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North‐central Alabama Rural Planning Organization
Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report
October 1, 2014 – September 30, 2015
North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments
Positively Impacting People and Communities P.O. Box C
216 Jackson Street SE Decatur, AL 35602
256‐355‐4515 www.narcog.org
Jeffrey Pruitt, AICP – Executive Director Joey Hester, AICP – Planning Director Robby Cantrell – Associate Planner Michael Mills – Associate Planner
Bennett Smithhart – Associate Planner
This report was financed in part by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Alabama Department of Transportation, and produced by the North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments (NARCOG) in fulfillment of requirements set forth in Title 23 USC 134 and 135 (as amended by MAP‐21 Sections 1201 and 1202). The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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Introduction The North‐central Alabama Rural Planning Organization was organized in order to conduct a rural transportation planning process in Cullman, Lawrence and Morgan counties in North‐central Alabama. The planning process is sponsored by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) and the North‐central Alabama Regional Council of Governments (NARCOG). The goals of the North‐central Alabama Rural Planning Organization are to provide: 1) a well‐managed rural transportation planning process; 2) an effective transportation committee structure; 3) a comprehensive data library and distribution source; 4) reports that are useful to the ALDOT and the local governments; and 5) a well‐informed Rural Transportation Planning Organization Committee who actively participates in the rural transportation planning process. The work program was divided into five (5) tasks. The tasks outlined the rural transportation planning work to be performed by the staff at the North‐central Alabama Regional Council of Governments during Fiscal Year 2015. The information included in this document describes the work performed and products produced for each task as proposed in the Fiscal Year 2015 Work Program. The tasks are identified as: Task 1 – Administration and Management; Task 2 – Committee Service; Task 3 – Data Management; Task 4 – Reports; and Task 5 – Public Involvement.
Bridge Replacement on State Route 67 over Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River in Cullman County(ALDOT Rural Highway Planning Project Inventory)
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Task 1 – Administration and Management
Objective: To effectively manage the rural transportation planning process
Work: Completed all necessary administrative and
management tasks to ensure the planning process worked properly
Organized and developed FY 2015 RPO administrative files
Developed and completed monthly ALDOT Invoices
Completed RPO timesheets and Work Logs on a monthly basis
Completed and reviewed the NARCOG financial report on a monthly basis
Attended NARCOG Planning Department meetings
Updated and maintained NARCOG websites with RPO news, documents, and maps
Researched potential funding sources for transportation related projects
Reviewed Section 5310 fund applications to determine concurrence with the Human Service Coordinated Transportation Plan
Performed transportation system mapping and classification for the Town of Hillsboro in order to identify potential transportation related projects
Organized and maintained files on each of the 23 municipalities and each of the 3 counties in the Region
Attended public meetings for transportation related projects throughout the NARCOG Region
Represented the RPO at meetings for the South Bank Economic Recovery (SBER) Plan in order to determine transportation related involvement in the plan being developed by the NARCOG
Attended the Statewide Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan meeting in Montgomery to determine contributions of the RPO to the local plan update
Attended one NARCOG Board meeting to report the state of the RPO for the NARCOG Region
Met with elected officials throughout the Region to discuss the purpose and benefits of the RPO
Provided Technical Assistance to the Town of Eva for potential Recreational Trails Program application
Delivered downtown street assessment reports to the Towns of Falkville, Garden City and Town Creek
Cover Page – FY 2015 RPO Work Program
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Task 2 – Committee Service
Objective: To conduct RPO Committee meetings concerning the Rural Transportation Planning Process
Work: Updated the RPO Committee contact info and mailing list Worked on the RPO Committee Structure and Implementation Developed and updated materials for RPO meetings and presentations Provided information and RPO meeting notices on the agency website Attended NARCOG Planning Department meetings Prepared presentations, agendas and notices for RPO Stakeholders meetings Met with Hartselle City Planner to discuss transportation plans and/or needs Met with municipal staff of the Towns of Hanceville and Garden City to seek input for
Interactive Map for use on the NARCOG website Attended RPO Stakeholders meetings Met with NARCOG board members Created a Project Development/Priority list for the RPO Attended the July 28th Morgan County Commission meeting Provided technical assistance to the Town of Eva in preparation for a Recreational Trails
Program (RTP) Application
Preliminary site plan developed for the Town of Eva for use in the FY 2015 Recreational Trails Program application
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Spoke with Morgan County Commission Chairman Ray Long concerning Eva RTP Application Performed field work to identify potential road projects in the Town of Eva and CR‐565 in
