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MPO/NCDOT COORDINATION
MPO BACKGROUND
AGREEMENTS/CONTRACTS
UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM (UPWP)
LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN (LRTP)
STIP/TIP
AIR QUALITY PLANNING
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
TITLE VI/ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
TRANSIT PLANNING
CONGESTION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS)
ITS/FREIGHT PLANNING
FAMPO NEEDS
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT MEETING/COMMENTS
SUMMARY OF NOTEWORTHY PRACTICES
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
CERTIFICATION
| CAA - | Clean Air Act |
| CFR - | Code of Federal Regulations |
| CMS - | Congestion Management System |
| CTP - | Countywide Transit Plan |
| DAR - | Defense Access Road Program |
| DAQ - | Division of Air Quality |
| EAC - | Early Action Compact |
| EJ - | Environmental Justice |
| EPA - | Environmental Protection Agency |
| FAMPO - | Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization |
| FAST - | Fayetteville Area System of Transit |
| FHWA - | Federal Highway Administration |
| FPNP - | Force Protection Needs Plan |
| FTA - | Federal Transit Administration |
| ITS - | Intelligent Transportation System |
| LPA- | Lead Planning Agency |
| LRTP - | Long Range Transportation Plan |
| MLI - | Minority and Low Income |
| MOU - | Memorandum of Understanding |
| MPO - | Metropolitan Planning Organization |
| NCDENR - | North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources |
| NCDOT - | North Carolina Department of Transportation |
| PL - | Planning Funds |
| PIP - | Public Involvement Policy |
| RPO - | Rural Planning Organization |
| SDDC - | Surface Deployment Distribution Command |
| SIP - | State Implementation Plan |
| SPR - | State Planning and Research Funds |
| STIP - | Statewide Transportation Improvement Program |
| STP-DA - | Surface Transportation Program - Direct Apportionment |
| TCC - | Technical Coordinating Committee |
| TDM - | Travel Demand Model |
| TEA-21 - | Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century |
| TIP - | Transportation Improvement Program |
| TMA - | Transportation Management Area |
| UPWP - | Unified Planning Work Program |
| UZA - | Urbanized Area |
Pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 134(i)(5) and 49 U.S.C. 1607, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) must jointly certify the metropolitan transportation planning process in Transportation Management Areas (TMA) at least every three years. A TMA is an urbanized area, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, with a population of over 200,000. There are 153 TMAs in the U.S., based on the 2000 Census. In general, certification reviews consist of three primary activities: a site visit, review of planning products (in advance of and during the site visit), and preparation of a report that summarizes the review and offers findings. The reviews focus on compliance with federal regulations, challenges, successes, and experiences of the cooperative relationship between the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), State Department of Transportation (DOT) and transit operators in the conduct of the metropolitan planning process. Joint FHWA/FTA certification review guidelines provide agency field reviewers with latitude and flexibility to tailor the review to reflect local issues and needs. As a consequence, the scope and depth of the certification review reports will vary significantly.
The certification review process is only one of several methods used to assess the quality of a local metropolitan planning process, compliance with applicable statutes and regulations, and the level and type of technical assistance needed to enhance the effectiveness of the planning process. Other activities provide opportunities for this type of review and comment, including the Unified Planning Work Program, the multi-modal long-range transportation plan, the Metropolitan and Statewide Transportation Improvement Programs, air quality conformity determinations (in non-attainment and maintenance areas), as well as a range of other formal and less formal contact provide both FHWA/FTA an opportunity to comment on the planning process. The results of these other processes are considered in the certification review process.
While the Planning Certification Review report itself may not fully document those many intermediate and ongoing checkpoints, the "findings" of certification review, in fact, is based upon the cumulative findings of the entire review effort.
The review process is individually tailored to focus on topics of significance in each metropolitan planning area. Federal reviewers prepare certification reports to document the results of the review process. The reports and final actions are the joint responsibility of the appropriate FHWA and FTA field offices and content will vary to reflect the planning process reviewed, whether or not they relate explicitly to the formal "findings" of the review.
To encourage public understanding and input, FHWA/FTA will continue to improve the clarity of the certification review reports.
