2004 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE

The Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency is starting the process for updating the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) in December of this year. The update cycle for the RTP is every three years. This update must be completed by September 1 2004. To accomplish the update of the plan and complete financial and project analysis, the target for completing the administrative draft 2001 RTP is June 1, 2004.

A detailed plan is needed primarily to ensure that the document is comprehensive and that all Stakeholder, Public and Private sectors inputs are accurately represented. Additionally, A state RTPA Task Force has made significant recommendations to the California Transportation Commission that strive to improve the consistency of all RTP statewide documents. The recommendations made by that group need to be accounted for in this update.

The 2001 RTP was a major undertaking for the regions resources. At that time, resources were available to conduct significant planning efforts whose deliverables/byproducts were used to update the document. The below listed planning efforts will streamline the production of this update. Examples of these efforts include the following:

1 The Shasta County Travel Demand Model was updated concurrent with the update of the 2001 RTP. The model update process included socioeconomic data to prepare estimates and projections for Shasta County. The Model output was used for the regional plan for inputs in the prioritization process. The completed model was one of the tools used to validate needs and project selection. The model could be used in the 2004 cycle to rank projects but due to the lack of funding availability in the STIP a level of effort is not warranted. The decision to develop a process to re-rank projects using the model will be made early in the process by the working group.

2. A Street Master Plan for the City of Redding was prepared.

3. The Redding Area Bus Authority conducted a short and long-range transit study for the RABA service area. This plan is designed to identify both operating and capital needs for a 10-year short range and 25-year long-range plan horizon.

4. Each of the cities and the county were sub-allocated the funding from the Transportation Enhancement exchange. The RTPA required each of the recipient agencies to conduct a public meeting to gather ideas for expenditure of these funds. The results of this process could be used to identify additional non-motorized needs.

5. Although the RTPA staff developed procedures for a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) program in Shasta County the region continued to gain attainment. Shasta County was not designated as a nonattainment area for ozone. CMAQ funding will become available for projects that reduce traffic congestion and air pollution from mobile sources when, or if, the region is designated nonattainment. These projects will need to be included in the RTP.

6. The RTPA continues to participate in the California Oregon Advance Transportation (COATS) project that is studying applications for intelligent transportation systems in rural areas. ITS projects will continue to be integrated in the updated RTP.

A 2004 Regional Transportation Plan Working Group will be formed to assist in developing the plan. The membership will be similar to the 2001 group. This is a requirement of the process in order to engage all stakeholders. The working group will be asked to participate in the development of the plan. This will require a commitment of resources by the agencies. A schedule of meetings will be provided for review to the TAC/Working Group during the kickoff meeting in January 2004.

Consistent with the prior period efforts, this update of the plan considers an unconstrained transportation needs analysis. The goal of using an unconstrained approach is to develop prioritized lists of needed projects that can then be drawn from for programming as funding becomes available. This update will need to be a multimodal approach focusing on streets, roads and highways; transit; nonmotorized; goods movement; passenger rail; and airports.

The goals and objectives, both short and long range, of the RTP need to be critically reviewed and reaffirmed or amended by the stakeholders. It is extremely important to make sure we agree on our vision for Shasta County=s transportation system.

A broad based effort will be required by the cities of Anderson, Redding and Shasta Lake; Shasta County; Caltrans; and other stakeholders to identify transportation needs, associated projects and purpose for the region. The needs should be quantified where possible and attached to a geographic location in the county. The projects that address the needs are to be described in sufficient detail in order to analyze with the travel demand model and subsequent air quality modeling, if needed. An estimated total project cost including support costs expressed in year 2004 dollars needs to be assigned to each project. The year when the project or distinct phase of the project will be operational is also needed. All project lists in the current RTP need to be updated.

While the stakeholders are identifying needs and projects, the RTPA staff will be reviewing and documenting the current state of transportation. Population and land use build- out projections developed for the updated travel demand model will be used in the RTP. The California Transportation Plan, and other local plans will be reviewed to ensure consistency between the developing RTP and these plans. Three funding alternatives are proposed: one, a reduced funding, two, continued current rate of funding, and three a high level across the board increase.

After the broad based unconstrained needs assessment is updated and the project lists are reviewed, the RTPA staff in consultation with the Working Group, could utilize the travel demand model to validate needs and project selection. The level of effort, at this step, will be tempered by the lack of short term funding available. The projects will be arrayed by delivery year by staff. The working group and staff will then compare the list to the goals and objectives of the plan. Priorities will be assigned based on a process that the project sponsors and working group agrees upon. Other factors consistent with the goals and objectives of the plan will also be used. Finally the three alternative funding alternatives will be applied to the list and a fundable list developed. An unconstrained list will also be made with the projects that fall outside of the fundable list.

The following are the tasks and schedule needed to complete the update:

1. December - Initiate the update process with the Agency approval of the direction set in this document. The Technical Advisory Committee members have discussed the update plan and reviewed the prospective working group members listing. The RTPA staff have presented a detailed work plan with a schedule of Working Group meetings for comments. All short and long range goals and objectives of the RTP need to be reviewed and updated. Public Notices will be generated for each meeting date.

2. December 2004- Working Group kickoff meeting to consider process of updating and editing the written goals and objectives for the RTP. Work effort will include updating exhibits and identifying transportation needs for the next 20 years based on the General Plans of the cities and county and the State Transportation Plan.

3. January, 2004 – Working group meetings to discuss the Streets and Roads update, confirm goals and objectives both short and long run. A progress report with issues identified early that may hinder progress will be reported to the agency. Work will center on determining that the Streets and Roads Project list is accurate, complete, etc. Drafts will be circulated back to the working group members by end of each month. Discuss data gathering required for chapter rewrites and financial section inputs.

4. March 2004 – Working group meeting on Transit goals and objectives. Confirm goals and objectives both short and long run. Determine Project list accuracy, completeness, etc. Draft to be circulated back to working group members by end of month. Discuss data gathering required for chapter rewrite and financial section inputs.

5. April 2004 - Working group meeting to discuss Non-Motorized chapters. Additionally, a working group meeting to update Goods Movements, Aviation, Rail, Land Use, Air Quality, and Environmental Resources will be conducted. Confirm goals and objectives both short and long run. Determine Project list accuracy, completeness, etc. Draft to be circulated back to working group members by end of month. Discuss data gathering required for chapter rewrite and financial section inputs. Presentation to Agency Members regarding revised and updated Project lists for the Region from a Streets and Roads perspective.

6. May 2004 – Final Working Group meeting to present administrative draft for consensus approval. Working group meeting will consider the formulated plan alternatives impacts. The alternatives will be two fold. There will be financial alternatives and also alternatives based on mode and environmental issues.

7. June 1, 2004 - Target date for 30 Day public comment period start up. Distribute copies to all stakeholders, working group members and others as defined in the Public Involvement Guidelines standard practice.

8. July, 2004 – Review and react to all comments, add or edit text. Prepare Staff report for adoption, review with TAC committee and gain agreement of changes. Hold Public workshop on the plan alternatives. Take final comments from the public. Gather comments on level of support needed in appendixes.

9. July 27, 2004 – Agency Meeting to adopt the 2004 RTP and conformity findings.

10 August 2004 – Print and Distribute the 2004 RTP

11. September 1 – File Document with Caltrans.

12. October 2004- Fall back date for adoption of the RTP and conformity findings.