Cullman County Met with NARCOG Aging Director to discuss involvement in update for Human Services
Coordinated Transportation Plan Attended RTP Application Workshop in Montgomery Reviewed the DRIVE Act, then met with the NARCOG Executive Director to discuss potential
project development based on the text Visited Traditions Bank in the City of Cullman to answer questions about a traffic light that
has not been replaced after an auto accident Visited the Town of Good Hope to discuss the new I‐65 interchange and deliver area map Visited the Town of Falkville to deliver Draft Traffic Flow Base Map for Falkville Schools Visited with Town of Garden City Public Works Staff to discuss infrastructure and potential
projects and funding Began discussion of the potential for a feasibility study for an inland port along the CSX
Railroad and developed material for meetings with local elected officials
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Task 3 – Data Management
Objective: To collect, maintain, and distribute data related to the Rural Transportation Planning Process
Work: Produced Base Maps of the region for Transportation Planning purposes Updated and maintained maps of the Functional Classification of roads in the RPO planning
area for the GIS database Updated and maintained municipal boundaries for the GIS database Performed transportation system mapping, assessments and data collection for the Towns
of Hillsboro, Courtland, North Courtland and Baileyton, and Lawrence County Met with municipal staff of the Towns of Hanceville and Garden City to discuss
transportation needs and assessments Began developing a web‐based interactive mapping system for use on the NARCOG website
to include a Transportation Needs Inventory and Community Asset Inventory Produced a list of acronyms for inclusion on the Tools and Resources section of the RPO
web page (See Appendix) Continued testing ArcGIS Online as a resource for distribution of data to RPO Stakeholders Continued compiling a photo inventory of bridges and stream crossings in the Region Performed Asset Inventory field data collection throughout the Region Completed photo documentation of street flooding and drainage issues, in the Town of
Hillsboro, for use in potential project funding Produced an updated trail map for the Oakville Indian Mounds Education Center
Updated trail map for the Oakville Indian Mounds Education Center
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Provided a Highway Traffic Count Map to the Town of North Courtland Produced Community Location Maps for planning purposes Performed Transportation System Assessments for the Towns of Courtland, Falkville,
Garden City and Town Creek for use in project development and to produce deliverables to the Towns
Searched for and downloaded digital elevation model data on NASA and USGS websites Participated in a statewide conference call concerning the Human Services Coordinated
Transportation Plan update for Fiscal Year 2015 – a review of Regional Transportation Summaries produced by the Alabama Department of Public Health
Identified alternative fuel recharging station locations for the Region. Locations were listed on the EPA website and the data was used to update GIS databases.
Produced NARCOG Region Demographic Maps and Region Transportation Provider Service Area Maps for the Fiscal Year 2015 Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan (10 maps)
Updated a road conditions map for the Town of Hillsboro following the completion of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) project to rehabilitate Davis Road
Transportation System Map with Road Conditions for the Town of Hillsboro
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Produced a Draft Traffic Flow Base Map for Falkville Schools at the request of Morgan County Commissioner Don Stisher
Reviewed status of Transportation Projects for the 2015 NARCOG Region Comprehensive Development Strategy (CEDS) Update (including field work and desk review)
Produced a parcel and right of way map of the area surrounding the new I‐65 interchange in the Town of Good Hope at the request of State Representative Corey Harbison
Produced a base map for the Town of Eva for use in project development Began locating trailblazing signs for the “Forrest‐Streight Civil War Route” in Cullman
County Produced Field Index Maps for use in the City of Hanceville and the Town of Garden City for
project development and planning purposes Produced a base map for the Town of Eva for use in project development Continued testing a new NARPO Web Page/Blog; Uploaded interactive maps, the Fiscal Year
2015 Work Program, Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Report, ALDOT Rural Planning Highway Project Lists 2015‐2020, Fiscal Year 2015 Semi‐Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2016 Work Program, and Fiscal Year 2015 Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan
Provided transportation related information related to Region transportation infrastructure for the South Bank Economic Recovery Program (NARCOG)
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Task 4 – Reports
Objective: To prepare Rural Transportation Planning Process reports and documents for the RPO committee and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT)
Work: Completed the FY 2014 Annual Report Completed the FY 2015 Semi‐Annual Report (October 1 – March 31) Began the FY 2015 Annual Report (Due October 15, 2015) Completed monthly RPO Work Logs Contributed to monthly NARCOG Board Reports Completed reports of Community Interaction for the NARCOG Planning Department Completed Annual Report for the Alabama State Data Center concerning the use of U.S.
