MPO Critique. TTP220 S. Handy 5/12/14

Transcription

1 MPO Critique TTP220 S. Handy 5/12/14

2 MPOs in Concept Originally Their role, as originally conceived, was to bring local concerns together to counteract the power of state highway departments. - Handy and Sciara

3 MPOs in Concept Now MPOs provide a visionary force for change in the region MPOs provide leadership on regional issues and champion change based on adopted goals and policies Turnbull 2007

4 MPOs in Reality MPOs have been dealt a weak institutional hand, and they have not substantially altered the power of state or federal partners in the intergovernmental systems at the regional level, and they have had a limited one on local governments Wolf, Puentes, et al Few MPOs enjoyed a mandate from either the state or from local governments to exert real control over decision-making in transportation Goldman and Deakin 2000

5 MPO Structural Limitations MPO boundaries and board composition determined by governor and local governments MPO board is made up of local elected officials rather than regionally elected officials. Projects for long-range plan and transportation improvement program come from local governments, transit agencies, state DOT. Implications for Authority, Resources, Legitimacy

6 MPO Authority Authority for LRP and TIP No authority for Construction and operation of the system Raising funds (e.g. imposing taxes) Formula funding to transit agencies Land use planning Leverage through Projects must be in LRP and TIP LRP and TIP must be fiscally constrained LRP and TIP must meet air quality conformity

7 MPO Resources Direct control over substantial share of federal funding for region No control over State suballocation policy Congressional earmarks Local funding, e.g. county sales tax Leverage through funding flexibility Another issue: Administrative funding and staffing levels

8 MPO Legitimacy Political legitimacy Support of local officials who serve on MPO board for regional over local concerns Central city versus suburban representation on MPO board TEA-Party challenges Technical legitimacy Limitations of travel demand models with respect to non-auto modes, equity considerations

9 Federal Government -Funding -Planning reqs State Government -Projects -Approvals Metropolitan Planning Organizations -Long-range plans -Short-term programs Regional transportation system Local Governments -Membership on MPO board -Submission of proposed projects

10 Critical to MPO Success Top-down support from state DOT Bottom-up support from local governments Internal support in the form of: Leadership from director and MPO board Technical competence and credibility The most successful MPOs appear to have leaders with the ability to achieve progressive collaboration and to build consensus among individuals with diverse interests, and to fashion regional solutions to common problems - Goetz, Dempsey et al. 2002

11 SB375 Sustainable Communities Planning Act of 2008 Targets for per capita GHG emissions reduction from cars and trucks for metropolitan areas, by reducing vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) Sacramento 7% 16% Bay Area 7% 15% LA region 8% 13% San Diego 7% 13%

12 Sustainable Communities Strategies How to get local governments on board?

13 Transportation vs. Land Use Planning Level Federal Transportation Agencies FHWA FTA Land Use Agencies none State DOT none Regional Local MPO Transit Planning Public Works (City and County) none Planning (City and County)

14 Planning Dept The General Plan Where are we? Where are we going Where do we want to be? How do we get there? Planning Dept Land Development Code Regulates private development Capital Improvement Program Dictates public investment Public Works Dept

15 MPO Funding Programs MPO Region Program Est. S.F Bay Area Transportation for Livable Communities Federal Program 1997 Sacramento Community Design Program 2005 San Diego Southern California State Local Regional Pilot Smart Growth Incentive Program Compass/Blueprint Demonstration Grant & Green Incentive Programs

16 MTC s Transportation for Livable Communities Program The purpose is to support community-based transportation projects that bring new vibrancy to downtown areas, commercial cores, neighborhoods, and transit corridors, enhancing their amenities and ambiance and making them places where people want to live, work and visit. Grants to city, counties, and transit agencies that adhere to program goals and criteria

17 Critical Issues for MPOs Geography: increasingly interconnected regions evolving into super-regions Technology: innovations rearranging daily travel patterns in unpredictable ways Equity: balance between regional needs and equitable distribution of costs and benefits Sustainability: reducing GHG emissions while building a more resilient system

18 In the Context of Intergovernmentalism Where is federal and state policy headed? $ with strings attached Federal State State System Regional Local Proposed projects Regional System Local System

19 1. Develop goals and objectives 2. Select performance measures 3. Identify trends and targets 4. Identify strategies and analyze alternatives 5. Develop investment priorities in LRP and TIP 6. On-going monitoring, evaluation, and performance reporting

20 MAP-21 expires September 30, 2014!

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25 The end.

26 MPO Presentation Schedule Monday 5/12 Wednesday 5/14 Palm, Matthew Fackler, Aaron Brown, Rodney Goodman, Brianna Fitch-Polse, Dillon Wu, Bo Moffitt, Samuel Alemi, Farzad Gettani, Duaa Zhao, Anqi Wong, Son Hong Kwan, Chun Zhang, Yizhen Popovich, Natalie Tiedeman, Kate Thigpen, Calvin Iliopoulou, Christina McBride, Ashley Manciati, David Ji, Wei