transportation planning certification _report_providence_ri 20 · transportation planning...

Transportation Planning Certification Review

for the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Process for the Providence Transportation Management Area

FederalHighwayAdministrationFederalTransitAdministration

TableofContentsPartI:SummaryofFindings................................................................................................................................1

PreviousFindingsandDisposition.............................................................................................................................1

SummaryofCurrentFindings....................................................................................................................................3

PartII:CertificationReviewFindingsbyTopic....................................................................................................8

Section21:MPOOrganizationalStructure..............................................................................................................8

Section22:MetropolitanPlanningAreaBoundaries...............................................................................................9

Section23:AgreementsandContracts....................................................................................................................9

Section24:UnifiedPlanningWorkProgram(UPWP)............................................................................................10

Section25:ConsultationandCoordinationinthePlanningProcess....................................................................11

Section26:MetropolitanTransportationPlan......................................................................................................11

Section27:FinancialPlanning...............................................................................................................................12

Section28:AirQualityConformity........................................................................................................................14

Section29:TIPDevelopment&ProjectSelection................................................................................................14

Section210:PublicOutreachandPublicInvolvement.........................................................................................15

Section211:SelfCertifications.............................................................................................................................16

Section212:TitleVICivilRights&NonDiscrimination.........................................................................................17

Section213:CongestionManagementProcess.....................................................................................................20

Section214:ListofObligatedProjects..................................................................................................................21

Section215:EnvironmentalMitigation................................................................................................................21

Section216:ManagementandOperationsConsiderations..................................................................................22

Section217:TransportationSafetyPlanning........................................................................................................23

Section218:SecurityinthePlanningProcess.......................................................................................................23

Section219:IntegratingFreightintheTransportationPlanningProcess.............................................................23

Section220:IntermodalTransportationCoordination..........................................................................................25

Section221:EnvironmentalJusticeandLEP..........................................................................................................26

Section222:VisualizationTechniques..................................................................................................................27

Section223:LivabilityandSustainability...............................................................................................................28

Section224:TravelDemandModelingandForecasting.......................................................................................29

Section226:IntelligentTransportationSystems..................................................................................................30

PartIII:Appendices...........................................................................................................................................31

AppendixA:CertificationReviewAgenda...............................................................................................................31

AppendixB:CertificationReviewBackgroundDocuments.....................................................................................32

AppendixC:OnSiteReviewAttendeeList..............................................................................................................34

AppendixD:PublicHearingNotices........................................................................................................................36

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PartI:SummaryofFindings

PreviousFindingsandDispositionThissectionsummarizesthe2010ProvidenceTransportationManagementArea(TMA)FederalCertificationReviewfindingsandtheirdispositionbytheStatewidePlanningProgram(SPP),whichisthestafffortheStatePlanningCouncil(SPC).

CorrectiveActions

FiscalConstraintinTIPTheMetropolitanPlanningOrganization(MPO)shallincludetherequiredcategoriesforfundinginthenextTransportationImprovementProgram(TIP).StatewidePlanningProgram(SPP)staffshouldworkwiththeRhodeIslandDepartmentofTransportation(RIDOT),theFederalHighwayAdministration(FHWA),andtheFederalTransitAdministration(FTA)officialstocreateanewformatfortheTIPthatbestmeetsRhodeIslandsneedswhileconformingtotheFederalregulationsforfundingcategories.

UpdatefromSPP:AstheStatepreparedtoupdatetheTIP,RIDOTandMPOstaffmetregularlywithFHWAfieldstafftoagreeonanewformatforthedocumentthatwouldincludetherequiredcategoriesforfunding.BarbaraBreslinoftheFHWADivisionofficewasexceptionallyhelpfulinassistingtheStateinmeetingthisrequirementbyprovidingfeedbackandexamplesofotherTIPdocuments.Asaresultofthiscollaboration,thefiscalyear(FY)1316TIPexpandsandimprovestheformatandcontentoftheTIPfundingtabletoprovideadditionaltransparencytothegeneralpublic.TheTIPtablenowincludesafundingcategorysoitisclearwhattypeoffederalfundsareproposedtofundeachindividualproject.