Executive Summary
For The Certification Review Of The Fayetteville Urban Area
Transportation Management Area
Pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 134(i)(5) and 49 U.S.C. 1607, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) must jointly certify the metropolitan transportation planning process in Transportation Management Areas at least every three years. In general, certification reviews consist of three primary activities: a site visit, review of planning products (in advance of and during the site visit), and preparation of a report that summarizes the review and offers findings. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)-Region 4, conducted a joint certification review site visit of the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organizations (FAMPO) planning process on October 6 - 7, 2004.
The Federal Highway Administration North Carolina Division and the Federal Transit Administration-Region 4 conducted the review. Other participants in the review consisted of representatives from the Federal Highway Administration Resource Center, Atlanta Office, Fayetteville Area MPO, the Cumberland County Planning Department, the Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST), and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
Findings from a certification review would document noteworthy practices, recommendations and corrective actions. Noteworthy practices include areas where the MPO is doing well, recommendations are areas where the review team suggests ways to improve the planning process, and corrective actions are areas where the review team believes the MPO has not done enough to implement a particular planning requirement. Observed during the review were several noteworthy practices, and recommendations for improving the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organizations planning process.
Noteworthy Practices
The FAMPO has done an outstanding job in a variety of areas in implementing their transportation program since the last certification review.
The FAMPO is commended for having staff trained in Spanish as well as having a Spanish speaking person on the transit staff.
The FAMPO took the lead and garnered a lot of support for joining the Early Action Compact (EAC) process, and for adopting the EAC plan. They are commended for their hard work, diligence and continuing public outreach efforts for the EAC process.
FAST has done an outstanding job of developing the Countywide Transit Plan (CTP) that will provide radial type transit service using curb-to-curb van and express route transit service to citizens, as opposed to the traditional wheel-n-spoke feeder type of system. It is a different type of service that has received the support of the local elected officials.
The FAMPO did a terrific job of working with Ft. Bragg in the implementation of their Force Protection Needs Plan (FPNP). The MPO worked with Ft. Bragg to close Bragg Boulevard to through traffic to reduce congestion at checkpoints and to improve security in the area. The MPO was successful in getting Murchison Road declared important to national defense and thereby securing $12 million in funds to make road improvements.
The MPO has been experimenting with new technologies in an effort to enhance their planning processes. Working with the NCDOT and the real estate community on the use of EXPONARE, a web based application, to offer project-to-parcel information to the public and real estate community is a commendable effort.
Summary of Recommendations
Certification
The Federal Review Team, consisting of staff from the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration, issues this certification. The Fayetteville Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is certified for three years from the date of this report.
October 6 - 7, 2004
Introduction
Between October 6 -7, 2004 the North Carolina Division Office and Resource Center of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Region 4 Office of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), conducted a joint certification review of the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organizations (FAMPO) planning process. The review was conducted in accordance with 23 CFR 450 and 49 CFR 613 which requires FHWA and FTA to jointly review and assess the transportation planning process for all transportation management areas (TMAs) at least once every three years. A transportation management area is defined as an urbanized area with a population of more than 200,000 as defined by the latest decennial census. The last certification review conducted for this area occurred in April 2002.
The purpose of the review is to assess the extent of compliance with the planning requirements, to recognize noteworthy practices, to identify problem areas, and to provide advice and assistance as appropriate. The review consisted of a series of discussions on transportation planning issues with State and local transportation officials directly involved in highway and transit planning activities of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). In addition, the FAMPO scheduled a meeting to provide the public an opportunity to offer comments on the FAMPO transportation planning process. The public meeting was held at 5:00 p.m. on October 6, 2004. Both the review and the public meeting were held at the Cumberland County Historic Courthouse-Hearing Room 3 located at 130 Gillespie Street. This report contains the findings of the certification review.
In preparation for the review, the FAMPO staff assembled and distributed to the review team, packets of information which included an agenda, Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), LRTP Public Involvement Policy, Memorandum of Understanding and MPO Bylaws, Transportation Improvement Program, and the 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The agenda is attached as Appendix A and the advertisement posted for the public comment portion of the review is attached as Appendix B.
