In conjunction with the Virginia
Department of Transportation (VDOT), the West Piedmont Planning District
Commission established a Rural Transportation Program in 1993. VDOT allocated part of the Highway Planning
and Research money made available under the Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) to provide transportation planning assistance
for non-urbanized portions of the State.
This program aids the state in fulfilling the requirements of the State
Planning Process to address the transportation needs of non-metropolitan
areas. This program has continued under
the federal highway and transit programs legislation known as the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act, A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), previously called the Transportation Equity Act for the
21st Century (TEA-21).
Commission staff provides rural transportation planning assistance for
the non-metropolitan portions of the Planning District (which includes all
areas except the City of Danville and portions of Pittsylvania County).
The Commission develops a
Rural
Transportation Planning Work Program annually. The Rural Work Program is developed in
January-February and then adopted thereafter.
Public involvement in transportation planning is an important element of
the planning process. Citizen and group
participation are needed to make sure that good projects, plans and decisions
are developed to meet the needs of the region.
On January 11, 2007, the WPPD Board of Commissioners adopted the
West
Piedmont Public Involvement/Participation Plan. A listing of Commission staff and related
Rural Transportation Planning Program committees which aid in implementing this
planning process follow:
WPPDC Regional
Rural Long-Range Transportation Planning Committee (TTAC)/Freight Committee
James E. Astin, Chairman, Pittsylvania County
Clifford P. Burnette, Jr., VA Department of Aviation
Lee Clark, Henry County
Planning Director
Lisa Cooper, Franklin County
Planning Department
Barbara Cousin,
Martinsville
W.T. Fitzgerald,
Pittsylvania County
Lynn Frith, Town of Boones Mill
Kenneth C. Gillie, Jr., Danville Planning
Director
Michael Gray, District Planner, VDOT, Salem District Office
Randy
Hamilton, Land Use Planner,
VDOT,
Halifax Office
Tony Handy, Construction Program Manager,
VDOT,
Salem District Office
Ed Hodges, Town of Hurt
Neil Holthouser,
Franklin County Planning Director
Lisa Hughes, VDOT Resident Administrator, Martinsville-Henry
County-Patrick County
Chatham Town Manager
Jeffery B. Kessler, District Planner, VDOT, Lynchburg
District Office
Wayne Knox, City of Martinsville
David Lilly, Gretna Town Manager
Cecil Mason, Town of Rocky Mount
Chris Morris, City of Martinsville
Tim Pace, Henry County
Ed Page,
Mayor, Town of Ridgeway
Tom Rose, Patrick County
Administrator
Ivan Rucker, Federal
Highway Administration, VA Division
Greg Sides, Pittsylvania County Planning Director
Cecil Stone, Henry
County
Terry Tilley, Stuart Town
Manager
Leon Towarnicki, Assistant Martinsville City Manager
Vacant, Rocky Mount
WPPDC Transportation Citizens Advisory Committee (TCAC)
James E. Astin, Jr., Chairman, Pittsylvania County
Barbara Cousin, Martinsville
W.T. Fitzgerald, Pittsylvania County
Kenneth
C. Gillie, Jr., Danville
Wayne Knox,
Martinsville
Donna T. Martin, At-Large
Cecil Mason, Rocky Mount
Tim Pace, Henry County
WPPDC Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
James E. Astin, Jr., Chairman, Pittsylvania County
Barbara Cousin, Martinsville
W.T. Fitzgerald, Pittsylvania County
Kenneth C. Gillie, Jr., Danville
Wayne Knox, Martinsville
Donna T. Martin, At-Large
Cecil Mason, Rocky Mount
Tim
Pace, Henry County
Tom Rose, Patrick
County