1. FACILITATING MPO CAPACITY BUILDING:
THE VALUE OF A STATE MPO ASSOCIATION
Steven Gayle, PTP

2. MPO STAFF CHALLENGES Metropolitan Transportation Plan
Performance Based Planning
Travel Time
Reliability
Environmental
Justice
Resiliency
Planning
TIP Development
Air Quality
Conformity

3. City Council passes Complete Streets ordinance
MPO STAFF CHALLENGES
MPOs of all sizes have limited staff, resulting in multiple responsibilities
Staff turnover
Member agencies and planning partners
External pressures
My GIS guy is leaving!
City Council passes Complete Streets ordinance

4. VALUE OF A STATE ASSOCIATION
New York State Association of MPOs
Organization of New York’s 14 MPOs

5. Functions of NYSAMPO
Pooled funding for activities that support the MPOs
Coordination with NYSDOT, FHWA, FTA
Policy analysis and response
Working Groups
Training
Biennial Statewide MPO Conference
Staff services
Capacity Building

6. NYSAMPO WORKING GROUPS
Bicycle/Pedestrian
Climate Change
Freight
GIS
Modeling
Safety
Transit
Transportation Systems Management & Operations
FAST Implementation

7. NYSAMPO WORKING GROUPS
Communities of practice
Staff of MPOs, NYSDOT, FHWA, FTA, other state agencies
Most meet quarterly by teleconference or web conference
Share planning activities
Presentations by state and national planning partners and subject matter experts
Membership examples: Safety includes Governors Traffic Safety Committee, Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research; Climate Change includes DEC
Presentation examples: Finger Lakes Critical Infrastructure Plan; NYSDOT HOOCS
AVAIL NPMRDS project using Modeling WG as advisory
NYS Freight Transportation Plan using Freight WG

8. WORKING GROUP PRODUCTS: Fact Sheets
Complete Streets, Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety, MPO Role in Siting EV Charging Stations

9. WORKING GROUP PRODUCTS
Surveys
White Papers
Planning for Sustainable Communities and Sustainable Transportation
Site visits
Freight Working Group: Ports of Albany and Buffalo

10. NYSAMPO identifies MPO staff training needs through member survey
Facilitates training opportunities
UTRC partnership
NHI courses
FHWA workshops and peer exchanges
FTA workshops
Vendor supplied training
Examples: In the next 3 weeks, FHWA/NHI Speed Management pilot, NHI Transportation Performance Management, FHWA Contemporary Approaches to TDM.
Last April: GBNRTC hosted FHWA Scenario Planning Peer Exchange Workshop

11. NYSDOT contributes FHWA-SPR funds
SHARING RESOURCES
MPOs reach annual agreement to take money from state FHWA-PL and FTA-MPP apportionments to fund:
Staff services contract
Training
Statewide planning conference
NYSDOT contributes FHWA-SPR funds

12. LESSONS LEARNED: WORKING GROUPS
Small MPOs cannot participate in every Working Group
Post meeting notes on NYSAMPO website
In-person v web conference v phone conference
Role of advocacy organizations
Balance staff support requirements

13. LESSONS LEARNED: TRAINING
Balance is everything
How many training opportunities can a small staff participate in?
Instructor-led classroom course v. web-based training
Accommodating MPO member agency staff
Affordability

14. CONTACT NYSAMPO
James D’Agostino, Chair
Executive Director
Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council
Steven Gayle, Staff service lead
Senior Consultant, RSG