The Federal Review Team participants included:
Loretta W. Barren, Federal Highway Administration, North Carolina Division
Lynise DeVance, Federal Highway Administration, North Carolina Division
William Marley, Federal Highway Administration, North Carolina Division
Alex McNeil, Federal Transit Administration, Region 4, Atlanta Office
Mike Roberts, Federal Highway Administration, Resource Center, Atlanta Office
Other participants included FAMPO staff, FAMPO TAC, Cumberland County Planning Department, and NCDOT Transportation Planning Branch (TPB) and Public Transportation Division (PTD). The representatives are listed below:
Alvin Bess, FAST
Jerome Brown, FAST
Maurizia Chapman, FAMPO staff
Mayor, Edwin S. Deaver, Town of Hope Mills, FAMPO TAC
Rick Heicksen, FAMPO staff
Caren Hosmer, FAMPO staff
Faye Lewis, FAMPO staff
Frances Jackson, FAST
Bobby McCormick, FAMPO staff
Lydia McIntyre, NCDOT-TPB
Joe Melvin, NCDOT-PTD
Nancy Roy, Cumberland County Planning and Inspections Department, FAMPO TCC
Joel Strickland, FAMPO staff
Sandy Troup, FAMPO staff
FAMPO Background
The FAMPO includes the following member jurisdictions each with one vote per jurisdiction: the City of Fayetteville, Town of Hope Mills, Town of Spring Lake, Fort Bragg Military Reservation, Pope Air Force Base, Cumberland County, Harnett County, Hoke County, and a member of the North Carolina Board of Transportation. The Cumberland County Joint Planning Board serves as the Lead Planning Agency (LPA). The FAMPO has a Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) that consists of transportation professionals from the member agencies and the Cumberland County Planning and Inspections Department, City of Fayetteville Transit Department or Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST), Fayetteville Municipal Airport, Cumberland County Coordinating Council on Older Adults, and the Mid-Carolina Council of Governments. The TCC reviews materials and forwards recommendations to the FAMPO for action.
Follow-up from Previous Certification Review Recommendations
(FAMPO progress in italics)
The FAMPO has satisfactorily completed the recommendations identified in the last certification review.
MPO/NCDOT Coordination
A very cooperative relationship exists between the MPO and the NCDOT. The NCDOT coordinator and the FAMPO staff stay in constant communication. The NCDOT coordinator attends all TCC/TAC meetings, makes presentations and answer questions regarding the planning process and activities. The coordinator was very helpful during the examination of Murchison Road as a candidate project important to national defense. Lydia McIntyre (NCDOT Coordinator) met on several occasions with the representative from the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) to review the model outputs and traffic volumes for the Murchison Road project.
During the development of the Early Action Compact (EAC) plan, the FAMPO staff worked closely with the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) Division of Air Quality (DAQ). FAMPO has been pleased with the cooperation received from DAQ and the FHWA Office of Natural and Human Environment throughout this process.
FAMPO has a good working relationship with the RPO. The MPO TAC chairman is a member of the RPO TAC and vice versa. This has improved communications between the rural and urban areas.
MPO Background
According to the 2000 US Census Bureau, the FAMPO urbanized area expanded to the west to include a portion of Hoke County. This means that not only is the FAMPO in NCDOT Division 6, but it is also in Division 8. The FAMPO extended their planning area boundary as required by federal regulation to encompass the new area and that area they believe would become urbanized in the next 20 years. The TAC updated their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to add a representative from Hoke County and another NCDOT Board of Transportation member. The NC Board Members agreed to let one member (Mr. Campbell, District 6) represent the Board of Transportation on the TAC.
The MPO has been very busy over the last three years. They developed and adopted the Early Action Compact for Cumberland County. They completed and adopted the 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). They have been involved with the Sustainable Sand Hills, a group organized to address environmental (air, energy, land use, materials use and waste, and water) issues in the area. Sustainable Sand Hills involves politicians, citizens and activists from six counties, state agencies, and federal agencies. They have developed a curb-to-curb transit plan for the county and are in the process of getting governmental approvals to implement the plan. They have been experimenting with different technologies, such as, "EXPONARE", a computer application that could aide in public awareness.
