johnson gilmer presentation

Developing Long-Range Transportation Plans

April 25, 2013

Darrel S. Johnson, Rural Planning Program ManagerTransportation and Mobility Planning Division

2013 National Rural Transportation Conference

Jake Gilmer, Senior PlannerVolunteers for Energy, Transportation Planning

Background of Virginia’s Rural Transportation Planning Program

• The Rural Transportation Planning Program was created by TMPD in 1993 to provide funding to the 20 rural regions for transportation planning. This program was comprised of two sub-programs.

• Rural Planning Assistance Program - Each of the 20 Rural Planning District Commission (PDC) receives $48,000 annually ($12,000 local match) to support rural transportation planning.

• Rural Planning Grant Program – Each year the rural PDCs compete for $200,000 in grant funds to support rural transportation planning initiatives.

• Since the inception of the Rural Planning Program, VDOT has invested over $20,000,000 to support rural transportation planning activities throughout the Commonwealth

Background of Virginia’s Rural Transportation Planning Program

• Funding modifications were made to the Rural Transportation Planning Program in FY-09

• Each Rural PDC received an additional $10,000 towards The Rural Planning Assistance Program ($58,000 annually + $14,500 local match = $72,500 to support rural transportation planning)

• Rural Planning Grant Program eliminated

Overview of Virginia’s Rural Transportation Planning Program

Not eligible for rural planning funds

Changing the Way We Plan

• Traditionally, the planning process has focused on long-term, high-cost capital improvements for the transportation system

• With today’s safety, mobility, and funding challenges, it is imperative for State DOTs to continue to identify innovative ways to improve and refine business practices

• A significant challenge we all face is the lack of revenues needed to implement large-scale highway improvements

• We must begin to focus more heavily on identifying and implementing short-term, low-cost roadway improvements aimed at improving efficiency, capacity and safety and prioritize.

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Tools:GIS MapsSPSTDMsTechnical ExpertiseConsultant ServicesPublic MeetingsCoordination with Districts and MPOs

Bike Plan

Highway NeedsAssessment

Relationship between RLRP and the Surface Transportation Plan

Corridor Studies

Freight Study

Overview of Virginia’s Rural Long Range Plans

The development and components of each RLRP consists of:

• Modeled after the federally mandated metropolitan transportation planning process (continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative).

• The transportation plans will have a minimum planning horizon of 20 years and will address the expected impacts of population and employment growth on the transportation system.

• Each will be developed as a vision plan and will be updated every five years.

• It is VDOT’s goal that each region will be able to use these plans to identify regional priorities for funding.

Objectives of Virginia’s Rural Long Range Plans

• Identification of operational improvements (intersection improvements, access management strategies, etc.)

• Identification and potential

impact of high growth areas (residential, retail, and distribution centers) using local comprehensive plans

• Identification of critical freight

infrastructure and improvements

• Identifying facilities that should be targeted for bicycle and pedestrian

Improvements


• Recognizing corridors to preserve right of way for future transportation

improvements

• Identifying areas of need for on-demand transit services

• Providing increased opportunity

for local/regional input on interstate and primary recommendations in the Surface Transportation Plan

• Ensuring consistency of secondary recommendations with interstate and

primary recommendations


• RLRP recommendations could be prioritized using the methodology that has already been developed for the Surface Transportation Plan.

• This will assist localities and the region in identifying and establishing priorities.

• The programming of secondary roads projects already occurs on a county-by county basis, with the Board of Supervisors and VDOT Residencies working together to develop a list of priorities.

• The development of a RLRP will further formalize the process, address regional continuity issues, and allow for opportunities to better coordinate land use and transportation issues (linking comprehensive plans with transportation recommendations).

