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Transportation Improvement Program

FY 2003-2005

 

 

The Danville Metropolitan Planning Organization

The Danville Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) was designated by the Virginia Office of the Governor in July 1983 according to procedures codified in federal regulations.  Its membership is composed of representatives of the City of Danville, County of Pittsylvania, and the Virginia Department of Transportation with voting rights, and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, West Piedmont Planning District Commission, and others.

 

The basic mission of the agency is overall transportation planning within a federally designated urbanized area and surrounding study area. These areas include the City of Danville and designated areas of Pittsylvania County.

 

Transportation Improvement Program - General

The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is prepared through a cooperative process that involves the Commonwealth of Virginia and local governments at several levels. Program elements are prepared by a number of agencies.

 

 

Annual Element and Three-Year Program Requirement

In the development of the TIP, it is required that the program cover at least a three-year effort where continuing funding from federal sources are being sought.  The first year of the program has been frequently called the "Annual Element."

 

Local Involvement in the Planning Process

The Danville MPO involves local governments, non-profit human services agencies, private enterprise providers of transportation services, the public, and federal and state agencies that have input into the process.  More specifically, these agencies and entities are involved:  City of Danville/Danville Transit System, County of Pittsylvania, state and local offices of the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, local taxi and bus or other private transit companies, the public through the media representatives and public notices and open meetings.  These entities are involved in TIP preparation as early as possible.  A formal notification and public notice process is employed.

 

Project Initiation

The initiation of projects to be included in the TIP varies depending on the project and the origination of funds used to support these projects and the local government affected.  The initiation process includes:

 

 

Final Preparation

The Danville MPO's Administrative Agent, West Piedmont Planning District Commission Executive Director, is responsible for assembling the actual document for MPO review, review by any review committees, review by the public and private sectors.

 

Review

Informal reviews are had by submitting preliminary draft copies of the TIP to appropriate officials participating in MPO membership and/or who serve on the Project Management Team of the MPO.  Letters are sent out discussing the preliminary draft TIP and plans for an early input public hearing, plus notes indicating the availability of copies by location(s); these are sent to members of the citizens advisory committee of the MPO, to various community based organizations including those with primary contact with minority citizens, to private sector transportation providers.  The draft document is submitted to the MPO Policy Board along with internal staff comments or other comments received.  A public hearing is held and comments received are reviewed with the MPO Board.  Over a period of months VDOT hearings are attended to hear further public input on projects; following the hearings VDOT produces its six year improvement program and it is used to produce a final draft TIP.  The final draft TIP is reviewed in the same manner as the preliminary draft, including the letters, press release, advertising, distribution to review sites.  Subsequent to the public review process and public hearing exposure, the MPO Policy Board reviews the document again with any comments received, orders approval concomitant with any final changes.  The document is also submitted to the Intergovernmental Review Process by the West Piedmont Planning District Commission and submitted to appropriate state and federal agency recipients, including the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Transit Administration.

 

Highway Projects Listing

Within the TIP, tables of projects are submitted that are abstracted from the local and state government approved Six Year Improvement Program. Under regulations governing the development of MPO TIPs and Statewide TIPs at least a three year program of projects are required to be included in the TIP. For highway network related projects, we have included sheets with six years of projects, but with it understood that the program years 2002-2003, 2003-2004, and 2004-2005 count as the required three year period to meet the requirements in the FY 2003-2005 TIP. A similar compilation is made of transit-related projects, except an extra year is added to the planning period for the projects of Danville Transit System; the Commonwealth of Virginia's overall transit covers only one year.

 

Unified Transportation Planning Work Program

It should be noted that the Unified Work Program (UWP), also developed annually by the Danville MPO, includes projects supported with federal and state grant assistance; projects listed in this planning document are solely transportation/transit planning type efforts and are, thus, not entered on the TIP where capital improvements type or operating type projects are included.  However, planning projects in the UWP are supported by special planning grant assistance programs of State, Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Transit Administration.  Further, in order to get capital and operating type funds, it is usually necessary to support their requests with a planning effort.

 

Basic Planning Efforts that Govern Transportation Planning Process of the MPO

A number of efforts have been undertaken in the past and currently to develop essential plans for guiding the MPO in developing the TIP.

 

 

Planning Process Goals and Objectives of the MPO

The goal of the transportation planning process is to provide a multi-modal, efficient, cost-effective, accessible, and safe transportation system network that has minimal adverse impacts on the environment and contributes to the economic well-being and quality of life of the metropolitan urbanized area.  Typical objectives of the program include:

 

 

Clean Air Act Conformity

The Danville Urbanized Area is not in a non-attainment area of the Commonwealth of Virginia and is thus exposed to the less stringent Clean Air Act requirements at this time.

 

Highway Project Funding Allocations

The Commonwealth Transportation Board is the only body of the Commonwealth empowered to allocate state highway funds.  The annual allocations are the distributions of anticipated revenues and are based strictly on the best estimate of funds to become available during the fiscal years.  Other details regarding funding allocations for VDOT projects can be obtained from VDOT.  The funding plans are maintained by annual development and publication of the Six-Year Improvement Program by VDOT.