Agreements/Contracts
The Cumberland County Joint Planning Board, as the LPA, has an agreement with NCDOT to provide transportation planning services. The MPO is currently participating in a contract with NCDENR for the installation of Diesel Oxygenated Units on Ft. Bragg buses as apart of the EAC plan. Staff is already outlining the process for the next LRTP update. The MPO anticipates needing to conduct Origin & Destination Studies, external station counts and staff will evaluate the possibility of contracting out those studies. The MPO rarely uses consultants to advance their planning process.
Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
The FAMPO staff is responsible for developing the Section 104(f) PL funding portion of the UPWP, the Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) is responsible for developing Section 5303 and Section 5307, and the NCDOT for the Statewide Planning and Research (SPR) funds. Members of the MPO can send in items for inclusion in the work program. The staff does a thorough investigation of what needs to be done within the MPO and what state and federal requirements they have to meet.
The FAMPO planning process is a very regional process. Even though the Lead Planning Agency (LPA) is Cumberland County, the MPO staff works solely for the MPO and the MPOs transportation planning process. The staff prioritizes and evaluates work within the MPO boundary and recommends to the policy board those activities which support the advancement of transportation planning within the MPO area, not for an individual municipality or agency. The staff has no difficulty in promoting the work activities to the MPO board based on federal and state guidelines/regulations.
The FAMPO annually self-certifies their transportation planning process during the development of the UPWP. Guidance and a checklist for self-certification were provided to the MPO by the NCDOT. The staff reviews the checklist with the board and addresses any concerns prior to adoption. There is no public involvement of the self-certification process except as an action item on the agenda.
Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
The FAMPO developed and adopted their 2030 LRTP on April 28, 2004. Development of the plan was a cooperative effort between the MPO staff, the TCC, NCDOT, chambers of commerce, and city and county land use planning and other governmental departments. The staff worked with planning departments as local land use plans were being developed, so the MPO had an opportunity to impact land use planning and in-turn adopted land use plans could be incorporated in the LRTP process.
The MPO worked with Ft. Bragg and Pope Air Force Base on their plans for security and transportation. The cooperative planning efforts between the military bases and the MPO, as well as their participation on the TCC and TAC have greatly enhanced the planning process, because the military installations make up a large portion of the MPOs planning area. The plan includes all transportation modes, including highways, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, rail, ITS, CMS, and waterways, that are pertinent to the Fayetteville MPO area. In addition, the plan addresses the 7-planning factors, with emphasis on EJ, freight, and safety as required in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).
The LRTP is fiscally constrained through the year 2030, but the plan does identify two unmet highway needs projects to be implemented beyond 2030. In addition to federal and state funds, the financial plan includes local revenue sources including bonds and Powell Bill funds to help implement portions of the LRTP, such as sidewalk installation. The financial plan does not recommend any tax increases or new revenue sources. As the MPO looks to update their 2030 LRTP, they might want to examine the availability of other revenue sources to add to limited State and Federal funds to help address future unmet needs.
The FAMPO has established a structures committee to setup and guide the development of the next LRTP update. There is the potential that the planning area could expand to include some additional areas. This will require that the travel demand model be updated to accommodate the boundary expansion. The MPO will work with NCDOT on the new boundary for the MPO, the model update, and the new data that will need to be collected. The next LRTP for FAMPO will be due April 28, 2009.
Recommendation
STIP/TIP
The FAMPO believes that for the most part the development of the STIP is in line with the FAMPO's transportation needs. The TIP that FAMPO adopts includes all projects within the MPO planning area, even those not federally funded. The FAMPO received Surface Transportation Program-Direct Allocation (STP-DA) funds and they allow the NCDOT to program those funds in the STIP for project advancement purposes. The FAMPO participates in one-on-one discussions with the NCDOT regarding the projects in the STIP. Those meetings are fairly standardized whereby, available funding, scheduling, and project concerns are discussed and negotiations occur. Following the initial meeting, higher-level negotiations can occur or the FAMPO staff recommends the TIP for adoption to the FAMPO board. The FAMPO staff works closely with NCDOT staff on project selection. The MPO is satisfied with the STIP/TIP development process.