Census data Completed maps, documents, handouts, and presentations for RPO Stakeholder meetings
Began gathering information for a proposed feasibility study for a potential inland port in the NARCOG Region along the CSX Railroad
Prepared and submitted the Fiscal Year 2016 RPO Work Program to the ALDOT Provided updated transportation project information for the 2015 NARCOG Region
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Update Produced documents the NARCOG RPO website Produced reports on Region Demographics for the Fiscal Year 2015 Human Services
Coordinated Transportation Plan update
Illustration produced for a proposed feasibility study for a potential inland port in the NARCOG Region along the CSX Railroad
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Task 5 – Public Involvement
Objective: To inform the public about the Rural Transportation Planning Process and to actively seek public involvement
Work: The planning staff continues to meet with local
chamber of commerce members and elected officials concerning the rural transportation planning process
Provision of RPO information and RPO meeting notices on the agency website
Created, published, and delivered notifications for the Fiscal Year 2015 Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan
Spoke to the Lawrence County Rotary Club about the RPO (by invitation)
Updated the Public Participation Plan Stakeholders List Began full revision of the RPO Public Participation Plan
Robby Cantrell, NARCOG Associate Planner, speaking to the Lawrence
County Rotary Club
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Meetings and Conferences Attended October 23 – Attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new I‐65 interchange at County
Road 222 in Good Hope December 2‐5 ‐ Attended the National RPO Conference in Cincinnati, OH March 17‐18 ‐ Attended the Alabama Transportation Planners Association (ATPA) Annual
Meeting in Tuscaloosa June 30 – Attended the Recreational Trails Program Application Workshop in Montgomery August 12 – Attended the GEOInt Workshop at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in
Huntsville September 25 – Attended the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
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APPENDIX Transportation Acronyms Transportation planners and engineers have a wide variety of acronyms that they use in technical speech and documents. The following list is not exhaustive, but should be a helpful resource to those who have a question about the meaning of a particular acronym. AADT – Annual Average Daily Traffic (the average daily traffic on a given road segment in a given year) AARC – Alabama Association of Regional Councils (sometimes seen as ALARC) AASHTO – American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials AAWDT – Annual Average Weekday Traffic (the average weekday traffic on a given road segment in a given year) ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act ADECA – Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs ADEM – Alabama Department of Environmental Management ADHS – Appalachian Development Highway System ADT – Average Daily Traffic (sometimes used in place of ‘AADT’) AEMA – Alabama Emergency Management Agency AHC – Alabama Historical Commission ALDOT – Alabama Department of Transportation AMRV‐RC&D – Alabama Mountains, Rivers & Valleys – Resource Conservation & Development Council APA – American Planning Association APTA – American Public Transit Association ARC – Appalachian Regional Commission ATPA – Alabama Transportation Planners Association B/C – Benefit/Cost (typically followed by ‘analysis’ or ‘ratio’) BMP – Best Management Practice B/P – Bicycle/Pedestrian BRT – Bus Rapid Transit BST – Bituminous Surface Treatment (also known as ‘chip seal’) BTS – Bureau of Transportation Statistics CADD – Computer Aided Drafting and Design CBD – Central Business District CDBG – Community Development Block Grant CE – Categorical Exclusion (an exclusion from the environmental analysis process for certain categories of projects) CEQ – Council on Environmental Quality (Federal agency with power to regulate the environmental analysis (NEPA) process) CFR – Code of Federal Regulations
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CMAQ – Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (funding program for projects that mitigate congestion and/or improve air quality in areas designated as ‘nonattainment’ or ‘maintenance’ for air quality) COE – US Army Corps of Engineers (see also ‘USACE’) CY – Calendar Year DBE – Disadvantaged Business Enterprise DEIS – Draft Environmental Impact Statement DRIVE ‐ Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (Federal transportation authorization passed by the Senate in 2015 to replace MAP‐21) EA – Environmental Assessment (a limited environmental analysis performed as part of NEPA to determine whether a full Environmental Impact Statement is necessary) EDA – Economic Development Administration EIS – Environmental Impact Statement (environmental analysis conducted