The Process of Virginia’s Rural Long Range Plans

• The four phases for this initiative are:

– Phase I - Goals and Data Collection

– Phase II - Analysis and Problem Identification

– Phase III - Public Outreach and Recommendation Development

– Phase IV - Public Endorsement and Regional Adoption

Roanoke Valley – Alleghany Rural Long Range Transportation Plan

Planning Area

Counties of Alleghany Botetourt Craig Roanoke

Cities/Towns of Clifton Forge Covington

Goals & Objectives

1. Reduce congestion and impact of incidents on I-81 and I-64.

2. Strengthen transportation linkages between the Roanoke Valley and the surrounding regions (Alleghany Highlands, New River Valley, West Piedmont, and Region 2000).

3. Preserve and maintain the existing transportation system and encourage efficient system management and operations.

4. Promote recreational travel and tourism within the region.

5. Expand public transit and passenger rail service.

6. Provide a safe and secure transportation system.

7. Consider freight needs in transportation facility re/design.

8. Provide on-road and off-road bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

Public Involvement

Public involvement and outreach to: General public (public meetings, open houses,

and kiosk surveys) Rural Technical Committee Public officials Media Other transportation stakeholder and/or interest

groups

Field Reviews and Counts

Safety location analysis is based primarily on field review (photos, detailed sketches, field recommendations) supplemented by review of crash databases; not a full analysis of crash history

Use of existing count data as well as new counts for analysis

Level of service analysis and pre-warrant determinations (planning-level assessment for potential signalization)

Identification of Deficiencies & Recommendations

OperationsSafetyCongestionGeometricBicycleTransitRidesharing

Project Priorities

Project Sheets

Why Prioritize?

Why develop a prioritization process?• Resources are limited• Brings accountability and transparency to

project selection process• Focuses limited transportation dollars on

critical needs• Provides a tool to assist decision makers

Step 1 - Establish Goals

• Needed to establish the overarching policy goals that would guide process

• Looked to goals that had already been established - CTB priorities, VTrans goals and report from the Commission on the Future of Transportation

• Sought input from Commissioner and Secretary of Transportation

• Arrived at 5 overarching goals

Prioritization Goals

Goal 1: Provide a transportation system that facilitates the efficient movement of people and goods

Goal 2: Provide a safe and secure transportation system

Goal 3: Retain and increase business and employment opportunities

Goal 4: Improve quality of life and minimize potential impacts to the environment

Goal 5: Preserve the existing transportation system and promote efficient system management

Step 2 - Weighting Goals


Goal 2: Provide a safe and secure transportation system




29%

23%

18%

15%

15%

100%


• Current Level of Service (A-F)• Current Volume to Capacity ratio• Current Flow Rate (passenger cars per lane per

hour• Enhance access to other modes

Step 3 - Performance Measures


Goal 2: Provide a safe and secure transportation system• Crash rate• Part of Strategic Highway Network or

designated Emergency Evacuation Route


• Average Daily Volume of Trucks• Local unemployment rate


• Potential environmental/cultural impacts• Utilization of existing right-of-way


• Interchange spacing/mainline adequacy• Inclusion of other modes• Bridge conditions• Cost effectiveness - VMT/$cost


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Step 4 - Collect Data

• Statewide Planning System (SPS) provides many of the performance measures

• GIS assists with environmental/cultural impacts

Step 5 - Run, test, adjust

• Give process a spin and adjust weights and measures as needed

• Present findings and solicit feedback

Rule Above all Rules: Prioritization process is a tool - not the decision maker

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Benefits Virginia’s Rural Long Range Plans

RLRPs will:

• Serve as a proactive step toward addressing land use and transportation issues in potential growth areas

• Assist localities with determining impacts from future development, assisting localities with the identification of potential proffer requests for developers

• Assist localities with the development of setback/ entrance requirements on transportation corridors

• Assist localities in identifying transportation priorities for the programming process


• Ensure coordination of Surface Transportation Plan recommendations with locally identified recommendations

• Address linking local, regional, and statewide transportation planning efforts

• Assist VDOT in meeting VA Code requirements for assisting localities with transportation elements of their local comprehensive plans

