Nags Head and the NC DOT Strategic Transportation Improvement - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Nags Head

and the

NC DOT Strategic Transportation Improvement Program

aka

Strategic Transportation Investment

NC DoT has 14 Divisions. Dare County is one of 14 counties in Division 1. Division 1 is the smallest, by population.

NC Department of Transportation 14 Transportation Divisions

16 regional councils/commissions provide a range of services to local gov’t, such as:

• community & economic development - workforce development
• state & federal program management - planning & GIS mapping services
• grant writing
• regional collaboration and partnership building.

Dare County is one of 10 counties in the Albemarle Regional Commission (R). The Albemarle Region is the smallest, by population.

Adjacent: L Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments P Eastern Carolina Council Q Mid-East Commission

Albemarle RPO == Albemarle Regional Commission

Areas designated by the Federal Census as being Urban in nature and having a population of 50,000 or more are required by the Federal Highway Act of 1962 to have a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive ("3C") transportation planning process in order to qualify for federal transportation funds. In North Carolina, this process is carried out by Metropolitan Planning Organizations, of which there are currently 19. This is not the same as having a single city of 50,000 or more; there may be several municipalities combined, along with some unincorporated area in the boundary which the Census draws to define the "urbanized area."

Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO)

…. but seasonal population doesn’t count ….

Rural Planning Organizations (RPO)

In 2000, NC enacted General Statutes which provided for the development of Rural Transportation Planning Organizations (RPO),

• f which there are 20, for areas not within an MPO.

Although very similar to MPO’s, RPOs are grounded in state law rather than federal, and are intended to address and improve rural area transportation planning processes. RPOs assist NCDOT by carrying the following four core duties:

• - Develop, in cooperation w/NCDOT, comprehensive transportation plans.
• - Provide a forum for public participation in the trans planning process.
• - Develop and prioritize suggestions for projects to be included in the

State’s Transportation Improvement Program.

• - Provide transportation-related information for local governments and other

interested organizations and persons.

A Close-up View

Camden Chowan Edenton Currituck Dare Duck

Kill Devil Hills Kitty Hawk Manteo Nags Head Southern Shores

Gates Gatesville Hyde Pasquotank Pasquotank Perquimans Hertford

Winfall

Tyrrell Columbia Washington Creswell

Plymouth Roper

Albemarle RPO

We are fortunate, Albemarle RPO = Albemarle Region = 1 “voice”. NC DOT Div 1 deals with 3 RPO. Ferries tie us to Div 2 and Down- East RPO.

Rural Planning Organizations (RPO)

All RPO are made up of an administrative staff and two Boards:

• - the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and
• - the Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC).

The TAC consists of one (voting) elected official from each County,

• ne (non-voting) elected official from each municipality, and (one

voting member of) NCDOT Divison 1 staff. The TAC is the policy making body of the RPO. The TCC is made up of one planner or county manager from each county and one planner or municipal government manager from each municipality plus several NCDOT reps. The TCC is the advisory committee to the TAC. All members vote. RPOs are funded by the state at $80,000 to $150,000 each year and with a 20 percent local match.

NC Strategic Transportation Investments Act (2013)

Changed distribution of funding for transportation improvements, replacing a 24 year old law because the state gas tax, highway use tax, and DMV fees could no longer provide enough funding. Established that an open, transparent, and data driven process would be used to select the best transportation improvements for the state. Established three levels of transportation facilities and needs for distribution of funds (Statewide, Regional, Division). Projects that cannot be funded at one level may cascade to lower level. Directed additional money from existing funds to transportation

• improvements. Consolidated existing funding accounts for projects

to allow differing types of projects to compete (Mobility Fund, Intrastate Trust Fund, Urban Loop).

NC Strategic Transportation Investments Act (2013)

The STI outlines a Strategic Mobility Formula (SMF), a new way to fund and prioritize transportation projects to ensure maximum benefit to the state. 6 Areas, all scored differently (& differences between divisions also):

• - Highways
• - Aviation
• - Public Transportation
• - Bike & Pedestrian
• - Ferries
• - Other (Rail)

Identification of scoring criteria, methodologies, and transportation data to quantify the need of a future project are critical to success and still a work in progress.

NC Strategic Transportation Investments Act (2013)

Estimated $12.6 Billion 2016-2025 $36 Million / Year in Division 1

Statewide Mobility 40% of funds. 50% of vote. 100% Statewide Data for ranking.