 

Specialized Transportation for the Elderly and Disabled

The Danville Transit System provides services to the elderly and disabled through specially-equipped vehicles.  The Danville area also includes certain human service agencies, such as the Pittsylvania County Community Action Agency, Danville Association for Retarded Citizens, and the region-serving Southern Area Agency on Aging, that have specially-equipped vehicles for people with special needs.

 

Federal Transit Administration Financial Capacity Policy

The Federal Transit Administration, on March 30, 1987, issued its policy on assessing the financial capability for FTA Section 5307 applicants through FTA Circular C 7008.1.  The circular defines financial capability or capacity in several aspects:

 

 

 

Private Enterprise Participation in Federal Transit Administration Funded Program Efforts

The Federal Transit Administration, on October 16, 1984, issued a policy statement concerning the participation of private enterprise in FTA programs.  The policy statement requires that private transit and paratransit service operators have their views considered during the early stages of the planning process and in the development of the TIP annual element.  In 1986, FTA issued documentation guidance for its Private Enterprise Participation Policy.  The policy statements and procedures and public notification provisions developed for the Danville Transit System and the Danville MPO are included in the TIP.

 

Since these policies have been issued, the Federal Transit Administration has made certain amendments to regulations regarding private enterprise provider notification and participation. The MPO has chosen to continue to administer the program essentially as it had in the past which is allowable.

 

Three-Year Projections and Amendments 

The succeeding enclosures of the Transportation Improvement Program include three-year projections of funding needs where it is practical.  Note that the Transportation Improvement Program is developed annually and succeeding year's funding may have to be revised.  In addition, developments may require the MPO from time to time to amend its Transportation Improvement Program to account for changed conditions and situations.  Finally, note that with each year's update, a fiscal year is added to the program and a fiscal year deleted, as the planning periods for the Transportation Improvement Program advances.

 

MPO Policy:

Project Selection Process/Project Priorities

For the project selection process under the Transportation Equity Act (TEA-21) and the antecedent Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act rules, the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) development and adoption shall employ:  the private provider notification process, public notice and hearing process, subsequent review of hearing comments and the comments of providers by the MPO Policy Board, consideration of adoption by the MPO Policy Board, including any special endorsements necessary.

 

In order to make a project selection list for this Transportation Improvement Program (FY 2003-2005) and to prioritize projects, it is agreed that:  a) the project selection list shall be those projects included in the First Year (Annual Element), Second Year, and Third Year of the TIP and b) that those projects included in the First Year or Annual Element of the TIP shall be First Priority Projects, that the Second Year of the TIP shall contain Second Priority Projects, and that the Third Year of the TIP shall contain Third Priority Projects.

 

The MPO has developed this statement of policy on Project Selection and Project Prioritization to be used in this and future versions of the Transportation Improvement Program. For the current period and until amended, the Transportation Improvement Program's listings of First Year (annual element), Second Year, and Third Year projects, either Federal Highway Administration funded or Federal Transit Administration funded, will be the Selected and Prioritized lists to be used as guidance in planning.

 

Since the policy was developed, the Danville MPO has proceeded toward an early notification for project planning, project selection, and project prioritization whereby public notices, notices to private enterprise providers, and a public hearing is employed in advance of the final rounds of development of the Transportation Improvement Program, followed later in the year by final hearings and meetings. The early comment opportunity and public hearing opportunity is to provide earlier input to the process of planning, selection, and prioritization of projects.

 

 

Highway Projects Selected for the

FY 2003-2005 Transportation Improvement Program

 

The projects included in the Highway Element of the FY 2003-2005 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) have been abstracted from the Virginia Department of Transportation's Statewide Transportation Improvement Program so that those projects and/or programs that are pertinent to the Danville MPO area, including the City of Danville and portions of Pittsylvania County, are included. The TIP as currently developed includes input from the Danville MPO policy board, the public, various agencies and groups, private enterprise transportation providers, and others through the use of the MPO's public participation process, project. planning, and project prioritization directives; a full public hearing and action by the MPO board culminated the early input and planning process phase of TIP development, followed by calling for a later final public hearing to review the program herein.

 

Projects supported by funding from the Federal Transit Administration projects were also given the same exposure to the process as were those projects supported by funding from the Federal Highway Administration.

 

The programs/projects covered in this Highway Element of the Transportation Improvement Program include:

 

anticipated from Danville, as available 

 

Projects: Funded 'Off-the-Top' Through Legislative Action Statewide

 

 

Route

Jurisdiction

Type

Manager

 

 

 

 

Description

 

 

 

Projected

Cost

 

 

 

Prev.

Funding

Add'l

Funding

Required

Fund Source

 

 

Actual

Allocation

2002-2003

 

 

 

 

2003-2004

 

 

 

 

2004-2005

 

 

 

Balance to

Complete

58

Corridor

Development

Program

Funding for all authorized

debt

PE

RW

CN

TO    33,350

12,350

21,000*

3,500*

3,500*

3,500*

0

                *'Off the Top' Through Legislative Action

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