Air Quality Planning
Prior to the 2002 Certification Review, the FAMPO adopted an Air Quality Action Plan to assist them in the event they were designated non-attainment under the proposed 8-hour ozone standard of the Clean Air Act. Cumberland County failed to meet the new 8-hour standard and would have been designated non-attainment had they not joined forces with other municipalities in Cumberland County to become an Early Action Compact (EAC) area. EAC areas must develop a plan and meet certain milestones/deliverables along the way. The EAC plan must be implemented by December 2005. EAC areas must also attain the 8-hour standard by 2007. FAMPO is on target for having their EAC plan fully implemented by December 2005.
The FAMPO is leading this effort, and they've done a remarkable job of engaging a variety of public and private agencies and the public in this planning effort. They have a committee sharing the workload on this effort, making presentations to special interest groups, schools, and other governmental agencies. Their plan and outreach efforts can be found on their web site, www.fampo.org.
The FAMPO believes they will attain the 8-hour standard in 2007. Even if they attain the 8-hour standard, the area will probably continue to implement the EAC strategies to ensure that they continue to attain the standard in the future. The review team suggested that the area pursue the development of a pre-consensus conformity process, like the one used for the other non-attainment areas in the state. This would be a good fallback measure in case the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gets challenged over the EAC provision in court or if the area does not attain. The FAMPO should continue to work diligently to implement their plan by the December 2005 deadline.
Noteworthy Practice
Recommendations
Public Involvement
The FAMPO typically handles all the public involvement advertising for both the MPO and the transit program (FAST). The 2030 LRTP includes the public involvement and environmental justice plan. All elements of the LRTP and the local Highway Plan and Amendments follow the same process as outline in the LRTP. A wide variety of media are used to reach, inform and engage citizens, including elderly and disabled. Public meetings for the development of the LRTP were held at fire stations, a Walmart parking lot and at a transit transfer center. The FAMPO has done radio and community access television spots, as well. The FAMPO does maintain a list of citizens who have attended public meetings. They have also uses citizens advisory committees, the Air Quality Stakeholders of Cumberland County for the development and implementation of the Early Action Compact for Cumberland County and a bicycle advisory committee. They also used focus groups to guide the development of the highway element of the LRTP.
As a method of evaluating how effective meeting locations are the FAMPO takes attendance numbers at public meetings and compares them to previous meetings held at a particular location. The staff would then report the results of their informal attendance survey to the TCC and TAC. Then the TAC would direct staff in the appropriate direction regarding future meeting venues. The FAMPO has not formally surveyed the citizenry to solicit the public's opinion on how they (public) want to be involved in the transportation planning process. The public involvement plan for FAMPO has not changed since it was adopted in 1999.
Some outreach efforts have changed as a result of the last certification review. The MPO has most of their materials translated into Spanish. The newspaper translates their advertisements into Spanish for free. Some members of the MPO staff have taken courses in Spanish to further assist the Spanish speaking community.
A common sentiment stated by many MPOs, that FAMPO reiterated is that citizens attend meetings better when it is project related, like the Fayetteville Outer Loop where attendance numbers exceeded 1,200.
The FAMPO has been working with NCDOT to provide the public and especially area realtors with more project related information in a web-based application. Staff gave a brief demonstration of "EXPONARE", a web application designed to interface with MapINFO and show the approximate location of a highway project and it's relationship to a particular parcel of property. The NCDOT has agreed to keep the highway project information up-to-date in the EXPONARE application. The review team believes it will be very useful in providing citizens with project information as it relates to a parcel of property. This is a very good example of how cooperatively working together can advance the planning process and it's a commendable effort.
FAST periodically uses Citizen Advisory Committees and focus groups, and FAMPO should consider using more advisory groups as a way to improve public participation. It is also noted and commended that FAMPO/FAST has a person on staff that speaks Spanish as well as others that have taken Spanish lessons. The FAMPO has made some advances in their public involvement efforts however ways to improve in this area need to be constantly explored. FAMPO does not have a documented public involvement plan that includes a documented and continuous evaluation process, which is required by Federal regulations.