Recommendations

PriorYearExpendituresSPCshouldincludetheprioryearsexpendituresintheTIPtoprovideanadditionalleveloftransparencytothepublic.Theprioryearsexpendituresshouldbepublishedasaseparatesupplementonanannualbasis.TheSPCshouldworkwithFHWAandFTAtofindamutuallyagreeabledatetopublishthissupplement.

UpdatefromSPP:SPPhasworkedwithRIDOTandtheRhodeIslandPublicTransitAuthority(RIPTA)topublishprioryearexpenditurestoprovideanadditionalleveloftransparencytothepublic.RIDOTsFY13TIPStatusReport,whichshowsfederalprojectauthorizations,isavailableathttp://www.planning.ri.gov/documents/mpo/TIP_Status_2013.pdf.Inaddition,RIDOTalsocompiledaFY13TIPStatusReportwhichshowsRIDOTprojectexpenditure.ThisDocumentisavailableat:http://www.planning.ri.gov/documents/mpo/Expenditure_By_Project_by_Type2013.pdf.

RIPTAsexpendituresforFY13byTIPCategoryareavailableat:http://www.planning.ri.gov/documents/mpo/RIPTA%20_expenditure.pdf.

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StaffingTheStateshouldexaminewhetherthelevelofstaffinginkeypositionswithintheStatePlanningProgramisadequatetomaintaincontinuityoftheprogram.

UpdatefromSPP:Atthetimeofthelastcertification,staffingconcernswerefocusedonthenumberofvacancieswithintheSPP.With23fulltimeemployees,theProgramisnowfullystaffed.Afullorganizationalchartisavailableathttp://www.planning.state.ri.us/about/.

TransitPlanSPP,RIDOT,andRIPTAshouldworktogethertomorefullyintegratepublictransitaspartofregionalmultimodalsystemsplanning.Onepotentialmechanismtobringtheagenciesandmodestogetherwouldbeaconsolidatedplanninggrant(CPG),whichallowsFHWAandFTAplanningfundstobecombinedintoasingleconsolidatedgrantadministeredbyoneoftheagencies.

UpdatefromSPP:RhodeIslandhasbeencombiningFHWAandFTAplanningfundsintoconsolidatedplanninggrantssinceFY12,atwhichtimeallavailableFTAplanningfundswererequestedforconsolidation.Sincethattime,anannualrequestforconsolidationismadewitheachUnifiedPlanningWorkProgram(UPWP).Inaddition,theMPOhasundertakenseveralprojectsintheUPWPinanefforttomorefullyintegratepublictransitasapartoftheregionalmultimodalsystemsplanning.PleaseseeTask1050ofthecurrentUPWPforexamples:http://www.planning.state.ri.us/documents/fy14.pdf.

Since2012,theCPGprogramhasbeenworkinggreat.RIPTA,RIDOT,andtheMPOhaveincreasedplanningcoordination,coordinatedfundingsourcesmoreefficiently,andfounditeasiertoimplementmultimodalplanning.

MaintainFreightAdvisoryCommitteeSPCshouldmaintaintheirFreightAdvisoryCommitteeasastandingcommitteetoguidefuturefreightplanningeffortsandmaintainahighlevelofactivityandattentioninthisarea,includinginTIPdevelopment.

UpdatefromSPP:AFreightWorkingGroup,consistingofstafffromFHWA,theMaritimeAdministration(MARAD),RIDOT,SPP,theRhodeIslandEconomicDevelopmentCorporation(RIEDC),theQuonsetDevelopmentCorporation(QDC),andtheUniversityofRhodeIslandTransportationCenter(URITC)hasbeenmeetingsince2012toaddresstheneedforcoordinatedfreightplanninginRI.Overtime,severalotherinterestedagencieshaveactivelyparticipatedinworkinggroupmeetings:RIAirportCorporation,FederalMotorCarrierSafetyAdministration(FMCSA),RIResourceRecoveryCorporation,RhodeIslandEmergencyManagementAgency(RIEMA),andRhodeIslandDepartmentofEnvironmentalManagement(R