Transportation Improvement Program Status and Update

Step One: Early (Proactive) Public Participation – late July/early August/ Sept 5 Open House Forums sponsored by the Allegheny County PPP were held throughout Allegheny County (Downtown, W. Mifflin, North Hills, Churchill, Moon Township) PPP Testimony hearings were held in the other nine counties SPC staff in attendance at two workshops and all ten counties to submit/provide testimony SPC staff coordinated with other partners, e.g., Access to Work, to assist in preparing their TIP testimony SPC staff attended 9/11/03 STC meeting

Step Two: Fiscal and Program Guidance SPC participates in a statewide work group of planning partners (other MPOs/RPOs) to develop guidance. SPC staff primarily concerned with receiving fair share of Spike Funds Guidance was finalized on October 29, 2003 – available from SPC staff Funding targets (not allocations) for highways and transit were identified for state and regions/transit providers the state directs allocations for MPOs and RPOs, however, SPC is legally prohibited from suballocating within the region. SPC applies same revenue formulas to argue “fair share.” 20% set aside of Spike Funds for discretionary use by the Secretary of Transportation; taken off the top of the available federal and state highway funds: $25 M each year is set aside for transit from the federal highway program) and $25 M each year is set aside as economic development funds from the state highway program.

Step Three: Update Existing TIP SPC reviewed the existing TIP ( ) to update costs and schedules of projects All counties were shown to have a deficit based on SPC’s analysis

Step Four: Work Sessions (Develop Preliminary Project List) SPC hosted meetings with involving the member county planning departments, transit agencies, and PENNDOT District Offices to determine which projects would receive priority for the limited available funds. Testimony projects could be substituted for an existing project subject to these negotiations.

Step Five: Negotiations with PennDOT Central Office (Harrisburg) SPC submitted the preliminary project list to PennDOT Central Office with an accompanying list of“spike” candidates on February 2, PennDOT is now reviewing and will provide comment on the pre-draft project list PENNDOT and SPC will negotiate to resolve any remaining issues where priorities are different.

Step Six: Develop Draft TIP for Public Comment PennDOT and SPC will agree on a common project list by the end of March SPC will complete and document an Air Quality Conformity Determination on the TIP projects, verifying using computer models that the package of transportation projects will, overall, lead to improved air quality (compared to not making these improvements). An environmental justice analysis is also conducted.

Step Seven: Public Participation (reactive) PPP meetings will be held in May to gather public input on the draft TIP and Air Quality Conformity Finding Testimony will be taken on projects that were included or not included in the TIP

Step Eight: Responsive Work Sessions SPC will hold work sessions to resolve issues raised at the PPP meetings The draft TIP will be change to reflect these issues if necessary, but changes must be air quality neutral The public comment process will be closed and documented

Step Nine: TIP Adoption SPC will adopt TIP at their June meeting (tentative date 6/28/04)

2004 Enhancements PennDOT opened applications in September on and closed them on October 30. These were submitted on the PennDOT website for the first time

2004 Enhancements SPC held regional workshops on August 26, 27, and 28 in Zelienople, Charleroi, and Saltsburg

2004 Enhancements PennDOT determined if the projects met the criteria and could be included in the regional ranking process. It then transmitted the applications received to SPC in late November.

2004 Enhancements September and October – SPC Transportation Technical Committee (TTC) reviews 2002 Enhancements program guidelines and evaluation criteria November – TTC approves 2004 guidelines and evaluation criteria

2004 Enhancements November 21 - Enhancements Evaluation Committee (EEC) meets to review TTC approved guidelines, evaluation criteria, and schedule SPC staff requested EEC members to review applications and submit questions for project sponsors SPC compiled questions and transmitted to project sponsors SPC transmits answers to EEC members to assist evaluation

2004 Enhancements December - EEC members evaluated and scored all the projects – submitted to SPC staff SPC developed a PRELIMINARY ranking of projects Note: Scores and preliminary rankings are strictly a tool to use in decision making and the scores are not the end of the decision making process.

2004 Enhancements January 9 – EEC determines final rankings of the projects. Final funding target (TE allocation for SPC) from PENNDOT received after 1/9 meeting – SPC adjusts recommendations to meet fiscal constraints for TTC approval

2004 Enhancements The Transportation Technical Committee voted to approve the rankings at its meeting of January 15

2004 Enhancements The MPO Board approved the rankings at its meeting of January 26