Noteworthy Practices
Recommendations
Title VI/Environmental Justice
The appropriate time to ensure a MPOs compliance with Title VI, and to substantiate the MPOs self-certification, is during the planning certification review. The purpose of this part of the review is to examine the MPOs efforts to address environmental justice and nondiscrimination with regard to transportation impacts resulting from the planning process. Efforts are examined regarding identification of minority and low-income (MLI) communities and their needs; identification of benefits and burdens; and effective engagement of MLI citizens in the transportation planning process.
The MPO's demographic profile graphically details the MLI areas within the planning area boundaries. This information was also overlaid onto a map/database with current and future transportation projects. This is excellent information, and we would also encourage FAMPO to present separate demographic information for each sizeable minority. For example, if African Americans and Hispanics both have sizable populations, then demographic information for these two groups should be reported separately.
Regarding service equity, FAMPO and FAST currently do not have any methods for measuring or determining this. It is very important that the MPO address the issue of service equity to ensure that its transportation projects do not result in disproportionate benefits/adverse impacts to certain groups. There is no prescribed method to measure service equity, which allows each MPO to be creative as well as to tailor their approach.
Recommendation
Transit Planning
Alex McNeil with FTA called into the review for the transit portion. The FAST team introduced the review team to the Countywide Transit Plan (CTP) that is a part of the LRTP. The CTP is a curb-to-curb transit system that operates in a radial environment having super-stop transfer points in each of the four designated zones. The plan recommends lift-equipped vans picking up patrons within a zone and transporting them to the super-stop for transfer onto an express, or fixed route bus. There is the potential for some public-private partnering with local taxi companies. The CTP has the support of all the impacted governing boards. The FAST is refining the cost and implementation plan for the new CTP. The FAST should also examine new facility and capital needs associated with the CTP. The FAST should complete the implementation plan and cost proposals for the CTP and get it adopted. The development of the CTP is a mobile source emissions reduction strategy contained in the EAC and therefore has to be implemented by December 2005.
The FAST is already involved in a public-private partnership with Ft. Bragg and Cross Creek Mall. The FAST provides Saturday express service to and from Ft. Bragg to the Mall, and the Mall pays for the service. The FAST is looking to expand that to Sunday service, as well.
Noteworthy Practice
Recommendations
Congestion Management System (CMS)
The CMS was updated and adopted as a part of the 2030 LRTP. The update of the CMS included an evaluation of those projects that were previously implemented, identified newly congested corridors, and prioritized projects for implementation. Safety is addressed in CMS planning. The CMS recommends a variety of ways to address congestion, including intersection improvements, transit, designating truck routes, revised traffic patterns, road closures, median installation, wider lanes and shoulders, and roadway improvements.
Safety and traffic flow were a high priority for Fort Bragg officials after September 11, 2001. The MPO worked with Ft. Bragg as the post developed their Force Protection Needs Plan. One of the outcomes of the FPNP was to close Bragg Boulevard to non-military traffic. The MPO worked with the post, NCDOT, FHWA and Military Surface Deployment and Distribution (SDDC) to implement that outcome. A justification was developed for designating Murchison Road as being important to national defense, and subsequently $12 million were allocated to improve Murchison Road to handle the increased traffic from the closure of Bragg Boulevard. While this project was not initially a part of the CMS plan, it was evaluated and determined that it would help relieve congestion and improve flow in the area.
Noteworthy Practice
ITS/Freight Planning
The FAMPO supports the Statewide Architectural structure for ITS, that the NCDOT promotes. There are some variable message boards installed along I-95. The MPO has worked to improve some at-grade railroad crossings with newer technologies and installed some landscaped medians to improve safety in a variety of areas within the MPO.
Like most other MPOs in North Carolina Freight Planning has not been extensively included in the MPOs planning process. The FAMPO has discussed downtown rail-crossing concerns with CSX and Cape Fear Railroads. The FAMPO is actively involved with NCDOT Rail Division and CSX Railroad on the potential for Southeast passenger rail service in the area. Other freight issues, such as area trucking, the areas proximity to the NC Ports and South Carolina to name a few have not been examined. The FAMPO has not attempted to include the freight community in the planning process. Involving the freight industry in the planning process would help the MPO identify the transportation needs and concerns, and potentially some innovative ways to address those concerns.
