j
• Will contain: priority list of projects and strategies for 4 years;
financial plan; and descriptions (type of work, termini, length, etc.) of each
project in the TIP. [6001(j)]
• Investments in pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities are
to be included in the published annual listing of projects. [6001(j)]
Transportation
Management Areas (TMAs)
• Must be certified not less than once every 4 years. [6001(k)]
• The phase-in schedule for compliance with the congestion management system
may not be sooner than 1 year after identification of a TMA. [6001(k)]
Transportation
Conformity
• MPOs shall make a conformity determination not later than 2 years after the
date on which EPA fmds a new motor vehicle emissions budget to be adequate,
approves an implementation plan that establishes and emissions budget, or
develops an implementation plan that establishes or revises an emissions budget.
[6011(a)]
• Transportation plans
and programs and associate conformity determinations shall be made every 4 years
unless the MPO elects to update a transportation plan or program more frequently
or when SIP actions trigger a new conformity determination. [6011(b)]
• In general, conformity fmding must be based on the last year (20th) of the
transportation plan. With agreement of the MPO and applicable air quality
agency, conformity may be based on the latest of the following periods: 1) the
l0tI year of the transportation plan; 2) the latest year that the SIP contains a
motor vehicle emissions budget; 3) the year after the completion date of a
regionally significant project if the project is included in thee TIP or the
project requires approval before the conformity determination. [6011(c)]
• A conformity determination is to be accompanied by a regional emissions
analysis for the last year (20th1) of
the transportation plan and for any year shown to exceed emissions budgets by a
prior analysis. [6011(c)]
• Transportation control measures (TCMs) may be substituted without a SIP
revision or new conformity determinatbn if the substitute TCMs were developed
through a consultation process. [6011(d)]
Implementation
Implementation of the modifications to
statewide and metropolitan planning processes will be in accordance with the
following:
• The Secretary will issue guidance on a schedule for implementation of the
changes made to the transportation planning process.
• State and MPOs will not be required to deviate from their established plan
and program update cycles to implement these changes.
• State or MPO plan or program updates shall reflect the changes beginning
July 1, 2007.
Federal Share
The Federal share will be in accordance with
23 USC 120(b).