– § 15.2-2223. Comprehensive plan to be prepared and adopted; scope and purpose. – As part of the comprehensive plan, each locality shall develop a transportation

plan that designates a system of transportation infrastructure needs and recommendations that may include the designation of new and expanded transportation facilities and that support the planned development of the territory covered by the plan and shall include, as appropriate, but not be limited to, roadways, bicycle accommodations, pedestrian accommodations, railways, bridges, waterways, airports, ports, and public transportation facilities. The plan should recognize and differentiate among a hierarchy of roads such as expressways, arterials, and collectors. The Virginia Department of Transportation shall, upon request, provide localities with technical assistance in preparing such transportation plan.


• Contributes to the purpose of Planning District Commissions, as set out in the Code of Virginia, Section 15.2-4207

– "...to encourage and facilitate local government cooperation and state-local cooperation in addressing on a regional basis problems of greater than local significance. The cooperation resulting from this chapter is intended to facilitate the recognition and analysis of regional opportunities and take account of regional influences in planning and implementing public policies and services.

The planning district commission shall also promote the orderly and efficient development of the physical, social and economic elements of the district by planning, and encouraging and assisting localities to plan, for the future."

• Assist VDOT in meeting the requirements and duties as outlined in MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act)


• Assist VDOT in meeting requirements and duties as outlined in MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act)

– The Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act - A Legacy For Users (SAFETEA-LU) provides for consultation with non-metropolitan officials when State Departments of Transportation make transportation decisions in their Statewide Transportation Planning and Programming processes. This consultation process, separate and discrete from the public involvement process, is required to be documented in writing. All States have completed this task. Every five years beginning in 2006, States are required to review and solicit comments from non-metropolitan local officials and other interested parties regarding this process in order to ensure that the process continues to be effective.

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)

RPOs DUTIES (as defined in MAP 21) Current Duties of VA’s PDC ‘‘(A) developing and maintaining, in cooperation with the State, regional long-range multimodal transportation plans

PDCs in Virginia has developed Rural Long Range Plans in cooperation with the State

‘‘(B) developing a regional transportation improvement program for consideration by the State;

PDCs submit regional priorities to VDOT for possible incorporation into the Six Year Improvement Plan

‘‘(C) fostering the coordination of local planning, land use, and economic development plans with State, regional, and local transportation plans and programs;

PDCs in Virginia has developed Rural Long Range Plans in cooperation with the State

‘‘(D) providing technical assistance to local officials;Virginia PDCs currently provide this service. (Comprehensive Plans update, bike plans, corridor studies)

‘‘(E) participating in national, multistate, and State policy and planning development processes to ensure the regional and local input of nonmetropolitan areas;

The PDCs provides input and review on the VA STP & Update, VTRANS 2035 & Update along with providing input on nation and multistate and State policy through VAPDC.

‘‘(F) providing a forum for public participation in the statewide and regional transportation planning processes;

YES, Fall planning meeting, RLRP public meetings, VSTP public meetings, PDC meetings

‘‘(G) considering and sharing plans and programs with neighboring regional transportation planning organizations, metropolitan planning organizations, and, where appropriate, tribal organizations; Information is shared through VAPDC and individual PDC efforts‘‘(H) conducting other duties, as necessary, to support and enhance the statewide planning process under subsection (d). The PDCs support statewide planning efforts led by the state

Keys to Success

• Success of the RLRP effort hinges on the support and participation of local governments

• As always, local governments retain the authority to make land use and transportation decisions

• RLRPs could serve as a resource to localities, providing valuable information on transportation issues to decision-makers

Developing Long-Range Transportation Plans

Questions / Answers

For additional information on For additional information on VDOT’s Rural Planning Program Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional CommissionContact: Contact:[email protected] [email protected] (804) 371-8868 (540) 343-4417

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

johnson gilmer presentation

Documents

rural planning grant

rural pdcs

transportation recommendations

rural regions

transportation issues

minimum planning horizon

transportation system

surface transportation