Transportation 2035 - State of Rhode Island: Division of Planning

December 2012• Operational and Management Strategies: Metropolitan transportation plans shall include operational and management strategies to improve theperformance of the existing transportation facilities to relieve vehicular congestion and maximize the safety and mobility of people and goods. [Aproposal for a statewide Access Management Program has been included as an appendix to this Plan.]• Participation Plan: MPOs must develop and utilize a "Participation Plan" that provides reasonable opportunities for interested parties to comment onthe content of the metropolitan transportation plan and metropolitan TIP. Further, this "Participation Plan" must be developed "in consultation withall interested parties". This consultation requirement is intended to afford parties who participate in the metropolitan planning process a specificopportunity to comment on the plan prior to its approval. A participation plan must be in place prior to MPO adoption of transportation plans and TIPsaddressing SAFETEA-LU provisions. FTA/FHWA particularly expect this to encompass governmental and nonprofit organizations that receive Federalassistance from a source other than the Department of Transportation to provide non-emergency transportation services and recipients of assistanceunder section 204 of title 23, U.S.C. [A Public Participation Guide was developed and approved in 2007. Additionally, a brochure was developed inboth English and Spanish and distributed widely throughout the State.]• Visualization Techniques in Plans and Metropolitan TIP Development: As part of transportation plan and TIP development, MPOs shall employvisualization techniques. States shall also employ visualization techniques in the development of the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan.[Photographs, charts, and greatly enhanced mapping are used extensively in this plan.]• Publication of Plans and TIP/STIP: MPOs shall publish or otherwise make available for public review transportation plans and TIPs including (to themaximum extent practicable) in electronically accessible formats and means, such as the World Wide Web. States also shall use a similar approach forthe Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan. [Statewide Planning has published plans and TIP’s on our website for many years and will continue todo so.]• Annual Listing of Obligated Projects: SAFETEA-LU specifies that the development of the annual listing "shall be a cooperative effort of the State,transit operator, and MPO" and also shall include two new project types, "investments in pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities" forwhich Federal funds have been obligated in the preceding year. [This list is available at www.planning.ri.gov/tip/7detail.pdf]• Congestion Management Processes in Transportation Management Areas (TMAs): Within a metropolitan planning area serving a TMA, there mustbe "a process that provides for effective management and operation" to address congestion management. Each TMA (with input from the FHWADivision Offices and FTA Regional Offices) should assess the extent that the TMA's existing CMS meets the new statutory requirements for acongestion management process and define a plan and schedule to implement this process. [A proposed Congestion Management Process is includedas an Appendix A to this Plan.]Transportation 2035 (2012 Update)State Guide Plan Element 611Rhode Island Statewide Planning ProgramPage 1-11