Prioritizing Transportation Projects National League of Cities July 14, 2011 Alan Clark Director of Transportation Planning

Role of the MPO  Planning: –Develops long range plan that identifies priority transportation needs/investments  Coordination: –Many transportation decision makers –Many investments require cooperative, coordinated decision making Multi-Jurisdictional Multi-Modal Public/Private Investment

Role of the MPO  Sustained Public Participation: –All levels of decision making –Critical to understanding issues, opportunities –Value added process  Empowers Decision Making –Gives decision makers confidence that benefits, costs alternatives are sufficiently understood for an informed choice.

A Forum for Decision Making  Directed by Local Elected Officials  Includes Key Transportation Agencies  Key decisions include: –Metropolitan Transportation Plan –Transportation Improvement Program

MTP and TIP  Show local concurrence with state and federal transportation investment  Demonstrate fiscal capacity to implement, operate and maintain  Reflect state, federal and local project funding priorities  Compliant with air quality and other environmental regulations  Address Title VI concerns

Growth Rates:

Overview of Growth Trends  Numbers to Consider: 2 – 2 – 2: –2 million persons reside inside BW 8 –2 million persons reside in Harris County outside BW 8 –2 million persons reside outside Harris County in the adjacent 7 counties  City of Houston will soon be less than ½ of Harris County residents  Loop 610 pop is stable at 500k

Regional Transportation Plan Expenditure by Mode