RPO Presentation to Finance Committee Matt Day, AICP CTP - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

RPO Presentation to Finance Committee

Matt Day, AICP CTP President, North Carolina Association of Rural Planning Organizations (NCARPO) Principal Planner, Triangle Area RPO

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About Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs)

 There are 18 RPOs in North

Carolina

 We serve all parts of the state that

are not part of a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

 Each RPO has a Technical

Committee made up of local staff and a Transportation Advisory Committee made up of elected

• fficials

 RPOs serve a mixture of rural and

small urban areas

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About Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs)

Primary RPO Activities Include:

 Working cooperatively with NCDOT and local governments to develop

Comprehensive Transportation Plans (CTPs)

 Submitting and prioritizing projects through the Strategic Transportation

Investments (STI) prioritization process

 Participating in and representing local/regional interests in the project

development process

 Participating in other transportation plans/activities in the region (e.g local

bicycle/pedestrian plans, county transit agencies, etc.)

 Sharing information with our members  Serving as a technical resource for our members 3

Major Transportation Challenges Facing Rural North Carolina

 Competition for limited funding

available in STI

 Rural projects generally have a

harder time competing well in STI due to lower congestion, lower volume, etc.

 Difficulty of competition varies

widely by Division/Region

 RPOs and NCDOT are working

together to ensure that we submit the most competitive projects possible in rural areas

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Major Transportation Challenges Facing Rural North Carolina



Major statewide corridors connecting urban areas, ports, and job centers

• ften require improvements in rural

areas



Aid in connectivity from rural areas to existing job centers



Aid in attracting/retaining jobs and investment in rural areas



Important to get regional buy-in for improvement of these corridors and a plan for implementation (including an approach for funding through STI)



Opportunity for working together

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Major Transportation Challenges Facing Rural North Carolina

 Identifying ways to fund & build

smaller improvements such as:

 Modernization of substandard roads  Small projects of local importance  Economic development projects  Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Transit

needs

 Some of these may be possible

within existing STI framework, but some may require creative solutions

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Societal Changes/Trends that Impact Rural Transportation Planning

 Demographic Changes  Increasing senior population  Retirement/second home

destinations

 Loss of population in some areas  Encroaching suburbanization in

some areas

 Increasing Hispanic/Latino

populations

 Affects issues such as transit &

bike/ped need, tradeoffs between needs and wants, Environmental Justice/Title VI

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Societal Changes/Trends that Impact Rural Transportation Planning

 Demographic Changes  Economic Changes  Shift away from manufacturing

economy in many, but not all, areas

 Rise of distribution & logistics

related jobs

 Agriculture a major industry,

particularly in east

 Long-distance commuting to urban

job centers

 Affects highway connectivity and

access needs, transit connectivity, port/freight terminal accessibility

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Societal Changes/Trends that Impact Rural Transportation Planning

 Demographic Changes  Economic Changes  Resiliency to Emergency Situations  Response to natural disasters such

as floods and landslides, and lack

• f available alternatives

 Need for raising/retrofitting

facilities that do not fit neatly in typical STI process

 Affects maintenance and

emergency planning needs, modernization projects, and need for redundant/alternative routes/services

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Societal Changes/Trends that Impact Rural Transportation Planning



Demographic Changes



Economic Changes



Resiliency to Emergency Situations



Technology Changes



Vehicle technology – electric vehicles, connected and autonomous vehicles



Requires broadband infrastructure investments, EV charging infrastructure; uncertainty about impact on trip-making/congestion



Teleworking

 Requires broadband infrastructure

investments; potential for major impacts on commute travel/accessibility of jobs for rural residents



Mobility services – ridesharing apps, scooters, bikeshare, autonomous transit, etc.



More likely in urban areas first, but monitoring options for rural use

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Urban/Rural Divide

 Cooperation on planning and

prioritizing projects that connect communities/corridors

 Coordination on STI process  Coordinated planning (joint

studies, corridor commissions, etc.)

 Commitment to work together

collaboratively on statewide initiatives

 Prioritization work group

Collaboration

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Questions?

Matt Day, AICP CTP Principal Planner, Triangle Area RPO (919) 558-9397 | mday@tjcog.org

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