Recommendation
FAMPO Needs
The MPO stated that they have very few needs that have not already been communicated or addressed prior to the certification review. They did note the following would help to improve the transportation planning process within the urban area:
Public Involvement Meeting/Comments
The public comment meeting was held Wednesday, October 6, 2004 at 5 p.m. at the Cumberland County Historic Courthouse, Hearing Room 3 at 130 Gillespie Street, Fayetteville, NC.
The meeting was advertised in the Fayetteville Observer a copy of which is included in Appendix B. The public comment period was open from September 26, to October 25, 2004.
No one from the public came to the meeting nor were any comments received during the 30-day public comment period.
Summary of Noteworthy Practices
The FAMPO has done an outstanding job in a variety of areas in implementing their transportation program since the last certification review.
The FAMPO is commended for having staff trained in Spanish as well as having a Spanish speaking person on the transit staff.
The FAMPO took the lead and garnered a lot of support for joining the EAC process, and for adopting the EAC plan. They are commended for their hard work, diligence and continuing public outreach efforts for the EAC process.
FAST has done an outstanding job of developing a countywide transit plan that will provide radial type transit service using curb-to-curb van and express route transit service to citizens, as oppose to the traditional wheel-n-spoke feeder type of system. It is a different type of service that has received the support of the local elected officials.
The FAMPO did a terrific job of working with Ft. Bragg in the implementation of their FPNP. The MPO worked with Ft. Bragg to close Bragg Boulevard to through traffic to reduce congestion at checkpoints and to improve security in the area. The MPO was successful in getting Murchison Road declared important to national defense and thereby securing $12 million in funds to make road improvements.
The MPO has been experimenting with new technologies in an effort to enhance their planning processes. Working with the NCDOT and the real estate community on the use of EXPONARE, a web based application, to offer project-to-parcel information to the public and real estate community is a commendable effort.
Summary of Recommendations
The review team believes the FAMPO should work towards implementing the following recommendations.
Certification
The Federal Review Team, consisting of staff from the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration, issues this certification. The Fayetteville Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is certified for three years from the date of this report.
Agenda
U.S. D.O.T. Certification Review - Site Visit
Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Cumberland County Historic Courthouse
Hearing Room 3
130 Gillespie Street
October 6-7, 2004
Day 1
Wednesday
October 6, 2004
Agenda Topics
| 8:30 | Welcome and Introductions |
| 8:45 | Certification Overview, Review of Schedule And General Discussion |
| 9:00 | MPO Overview/Update - Major Accomplishments and MPO Needs |
| 9:30 | Discussion of Previous Review Recommendations, Findings and/or Corrective Actions |
| 10:15 | Break |
| 10:30 | MPO/NCDOT Coordination |
| 11:00 | Transit Planning |
| 12:00 | Lunch |
| 1:15 | Title VI/EJ/ADA |
| 2:00 | TIP/STIP |
| 3:00 | Break |
| 3:15 | Public Involvement |
| 4:00 | Overview of Tomorrow Prepare for Public Meeting |
| 5:00 - 6:00 pm | Public Meeting |
Agenda
U.S. D.O.T. Certification Review - Site Visit
Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
October 6-7, 2004
Day 2
Thursday
October 7, 2004
Agenda Topics
| 8:30 | Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) |
| 9:30 | Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) |
| 10:15 | Break |
| 10:30 | Early Action Compact (EAC) Planning |
| 11:00 | Emphasis Areas (ITS, CMS, Freight Safety) |
| 12:00 | Lunch |
| 1:15 | Review Team Meeting |
| 2:00 | Presentation of Review Team Preliminary Findings and Discussion |
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING U.S. DEPARTMENT OF A United States Department of Transportation team, composed of members of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), will hold a Public Meeting to address the Fayetteville Metropolitan Area Transportation Planning Process. The meeting will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 6, 2004 in Hearing Room 3 of the Historic Courthouse located at 130 Gillespie Street. Written comments can be submitted to Mr. Richard D. Heicksen, Transportation Advisory Committee Secretary, Fayetteville Area MPO, 130 Gillespie Street, Fayetteville N.C. 28301, or e-mail to: rheicksen@co.cumberland.nc.us, no later than October 25, 2004. For additional information please contact Mr. Heicksen at (910) 678-7622. |