• - Interstate Highways
• - Future Interstate Highways
• - National Highway System
• - Dept. of Defense Highways
• - Appalachian Development

Highways

• - Incomplete Intrastate

Projects

• - Designated Toll Facilities
• - Large Commercial Airports
• - Railroad Freight Class I

Corridors

Regional Impact 30% of funds. 25% of vote. 70% State, 30% Local data for ranking.

• - US and NC Highways not

part of the Statewide Tier

• - Commercial Airports not

part of the Statewide Tier

• - Public Transp Service that

spans two or more counties and serves two or more municipalities

• - Improvements to the Ferry

System excl new vessels .

• - Railroads that span two or

more counties that are not part of the Statewide Tier

Division Needs 30% of funds. 25% of vote. 50% State, 50% Local data for ranking.

• > Roads on the Secondary

System

• - Non-Commercial Airports
• > All Bicycle and Pedestrian

Projects

• > Public Transp Service not on

the Regional Tier

• > Replacement of Ferry

vessels

• - Railroads not part of the

Statewide or Regional Tier

Highway Scoring Criteria and Weights – Division 1

Areas designated by the Federal Census as being Urban in nature and having a population of 50,000 or more are required by the Federal Highway Act of 1962 to have a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive ("3C") transportation planning process in order to qualify for federal transportation funds. In North Carolina, this process is carried out by Metropolitan Planning Organizations, of which there are currently 19. This is not the same as having a single city of 50,000 or more; there may be several municipalities combined, along with some unincorporated area in the boundary which the Census draws to define the "urbanized area."

Bike & Pedestrian Scoring

State Criteria/Weight 50% of vote.

• - Safety 15%

(crashes, speed limits)

• - Access 10%

(destinations, distances)

• - Density 10%

(residential, employment)

• - Constructability 5%

(right of way, engineering)

• - Benefit-Cost 10%

(user benefit / project cost)

Regional Criteria 25% of vote.

• - Transp Plan 25 pts
• - Empl/Devel Access 25 pts
• - Multi-Modal 25 pts
• - Existing Deficiency 25pts

This is worth 60% of the ARPO score, with the other 40% being “geographic equity” -- when all added up the total x 25% is the regional “vote”.

Division Criteria 25% of vote.

• - Transp Plan 15 pts
• - Cost Effectiveness 20 pts
• - Safety 20 pts
• - Multi-Modal 10 pts
• - Proj Feasibility 15 pts
• - Public Support 10 pts
• - Airport Safety 5 pts
• - Transit Expansion 5 pts

The projects are sorted and the highest 4 then receive 25 Division Engineer Local Input

• points. That total x 25% is the

division vote.

Geographic Equity: Each RPO receives 100 pts / county that can be used to place emphasis on a single project of any type in that county. The points cannot be divided, nor can they be combined with another county.

Scoring Examples

Assume a project that gets about 32 points from state data. 50% of that, 16 points, is the starting score. Assume the project gets 50 pts at regional level, that is worth 60%, or 30 pts. If the county picks that as their sole project it gets 100 pts that is worth 40% or 40 pts. The total for the project, 70 pts, is valued at 25% or 17.5 pts. If they don’t get the county vote, the project gets 25% of 30 or 7.5 pts. Assume the project gets 70 pts at division level and is one of the top 4 which gains an added 25 pts – that’s (70+25)/125 x 25% = 19 pts. If it were not one

• f the top 4 it would only get 70/125 x 25% = 15 pts.

Best Option Option Worst State 16.0 16.0 16.0 16.0 Region 17.5 17.5 7.5 7.5 Division 19.0 15.0 19.0 15.0 Total 52.5 48.5 42.5 38.5

• f 100

Bike & Pedestrian

All projects require a 20% local match, from non-Federal and non-State funds (except Powell Bill). Only compete at Division level; only 20 project submissions per RPO. Right-of-Way acquisition is not an NCDOT project cost; note if ROW is already acquired, it helps the scoring. Minimum cost (floor) is $100K, maximum (ceiling) is $400K. Must be part of an adopted bicycle, pedestrian, multi-use, Safe Route To School or Comprehensive Transportation plan. Matching money, ROW-acquisition are not required when plan goes on list, but must be available when it bubbles to the top.

What should we do ?

Encourage county-level coordination. Stay involved in the process; work for change / improvement. Correct / clarify the data for our current 4 projects. Break our newly approved Bike & Ped Plan, ICW the Albemarle Plan, into DOT projects ($400K or less) with a desired sequence tied to the bi- ennial project submission schedule and what we can afford in matching funds. Follow the plans, do the paperwork, stay on top, follow-up.

Questions ? Comments ? Directions ?