for NEPA ; see also ‘DEIS’ and ‘FEIS’) EPA – US Environmental Protection Agency ERR – Environmental Review Record FAA – Federal Aviation Administration FEIS – Final Environmental Impact Statement FEMA – Federal Emergency Management Agency FHWA – Federal Highway Administration FMCSA – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FONSI – Finding of No Significant Impact (potential outcome of environmental analysis/NEPA process) FRA – Federal Railroad Administration FTA – Federal Transit Administration FY – Fiscal Year (for NARCOG, these run from October 1 to September 30) GIS – Geographic Information Systems (for computer‐based mapping) HCM – Highway Capacity Manual HOT – High Occupancy/Toll lanes (lanes for free use by carpools/transit vehicles and tolled use by single‐occupancy vehicles) HOV – High Occupancy Vehicle lanes (lanes reserved for exclusive use by carpools and transit vehicles) HSCTP – Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan ICC – Interstate Commerce Commission (responsible for regulating railroads) ISTEA – Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (Federal transportation authorization passed in 1991; superseded by TEA‐21) ITS – Intelligent Transportation Systems LOS – Level of Service (method of grading service provided by a specific transportation facility) LRTP – Long Range Transportation Plan (long‐range cost‐constrained plans developed and adopted by MPOs; RPOs do not currently develop LRTPs) MAP‐21 ‐ Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (Federal transportation authorization passed in 2012; has been superseded by DRIVE Act in 2015) MBE – Minority Business Enterprise MOU – Memorandum of Understanding
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MPO – Metropolitan Planning Organization MUTCD – Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices NAAQS – National Ambient Air Quality Standards (used to determine attainment and nonattainment areas) NADO – National Association of Development Organizations NARCOG – North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments NARPO – North‐central Alabama Rural Planning Organization NCHRP – National Cooperative Highway Research Program NEPA – National Environmental Policy Act (Federal law requiring analysis of environmental impacts of transportation projects) NHS – National Highway System (a designated set of major roadways of national importance) NHTSA – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NPDES – National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPS – National Park Service NTSB – National Transportation Safety Board O&M – Operations and Maintenance (can refer to transit or highway modes; sometimes shown as ‘M&O’) OMB – Office of Management and Budget (federal agency) PE – Preliminary Engineering (including planning, environmental analysis, and design) PE – Professional Engineer WP – Work Program (document showing RPO budget and tasks/deliverables for given fiscal year) RFP – Request for Proposals RHP – Rural Highway Planning ROD – Record of Decision (documents decision made at end of EIS process) ROW – Right‐of‐Way (sometimes shown as R/W) RPO – Rural Planning Organization RTP – Recreational Trails Program RTPO – Regional Transportation Planning Organization SAFETEA–LU – Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Federal transportation authorization law, passed in 2005, replacing TEA–21) SCORP – State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan SEIS – Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (used when changes are necessary to a previously approved FEIS) SHPO – State Historic Preservation Office (see AHC) SLRTP – State Long Range Transportation Plan SOV – Single‐occupancy Vehicle STIP – Statewide Transportation Improvement Program STP – Surface Transportation Program (one of the major Federal funding programs identified in SAFETEA–LU) TDM – Travel Demand Management (methods to reduce the demand for transportation infrastructure, such as transit, carpooling, teleworking, and flexible work hours) TEA–21 – Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (Federal transportation authorization law passed in 1998; superseded by SAFETEA–LU)
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TIP – Transportation Improvement Program (see also ‘STIP’) TRB – Transportation Research Board (a program of the National Academy of Sciences) TSM – Transportation System Management (or Transportation Supply Management; methods for improving the efficiency and operations of the transportation system, such as signal timing improvements, access management, and ramp metering) TWLTL – Two‐way Left Turn Lane (or Center Turn Lane) USACE – US Army Corps of Engineers (see also ‘COE’) USC – United States Code USDOT – United States Department of Transportation USFS – United States Forest Service USFWS – United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGIF – United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation USGS – United States Geological Survey VPD – Vehicles per Day (see also ‘AADT’) WBE – Women’s Business Enterprise