REPORT TO SHASTA COUNTY RTPA
|
SUBJECT |
|
MEETING DATE |
ITEM NUMBER |
|
Consider Work Plan for the 2004 Regional
Transportation Plan (RTP) Update and Approval of Working Group Membership |
12/09/03 |
3-4 |
|
It is recommended that the Agency:
1.
Approve
the staff-recommended work plan for completing the 2004 Regional Transportation
Plan update: and
2.
Approve
the membership of the Regional Transportation Plan Working Group.
The Shasta County Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)
was last updated in 2001. The RTP
serves as the long range (20-year) plan and has three primary functions:
3.
Serve
as the foundation for the programming of projects for the California
Transportation Commission (CTC).
4.
To
meet state and federal requirements for other planning and funding activities.
5.
To
serve as a decision-making document for local, state and federal purposes.
A work plan outlining the basic steps and a general
time line is attached. A list of the
individuals, general groups and agencies that should participate on the working
group is also attached. Staff is
recommending that the Agency approve the work plan and the membership of the
working group. State law requires MPOs to submit their next RTP by September 1,
2004.
A comprehensive update process is required to
demonstrate compliance with California Transportation Commission guidelines and
Federal regulations governing preparation of RTPs. The RTP must be project-specific and be all-inclusive. The process proposed for the 2004 update includes
revisiting and updating the unconstrained project lists maintained in the
current document.
The Shasta County RTP has been updated on a biennial
basis since the early 1980s when the RTPA became a metropolitan planning
organization. Regulations now allow for
a three-year update cycle starting in 2000.
The California Transportation Commission adopted
guidelines in 1999 for preparing a RTP. These guidelines along with the
existing Federal standards and the changes in transportation funding brought
about by Senate Bill 45 govern the process and approach to updating the RTP.
Updating this document will require a comprehensive
and collaborative process. This means that the RTP should not be amended to add
projects as needed between update cycles.
The RTPA and the local agencies have responded to
the funding opportunities available with the advent of SB 45. In the last update there was incentive to
develop projects ready for programming because there was funding
available. Unfortunately, at this point
there may be less interest in identifying specific projects in the RTP due to
funding constraints that have delayed projects in the STIP. Nevertheless, the need to be ready to
program projects requires the projects must first be specifically listed in the
RTP. Future funding opportunities will
be lost if projects are not identified and listed in the plan.
One of the first steps will be to update the
listings of needed projects across all transportation modes without regard to
financial constraint. The potential
sponsors will need to identify the project in enough detail to determine
project intent, scope and cost.
To assist in identifying a broad range of projects,
a working group comprised of the owners and operators of the transportation
systems in the county, users of the system including drivers of autos and
trucks; bicyclist and pedestrians; transit users including fixed route, demand
response and nonprofit providers will be formed. During the last update, a working group was formed. The 2004 update intends to utilize that
group. Depending on the subject of the
meeting, different stakeholders attended.
For example transit discussions engaged transit advocates, RABA staff
and nonprofit providers. Other
interested groups such as federal agencies were focused on streets, roads,
highways and bridges.
A proposed list of agencies, groups and
organizations for the working group is attached. The intent is to be inclusive rather than exclusive. During the update process in 2000/1, the
working group membership was at times expanded to include interested groups or
individuals. Staff recommends that the
Agency approve the membership composition as outlined allowing for additional
participation depending on interest.
Native American Tribal Governments input to the
process is essential. It is anticipated
that consultation will take place to ensure that both Federally- recognized and
other local tribal input is taken into consideration.
Currently it is Staff’s assumption that a Negative
Declaration will be prepared for this filing.
Consistent with the prior RTP filing, we plan to prepare an initial
study to evaluate the potential for significant adverse environmental
effects.
The time line for preparing a draft of the updated
RTP is set so that a draft RTP will be finished by the end of May 2004. This will allow staff to notice a 30-day
review for the public and agencies, and hold a public hearing prior to adoption
of the Final RTP in July of 2004.
Attached is a short description of the process needed to update the RTP
including a preliminary time line.
In addition to the staff recommendation the Agency
could direct that specific additional groups or individual be added to the
working group list.
The preliminary work plan for the 2004 RTP has been
reviewed by the Technical Advisory Committee.
TAC concurred with the recommended work plan and that a working group
should be formed. They recommended that
both of these items should be brought to the Agency for approval.
This item will require expenditure of federal
planning funds that are included in the Overall Work Program in fiscal year
2003/04. Failure to develop a RTP that
meets State and Federal requirements could result in delays or loss of funding
for both local and State transportation projects.
_________________________________________
Daniel J. Kovacich, Executive Officer
TLH/jac
Attachment: Working Group
List