2. Introductions
• Name
• Major
• Why are you interested in planning?
• Top transportation question/concern
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
3. What have you Learned?
• What have you
learned about
planning?
• What do you find
interesting about
it?
• Disinteresting?
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
4. Agenda
• History
• Federal/State Laws
• Planning Process
• Current Trends
• Local Issues
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
14. A Balancing Act
• Planning is…
• Politics, Politics, Politics
– All politics are local, state and federal
• Regulations, Regulations, Regulations
– You cannot just do what you want to do
• What is best for our community,
region, state, nation
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
15. Transportation Laws
• Federal Highway
Act of 1956
– Interstates
• Federal-aid
Highway Act of
1962
– Planning process
– Metropolitan
Planning
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
16. Federal Laws
• ISTEA – 1991, $158 B
– Intermodal Approach, More power for MPOs
• TEA-21 – 1998, $218 B
– Economic vitality, safety and security, mobility,
environment, connectivity, efficiency, preservation
• SAFETEA-LU – 2005, $286 B
– Transit and multi-modal approach, Earmarks
• MAP-21 – 2012, $105 B
– Performance Measures, Consolidation
– Law Expires 9/2014
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
17. Other Federal Laws
• National Environmental Policy Act of
1969
– Federal Environmental Regulations
• Clean Air Act
• Civil Rights Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Executive Orders
• Regulations
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
18. State Laws
• Georgia Planning Act
– New 2013 Regulations for Local
Comprehensive Plans
• Georgia Sunshine Laws
– Open Records
– Open Meetings
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
19. Metropolitan Planning
• MPOs
• Urban Areas 50,000 +
• Forum for Regional Decision Making
• Long Range Plan
• Short Range Plan
• Public Involvement
• Annual Work Program
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
22. Southern Georgia Regional
Commission
• Comm. and Econ. Dev.
– Comp. Plans, Zoning Codes, other plans, grant writing,
environmental planning, transportation planning
• Geographic Information Systems
– www.valorgis.com
• Local gov’t IT support
• Area Agency on Aging
– Advocates for older adults
• Workforce Investment
– Job Search, Training, Youth
• Small Business Loan Program
– $6M revolving loan fund
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
29. Long Range Plan
• It is a Regional Plan
– Projects from State/Locals
– Policy Committee must agree to a region-
wide list of projects
• Spans Jurisdictions and Political Terms
• Federal Requirements
– Address planning factors, fiscally
balanced, system level, multi-modal
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
30. Data Collection
• Drives the Travel Demand Model and
Decision-making Process
• Socioeconomic Data
– Population, Households, Income,
Employment, School Enrollment
• Traffic Counts
• Future Growth Map
– Developed Using the Delphi Method
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
31. Socioeconomic Data
2006 2035
Population 103,751 140,068
Households 38,935 53,297
Employment 55,668 72,051
Enrollment 32,932 66,655
Income $33,597 $50,683
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
34. Delphi Method
• Using Focus Groups to Separately Come to a
Consensus
– Met with Each Local Jurisdiction
– Confirmed Type, Amount and Date of Future
Growth
– Generally All of the Future Growth Areas were
the Same
• Worked with Local Planners to Allocate Population
and Employment to TAZs
– Used GIS Tools to Allocate Date from VSU
– VSU Forecasts were Used as Control Totals
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
38. What Else Do We Do?
• Freight Planning
• Aviation Planning
• Bike and Pedestrian
Planning
• Transit Planning
• Land Use Coordination
• Access Management
• Intelligent Transportation
Systems
• Air Quality Planning
• Project Development
• Etc…
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
39. Current Trends in
Transportation
• What do you think
some of these
current trends are?
• What impacts you
everyday?
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
40. Current Trends in
Transportation
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
43. Revenue Sources
• $0.18.4/gallon • $0.07.5/gallon +
– Highway Trust Fund about $0.13-
– Mass Transit .15/gallon
Account • General Fund
• Generating about • SPLOST
$25-35 B a year
• Since 2008, $56B
has been
transferred from
general fund
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
44. How Would You Fill the Gap?
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
45. What Are the Local Issues?
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
46. Public Transit
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
47. Bike and Pedestrian Projects
• Very popular projects
• Typically hard to get
funding for
• Growing interest in
Valdosta and Lowndes
County
• Talk to your local
elected officials
• June 10, 2013 Valdosta
Bike Symposium
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
48. Local Funding
• Woodrow Wilson • 2035 Transportation
Drive Plan Includes
• Jerry Jones Drive – $416M
• Forrest Street – $500M+ that we
cannot afford
• US 84/W Hill Ave.
• I-75 Interchanges
• Oak St. Extension
• Five Points
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
49. Freight Movement
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
Local Economic EngineHow do we make sure our community is ready for future needs2015 Panama Canal – Port of Savannah3 of 4 growth industries depend on transportation locally